Lucas Paquetá back to Flamengo: Director and brother indicate hit

Midfielder Lucas Paquetá may return to Flamengo in 2025. According to the player’s brother, Matheus Paquetá, in print circulating on the internet, the player is interested in returning to the red-black.

The question, however, is not so simple. The player is being tried and can be banned from football for alleged involvement with betting scheme. The result should be released on Friday (25/07).

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What said Paquetá’s brother

Disclosure

The athlete’s brother, with this, said that it will be necessary to wait for the result of the trial. In addition, Flamengo also has to show interest in hiring the player with West Ham from England.

José Boto, Flamengo’s soccer director, said in February 2025 that Red-Black would be interested in hiring the midfielder.

Another point that draws attention is that Flamengo’s Vice President of Administration, Marcos Motta, is in England. The leader would be expecting only the result of the trial to negotiate with West Ham.

The main impediment would be the cost to Flamengo. West Ham spent almost 43 million euros – about $ 280 million for the current price – to hire the athlete. The tendency is for the English team not tope to release the athlete for a much lower value, asking about 40 million euros, as he has a contract with the English until June 2027.

In addition, Paquetá was quoted to transfer to Manchester City before the scandal of alleged betting with bets. The Pep Guardiola team would pay £ 80 million at the time – almost $ 600 million.

With this, West Ham can play hard to release the athlete, betting on a resumption of good Paquetá football still in England.

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Why is Paquetá being tried?

Lucas Paquetá is accused of having formed yellow cards purposely in games against Leicester, Aston Villa, Leeds and Bournemouth, which took place between November 2022 and August 2023.

According to information from the investigations, 60 people in Brazil, in Paquetá Island (RJ), where the player was born, bet that Lucas would receive yellow cards in the investigated games, with bets ranging between 7 and 400 pounds ($ 2,900). The total gains reached £ 100,000 (R $ 723 thousand).

According to The Sun, FA requested Paquetá’s cell phone last year to investigate the case of bets. The federation returned the mobile phone to the Brazilian after two months, after analyzing registration of calls, messages and bank movements.

The federation again requested the device, but Paquetá had gotten rid of the object. Consequently, the FA accuses the player to obstruct the investigation and added two infractions aggravated for lack of cooperation in the event of bets.

Which PAQUETA punishments can face?

If considered guilty, in best case, Paquetá may take a long suspension. The player Bradley Wood, who had a similar case to what the Brazilian is accused of forcing yellow cards to manipulate bets, received a six -year hook unable to act.

Paquetá’s case, however, is considered more severe than Wood’s, as the West Ham and the Brazilian National Team player is accused of obstructing the investigation.

If it is considered guilty, FA should request the internationalization of the sentence, preventing Paqueta from acting in football in all countries, not being restricted to England alone.

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Paquetá numbers in the career