Lucas Paqueta and West Ham United – this story has now come to an end. The Brazilian is returning to his homeland and transferring to Flamengo, which is setting a transfer record with the signing of the midfielder.
On Wednesday evening, West Ham United confirmed that Lucas Paqueta would be leaving the Hammers and was about to join Flamengo Rio de Janeiro. The deal is not yet final, as Lucas Paqueta still has to pass the mandatory medical examination and clarify the final contract details. However, an agreement has been reached between the clubs. No details have been given about the transfer fee, but according to reports, a fee of €42 million is on the table, which would make the 28-year-old the most expensive player in the history of the Brazilian top club. Lucas Paqueta, who played in London since the summer of 2022 after spells at AC Milan (2019/20) and Olympique Lyon (2020-2022), is leaving West Ham after 130 games and 21 goals, with whom he won the Conference League in 2023 (2-1 in the final against Florence).
The Brazilian had been a regular since his move to London and was also an important pillar of the Hammers in the current season. He made 18 appearances and scored four goals, but there had also been some unrest surrounding the midfielder recently. At the beginning of December, after his sending-off in the 0-2 defeat to Liverpool, the Brazilian posted a remarkable tweet.
Remarkable tweet with a backstory
When a TV expert accused him of “ridiculous behavior,” Lucas Paqueta responded sharply: “What’s ridiculous is that my life and career have been affected for two years without receiving psychological support from the association. Perhaps this ridiculous behavior is just a reflection of everything I’ve had to endure and apparently continue to endure! I’m sorry if I’m not perfect.”
His response also had a backstory, as the midfielder had been cleared of match-fixing allegations in July after a lengthy investigation; previously, he had even faced a lifetime ban. It was obvious that Lucas Paqueta no longer felt comfortable in England, and at the beginning of January, his transfer to Flamengo, the club where he trained, was finally pushed through. West Ham, currently 18th in the Premier League and ankle-deep in the English relegation battle, did not want to let the player go and therefore sought a “creative” solution.
For a while, there was talk of selling him, provided that the Copa Libertadores winners would loan the Brazilian international (61 caps, 12 goals) back to the Hammers for the rest of the season. However, this model did not come to fruition, and instead the Brazilian said goodbye to the Hammers for good and immediately joined Filipe Luis’ team.