West Ham have shown Man City a perfect alternative to Lucas Paqueta

Manchester City are usually calm and collected in the summer transfer window, with their important business all sewn up nice and early. This year, however, they've been forced to get stuck in the muck.

Fate has seemingly conspired against them but now into the final week of the window City are still looking to sign at least one, perhaps even two, players before the window closes. And it's not as if they're a nice bonus but rather the squad needs serious reinforcement.

Pep Guardiola was forced to name a bench with just 38 appearances between it last season for the win over Newcastle as a minor injury crisis took hold just a week into the season. Kevin De Bruyne is the heaviest blow as he will sit out the rest of the year while John Stones and Bernardo Silva also missed the game. With Aymeric Laporte and Joao Cancelo heading for the exit, the Blues are suddenly looking thin on options.

Riyad Mahrez is finally being replaced with the signing of Jeremy Doku but City are still eager to bolster the midfield ranks further. Though Mateo Kovacic was signed in the wake of Ilkay Gundogan's departure, City have always wanted another body to help fill the hole the captain left behind.

ALSO READ: City go back to Sterling blueprint to go forwards with Doku signing

There was a failed attempt to steal Declan Rice from under Arsenal's nose and then it all went quiet until Lucas Paqueta became a surprise target. The West Ham talisman had a decent debut season in the Premier League but isn't a player who particularly screamed City calibre. Especially since he will soon turn 26 and West Ham would have not let him go on the cheap.

The Brazilian cost the Hammers a club record £52.5m last summer and is contracted until 2027 with the option