Lucas Paquetá is back at Flamengo. The red-and-black and West Ham reached an agreement after weeks of negotiations.
The transfer value was set at 42 million euros (R$260.5 million), with payment until 2028, and the 28-year-old midfielder will have a five-year contract. This became the biggest purchase in Brazilian football.
One of the clauses in the contract states that, in the event of a future sale greater than the amount paid by Flamengo, West Ham is entitled to 50% of the excess amount.
West Ham’s idea was to have the player at least until March, but Paquetá informed the board that he had no intention of playing for the club again.
The player leaves for Brazil this Wednesday (28), will undergo medical examinations and then sign the contract.
Created by Flamengo, Paquetá returns to the club after eight years. He passed through Milan and Lyon before arriving in England.
The expectation now is that Paquetá will have his name published in the BID (Daily Newsletter) of the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) by Friday (30), which would allow him to play against Corinthians in the Brazilian Super Cup.
The midfielder’s last match was on January 6, in West Ham’s defeat to Nottingham Forest. The club won the next three games and announced the signing of Spaniard Adama Traoré this Wednesday (28).
In July last year, Paquetá was cleared in the case that investigated suspected participation in a Premier League match-fixing scheme to favor bettors.
In May 2024, the player had been accused by the FA (Football Association, the English football federation) of forcing him to receive yellow cards in four matches of the English championship, in 2022 and 2023.
At the time, the English club was considering negotiating him, and Flamengo was among those interested.
Paquetá arrived at West Ham in 2022 for 43 million pounds (R$321 million), coming from Lyon.
Due to the process, negotiations for his transfer to Manchester City ended up frustrated, and the midfielder even cried on the field after receiving a yellow card in a match against Tottenham. He was substituted seven minutes later.
In November 2025, after the case was defined, Paquetá was expelled after receiving two yellow cards for complaining. He accused the FA of failing to provide him with psychological support during the investigations.
“It’s ridiculous to have my life and career affected for two years without any psychological support from the federation. Maybe this ridiculous behavior is just a reflection of everything I’ve had to endure and, it seems, will continue to endure! I’m sorry if I’m not perfect,” he wrote on social media.
