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West Ham are prepared to sell Lucas Paquetá this month only if Flamengo agree to loan the Brazilian midfielder back for the remainder of the season, but the Rio club are resisting the arrangement and may wait until summer to secure a cheaper deal.
West Ham’s Paquetá Sale Contingent on Loan-Back Deal as Flamengo Show Resistance
Flamengo had an opening bid of €35m rejected for the Brazilian international and are prepared to raise their offer to approximately €40m. Paquetá has made clear to West Ham that he wants to return to Brazil, but Flamengo are not minded to loan him back, reasoning that they can wait and buy him more cheaply in the summer when his value may decrease further.
West Ham are locked in a fight to stay in the Premier League and fear that losing Paquetá would condemn them to relegation. The Brazil international has grown disillusioned with life in England after facing allegations of spot-fixing, having been cleared of the charges last year but losing a move to Manchester City in 2023 as a result of the investigation.
The club have not seen the best of Paquetá since the Football Association’s investigation came to light in August 2023. The former Lyon midfielder, who joined West Ham for £51m in 2022, has struggled to maintain focus and said after a red card against Liverpool this season that the FA had not provided him with psychological support. Sources indicate Paquetá asked to be left out of last Sunday’s FA Cup victory over Queens Park Rangers.
West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo admits the club need to solve the situation with Paquetá quickly. “I think it’s a situation that we have to solve, all of us at the club have to solve,” said the Portuguese coach. “We always want our best players to be involved and Lucas is one of our best players, so let’s try to solve the situation.” The Brazilian transfer window shuts in March, giving Flamengo additional time to make their decision.
Selling Paquetá would boost West Ham’s transfer budget as they seek defensive reinforcements, having not kept a clean sheet since August. West Ham are seven points below 17th-placed Nottingham Forest and have cooled their interest in Toulouse centre-back Charlie Cresswell, who is wanted by Borussia Dortmund and Wolfsburg. The club have confirmed that Paco Jémez has joined Nuno’s backroom staff.
