Lucas Paquetá has made his mind up. He wants to leave West Ham and head back to Brazil immediately. The midfielder has agreed personal terms with his former club Flamengo. This move would end his time in East London after three seasons. It’s a big decision for a player who is only 28. But he’s disillusioned with life in England and wants out of the Premier League struggle.
He didn’t feature in the FA Cup win over QPR last weekend. Reports from talkSPORT suggest he asked to be left out of the squad. That’s never a good sign for a manager. Nuno Espírito Santo is fighting a tough relegation battle right now. West Ham are sitting in 18th place. They need their best players on the pitch to survive. Paquetá is their most creative spark when he’s on form. Without him, staying up looks much harder. But you can’t force a player to play if his heart isn’t in it anymore.
A messy exit for the Hammers record signing
The betting investigation changed everything for the Brazilian. He was under a cloud for 18 months while the FA looked into spot-fixing. Even though he was cleared in late 2024, he felt let down. He missed out on a move to Manchester City because of those allegations.
That’s hard for any player to get over. He stayed last summer to show some gratitude to West Ham. The club stood by him during the legal mess. But gratitude only goes so far when you’re losing every week. He wants to be back where he started his career. Flamengo is home. He’s still seen as an idol there.
According to ESPN reports, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed the player is set on the move. There hasn’t been an official bid yet. But everyone knows it’s coming. West Ham are aware of his unhappiness. They don’t want to sell him mid-season though. It leaves them with a massive hole in the squad. And they don’t have much time to find a replacement. Technical director Tim Steidten has a busy month ahead of him.
Paquetá Premier League Stats at West Ham
| Season | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 28 | 4 | 3 |
| 2023/24 | 32 | 4 | 4 |
| 2024/25* | 12 | 1 | 0 |
*Stats as of early January 2026. His form has dropped off significantly this term.
The financial hurdles for Flamengo
West Ham want to get a decent fee back. They paid £51 million to Lyon in 2022. That was a club record at the time. Flamengo have some financial issues and a lot of debt. But they’re willing to push the boat out for Paquetá. The Guardian notes a potential fee of €40 million could be on the table. That’s a huge amount for a Brazilian club. West Ham might take it just to get his £120,000-a-week wages off the books. It’s a lot of money for a team that might be in the Championship next year.
Nuno has a difficult choice to make. Does he keep a player who isn’t training with full intensity? Or does he take the cash and reinvest? They’ve already signed Pablo Felipe and Taty Castellanos this window. They might need even more bodies if their star man leaves. The fans are split on it. Some think he’s being ungrateful after the club supported him. Others just want the drama to end so they can focus on staying up.
The transfer window closes on January 31. If this deal is going to happen, it needs to be fast. West Ham face Tottenham next in a massive London derby. It’s unlikely Paquetá will be involved in that one. His head is already in Rio de Janeiro. It’s a sad way for his time in England to end. He was a hero after that Europa Conference League win in Prague. Now he’s just another player looking for the exit door when things got tough.
Soureesh Datta 
Ishaan Singh 
Priyanjan Paul