Lucas Paqueta may find Manchester City impossible to turn down but one former Premier League star thinks James Ward-Prowse will get more goals and assists for West Ham United than the Brazilian anyway.

He certainly took some time to get going in claret-and-blue. But, during the final few months of 2022/23, West Ham supporters saw exactly why Lucas Paqueta was one of the first names on the Brazilian team sheet at the Qatar World Cup.

Why the Hammers invested a £51 million fee on bringing in a player with Lyon and AC Milan on his CV

In terms of raw ability and pure aesthetics, the rather workmanlike James Ward-Prowse cannot hold a handle to a player who could soon be following Declan Rice out the door; Tuttomercatoweb reporting that Man City are preparing a £70 million offer for Paqueta.

But one-time England, Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy still feels that Southampton skipper Ward-Prowse could be an upgrade on Paqueta. At least from a statistical perspective.

Lucas Paqueta out, James Ward-Prowse in

“Ward-Prowse will score more goals than Paqueta. He will get you five (goals from) free-kicks, will get you more assists than Paqueta,” Murphy tells talkSPORT (9 Auugst, 10.40am).

“He’s played a couple of different roles for Southampton. When he played further forward, he got goals.

“He is so good technically. And if he is anywhere around the box, he’ll get goals. I’m not saying he’s a btter all-round player (than Paqueta) but he’ll get more goals.”

Ward-Prowse, last season, scored 11 goals and set up five more, even as Southampton finished bottom of the Premier League table. Paqueta, meanwhile, ended his debut season in English football with five goals and seven assists

In terms of raw ability and pure aesthetics, the rather workmanlike James Ward-Prowse cannot hold a handle to a player who could soon be following Declan Rice out the door; Tuttomercatoweb reporting that Man City are preparing a £70 million offer for Paqueta.

But one-time England, Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy still feels that Southampton skipper Ward-Prowse could be an upgrade on Paqueta. At least from a statistical perspective.

Lucas Paqueta out, James Ward-Prowse in

“Ward-Prowse will score more goals than Paqueta. He will get you five (goals from) free-kicks, will get you more assists than Paqueta,” Murphy tells talkSPORT (9 Auugst, 10.40am).

“He’s played a couple of different roles for Southampton. When he played further forward, he got goals.

“He is so good technically. And if he is anywhere around the box, he’ll get goals. I’m not saying he’s a btter all-round player (than Paqueta) but he’ll get more goals.”

Ward-Prowse, last season, scored 11 goals and set up five more, even as Southampton finished bottom of the Premier League table. Paqueta, meanwhile, ended his debut season in English football with five goals and seven assists.