West Ham United has granted Brazil midfielder Lucas Paquetá the green light to undergo a medical and negotiate personal terms with Flamengo as the World Cup approaches.
Paquetá’s challenging time at the Premier League club is nearing its conclusion, with sources indicating that Flamengo is prepared to pay a set fee of £35.8m ($49.4m) without any performance-related bonuses attached.
West Ham had hoped the 28-year-old would remain with the club until the end of the season to aid their fight against relegation.
Paquetá was previously under scrutiny from the Football Association regarding possible gambling rule violations, but the investigation wrapped up last year, clearing him of any wrongdoing.
According to a statement from West Ham, “Lucas has expressed a strong desire to return to Brazil for personal and family reasons and to start anew, following being cleared of FA misconduct charges in July 2025 after two years of investigation, which significantly affected his mental well-being.” The club added, “Despite our efforts to convince Lucas to stay, he has firmly insisted on leaving. Hence, both the head coach and the club have reluctantly accepted his transfer request.”
ESPN has reported that West Ham is willing to accept Paquetá’s transfer fee in 24 monthly installments, while they await Flamengo to finalize the payment structure.
Sources inform ESPN that Flamengo is currently working to finalize a payment method that would not strain their budget in the upcoming months.
Initially, Flamengo had aimed to make a £30m upfront payment, approximately 85% of the total fee, with the remaining £5.5m to be paid later.
However, Flamengo’s president, Luiz Eduardo Baptista, is now considering a more extended payment arrangement for Paquetá’s transfer to ensure that the club has adequate funds for additional signings throughout the season.
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Paquetá, who has 18 months remaining on his contract with the London club, is eager to make his move to Brazil this month and has already reached an agreement with his childhood club Flamengo that extends until December 2029.
The Brazilian international, who joined the east London club in the summer of 2022 from Lyon, has made four goals and one assist in 18 Premier League appearances this season.
In the midst of ongoing discussions with Flamengo, Paquetá, 28, has not been included in West Ham’s matchday squads since January 6.
Contributions to this report were made by ESPN’s Pedro Ivo Almeida and The Associated Press.