Flamengo formalise offer to West Ham for Lucas Paquetá | OneFootball

Flamengo have formally submitted an offer to West Ham for Lucas Paquetá worth up to €40 million, R$ 249.2 million. The Rio club believe they can reach an agreement.

"We have made significant progress, but it is a very difficult negotiation. We will need patience, it is not like Football Manager. As a Brazilian club we pay in instalments. We wanted Paquetá here already and we really want him to come. The main obstacle is financial, we are talking about very high sums," said José Boto to sportv.

Recent talks saw Flamengo initially float €35 million guaranteed plus €5 million in bonuses. West Ham sent preferred terms last week, but the figures still do not align, with their asking price reaching €45 million, R$ 280.3 million.

Internal meetings in recent days aligned expectations. The official bid awaited president Bap’s return to Brazil, then a Tuesday meeting with him, Boto and Filipe Luís settled remaining details.

With the offer still short of West Ham’s stance, Flamengo hope the player’s will helps move the deal forward. They were not initially prepared to exceed that figure and now seek either to lower the ask, add more variables or secure better instalments.

Another hurdle is timing. Flamengo and Paquetá want an immediate January release, while West Ham prefer to keep him until May, when the Premier League ends. Paquetá has made clear he wants to return to Brazilian football, has rejected other European approaches, and is not being selected as he discusses an exit.

A Flamengo academy graduate, he later played for Milan and Lyon before joining West Ham in 2022. This would be the biggest signing by a Brazilian club, surpassing Gerson’s move to Cruzeiro, and Flamengo have already added defender Vitão and goalkeeper Andrew this month.

Source: Globo.com