West Ham wanted to sell Paqueta to make up ground but now it's frozen; he could be dropped from the national team.【fangjie】

For West Ham, the issues surrounding Paqueta will affect Lopetegui's first season as manager.

City's interest in Paqueta was genuine last summer, a potential transfer that was marred at the time by the emergence of an investigation. However, Paqueta was only suspected at the time and has now led to gambling allegations. West Ham would have been unlikely to keep Paqueta this summer, but losing him and not being able to find a replacement would be a double blow. Paqueta's £85m release clause will come into effect in June this year and his contract expires in 2027 with an option to extend for another year. The sale of Paqueta would allow the club to reinvest in the squad, similar to Declan Rice's £105m move to Arsenal last summer. Sevilla striker Yousef Enesley and Brazilian Corinthians forward Wesley Garçova are two of the summer targets identified by technical director and new head coach Julian Lopetegui. He could also face the prospect of missing the Copa America as a starter for the Brazilian national team. It is unclear whether he will play in the tournament (which could be serious or even lead to removal from the squad, as happened last year). Reporters contacted the Brazilian Football Federation for comment.