Steidten can land another West Ham coup with perfect Paqueta replacement

Tom Weber

• 24 Feb 2024 13:46 CST
• 8 min read

West Ham transfer guru Tim Steidten could pull off another smart signing with Stuttgart's Enzo Millot.

The Hammers' star midfielder, Lucas Paqueta, is once again the subject of interest from Manchester City, who already attempted to sign the Bazilian in the summer before allegations of illicit betting ruined the move.

In recent days, fresh reports have claimed that Pep Guardiola and company could revisit this deal in the upcoming transfer window. Given the money involved - potentially north of €90 million - West Ham would be foolish not to cash in on the 26-year-old.

There is no denying that Paqueta would be a big loss. His brilliant technical ability and versatility make him an invaluable asset. Usually an attacking or central midfielder, the former Milan and Lyon star has featured on the left wing this term and still performed at a high level.

This versatility would be hard to replace for any club, but the Hammers' sporting director Tim Steidten, who has made a name for himself with smart acquisitions in recent times, could complete another coup by looking to his native Germany for a replacement for Paqueta.

Millot a Paqueta 2.0

Enzo Millot is a player who has a lot of Lucas Paqueta about him. Flawless technical ability, not afraid to do the dirty work while having a pronounced attacking drive and capable of featuring centrally and on the wing, the VfB Stuttgart midfielder appears an ideal replacement.

A French U21 international under Thierry Henry, Millot has been an important player for Stuttgart for some time. This season in particular, with Sebastian Hoeneß's side surprisingly fighting for a Champions League spot, the 21-year-old has reached another level.

Millot has been a regular starter and filled in all over the place, be it on the wing, as an attacking midfielder and even in a deeper role at times. The youngster has notched four goals and three assists in 21 Bundesliga outings so far this term and still has a lot of potential, according to data experts SciSports.

While not at the same level as Paqueta, whom SciSports deem West Ham's best performer in terms of ability, Millot has the potential to become a better player than any of the Hammers' current stars, with the only exception being, well, the Brazilian. Paqueta currently has a SciSkill rating of 105.5, while Millot's potential clocks in at 104.7.

Using SciSports' Career Advice Tool, we can see that Millot would be an ideal fit for the east London side. Inter are the only outfit with a higher Club Fit rating (82) than the Hammers (76), followed by the likes of Roma, Nice and Bayern.

Stuttgart recently managed to get Millot to agree to a new long-term deal, yet the Frenchman could still be a relatively affordable option despite being tied down until 2028. His current Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands at €11.2m after a sharp increase over the last month.

While Stuttgart would naturally demand a hefty premium due to his significant potential, it seems unlikely that he would go for more than €30m-€40m, leaving a fair chunk of the Paqueta money to be used on adding much-needed depth in different positions.