West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta has sealed a permanent £35.5 million (€41m) move back to his boyhood club, Flamengo. The 28-year-old Brazilian international has returned to his native country, ending a two-and-a-half-year spell in the Premier League.
The Hammers had been open to a deal that would see Paqueta stay on loan for the remainder of the season to aid their relegation fight, but Flamengo insisted on an immediate permanent transfer. Paqueta has signed a long-term contract with the Brazilian giants until December 2030.
West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo paid tribute to the departing star, acknowledging the difficult circumstances. “For me, Lucas is a special player, a special person, he's a number 10," Nuno said. "I think everything could be different, but the circumstances are what they are. He wanted to go to Brazil, and you keep moving, knowing that he's special person and special player and we wish him all the best.”
The club stated that Paqueta sought the move for personal and family reasons, citing the "significant mental strain" caused by the two-year FA investigation into spot-fixing charges, for which he was cleared last summer. Those charges had previously collapsed an £80m move to Manchester City in 2023.
Paqueta departs having made 139 appearances for West Ham, scoring 23 goals and providing 15 assists. He was a key figure in their 2023 Europa Conference League triumph. The transfer fee of £35.5m represents a record amount paid by a Brazilian club.
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