Brazilian international Lucas Paquetá will play for Flamengo, from West Ham, making a record signing in South American football of 42 million euros.
Paquetá, 28, will sign a five-year contract with the current champions of the Brasileirão and the Copa Libertadores, according to the local press.
“West Ham United confirms that Lucas Paquetá has received permission to undergo a medical examination and negotiate personal conditions with the Brazilian club Flamengo, after having reached an agreement for his transfer,” the English team reported in a statement.
It is “a historic movement,” Fla published on social networks, in a message accompanied by a video in which the attacking midfielder declares himself “very happy to return home.”
Paquetá returns to the club where he trained as a footballer and from which he made the leap to Europe in 2019.
His return has been the great novel of the Brazilian league transfer market, which starts this Wednesday.
The president of Flamengo, Luiz Eduardo Baptista, acknowledged to journalists on Sunday that he had focused “all” his energy on closing “the largest transaction ever carried out by a football club” in South America.
The signing, finally, amounts to 42 million euros (50 million USD), according to local media.
Owner of a luxury payroll, the black-and-white club once again breaks records and, this time, with an amount unattainable for many middle-class clubs in powerful Europe.
Last year, Fla invested 31.6 million euros in the hiring of Brazilian winger Samuel Lino from Atlético de Madrid, the Rio team itself reported in its financial statements.
According to the specialized website Transfermarkt, Paquetá’s transfer leaves behind those of Gerson to Cruzeiro this year, for 27 million euros, and Vitor Roque to Palmeiras last year, for 25.5 million.
Both were the highest in the history of Brazilian and South American football, according to the portal.
Transfermarkt estimated Lino’s signing at 22 million.
With joint revenues approaching $2 billion, according to the investment firm Galapagos Capital, the clubs in Pelé’s country exhibit an economic strength unparalleled in the region, driven by its gigantic domestic market, with more than 200 million inhabitants.
“Inner peace”
Paquetá played 18 games for West Ham in the current Premier League season, with four goals and one assist.
He could make his debut with Flamengo this Sunday in the Brazilian Super Cup against Corinthians.
“I asked to go home, I hope that one day you will understand,” said the player in a video on the social network Instagram, in which he says goodbye to the West Ham fans.
Paquetá said he was looking for “mental health” after a betting scandal that could have cost him his career and deprived him of signing with Manchester City.
He was the target of an investigation by the English Football Federation for alleged match-fixing in West Ham’s Premier League matches against Leicester City in 2022 and Aston Villa, Leeds and Bournemouth in 2023, over suspicions of forcing yellow cards.
The footballer, who always defended his innocence, was acquitted in July.
“I simply need to rediscover the joy of playing football, find my inner peace again,” he highlighted.
“Reluctantly”
With his return, Paquetá seeks to get closer to this year’s World Cup in North America with the Brazilian team.
He already entered the orbit of the coach of the five-time world champions, the Italian Carlo Ancelotti, after his acquittal.
The player “made clear” his desire to return to Brazil, West Ham’s statement said.
“Although the club did everything possible to convince Lucas to stay, he remained firm in his desire to leave. Therefore, the coach (Nuno Espírito Santo) and the club have reluctantly agreed,” he added.
The midfielder was part of Tite’s squad at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, in which Brazil was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Croatia and saw its archrival Argentina win the tournament.
