Lucas Paquetá is close to returning to Brazil, has an agreement lined up with Flamengo and is pushing to leave West Ham during this transfer window. The information, revealed by Fabrizio Romano, puts numbers, timing and the player’s intentions on the table: Flamengo are negotiating a deal worth around €40 million, the window closes on January 31, and the 28-year-old midfielder wants this resolved now. After being cleared in the sports betting case in July 2025, Paquetá feels time is back on his side and has no intention of missing the chance to regain control of his career.
Paquetá’s exit from West Ham had been treated as a matter of time since his clearance, but it gained urgency due to the English club’s current situation, sitting 18th in the Premier League. He even asked not to play in the weekend match against QPR, a move that made his desire to leave clear and sped up talks. Flamengo, who had tried to sign him on loan in the recent past and were turned down, are now back at the table willing to buy, while the Hammers see a potential sale as a way to raise cash at a delicate point in the season.
A return that makes sense in timing and context
Paquetá arrived in London in August 2022 from Lyon in a deal that was heavy by the club’s standards, more than €61 million including fixed fees and add-ons. Since then, he’s had ups and downs, gone through a long and draining process off the field, and still posted solid numbers this season, six goals and two assists in 25 appearances. Even so, the sporting risk remains. West Ham are battling relegation and the World Cup takes place in the middle of the year. For a player who wants to arrive fit and competitive for the tournament, being stuck in an unstable environment doesn’t help.
There’s also the market factor. A move to Aston Villa was blocked in the last window, no other concrete offers came in, and his contract runs until 2027. Staying without a clear outlook doesn’t appeal to the player, who fears moving to another European club, failing to perform right away and putting his World Cup place at risk. Flamengo emerge as a safe, competitive and familiar option, with status, visibility and a guaranteed leading role, something that matters when the clock is ticking.
Flamengo bet big and aim for immediate impact
Paying €40 million for a homegrown player is a major decision, but not a reckless one. Paquetá returns more mature, with Premier League, Champions League and national team experience, and arrives expected to make a difference right away. Flamengo’s midfield gains game intelligence, late runs into the box and someone willing to take responsibility in big matches, exactly the kind of signing that raises the team’s level, not to mention the fact that Flamengo stand well above several clubs on the South American continent.
If the deal doesn’t move forward now, the market itself already hints at the next chapter. According to ESPN, if an agreement isn’t reached at the start of the year, talks are expected to heat up after the World Cup, when the European summer window opens. The problem is the gap until then. For Paquetá, every month matters. While for Flamengo, timing defines price, competition and sporting impact.