Flamengo announces £36.5m Paqueta signing
Lucas Paqueta has finalised his desired return to Flamengo, having not appeared for Premier League struggler West Ham since 6 January.
The Brazil international has signed a contract to run until December 2030, following three and a half years at the London Stadium.
Paqueta, who was born in Rio de Janeiro, made his senior debut for Flamengo as a 19 year-old in March 2016, making a total of 49 league appearances and scoring 11 goals for the club.
He departed for AC Milan in 2019, spending a season and a half in Italy before moving to Lyon, from whom he joined West Ham at the end of the summer 2022 transfer window.
In a lengthy statement welcoming Paqueta back to the Maracana, Flamengo said: "A new chapter will be written with Paqueta wearing the Mantle jersey, which he knows so well and knows how to represent.
"Be happy, create! The Red-and-Black Nation welcomes you with open arms for you to parade all your talent on Brazilian and South American pitches, with many goals, assists and, of course, a lot of dancing!
Paqueta told West Ham earlier this month that he wished to return to Brazil for family reasons, having been cleared of spot-fixing charges last year – the Football Association was seeking to ban him for life over allegations he intentionally got booked on four occasions.
Paqueta played 110 Premier League games for the Hammers, scoring 16 goals and supplying 10 assists.
Since his debut in the competition in August 2022, only Jarrod Bowen (42 goals, 21 assists) has racked up more goal involvements or created more chances (145 to 134) for West Ham in the Premier League.
