Heading back home?
©IMAGO
West Ham’s season looks like it could take a turn for the worse, as new reports from England suggest. The Guardian indicates that star player Lucas Paquetá has submitted a transfer request. The Brazilian forward reportedly asked to be omitted from the squad for the upcoming FA Cup match against QPR, signaling his desire to leave the club this month. Just six months after being cleared of match-fixing allegations by the English FA, Paquetá has emerged as a strong candidate for a move back to Brazilian club Flamengo.
Since returning to the first team at the start of the season, Paquetá has scored five goals and provided one assist in 19 appearances for West Ham. While these numbers fall short of his best performances, the club considers him a crucial player under manager Nuno Espírito Santo. Losing him in January could exacerbate West Ham’s struggles as they aim to distance themselves from the Premier League relegation zone.
West Ham acquired Paquetá from Lyon in 2022 for €42.95 million, making it the second-highest fee in the club’s history at that time. His initial two years at the club were quite successful, raising his market value from €45 million to a peak of €65 million between 2003 and 2004. However, following the FA allegations and a dip in form, his market value has fallen to €35 million. Reports suggest Flamengo is willing to meet this valuation with an offer around €40 million for the forward this month.
If Paquetá secures a return to Brazilian football at such a price, he would become the most expensive signing in the history of Brazilian football. The record for the highest transfer fee paid for a Brazilian club is currently held by Gerson, who recently moved from Zenit St Petersburg to Cruzeiro for €27 million, surpassing Vitor Roque’s €25.5 million transfer from Barcelona to Palmeiras in February 2025. Paquetá began his career at Flamengo, where he netted 18 goals and provided eight assists in 95 matches before transferring to AC Milan for €23 million in 2020.
