Lucas Paqueta seals Flamengo return from West Ham | OneFootball

Lucas Paqueta has left West Ham to rejoin Flamengo, the club where he came through the ranks, after a mixed European stint.

The Brazilian club said in a post that he was back home, sharing a video of the smiling midfielder to mark the announcement.

Paqueta broke into Flamengo’s first team in 2016 and was hailed as a rising talent in Europe. His 2018 to 2020 spell at AC Milan fell flat. He then impressed at Lyon, scoring 21 goals in 80 games.

He moved to West Ham in 2022 and felt the demands of the Premier League. The Hammers won the Europa Conference League a year later, beating Fiorentina 2-1 in the final, with Paqueta supplying a brilliant through ball for Jarrod Bowen’s 90th-minute winner.

His time in London was marred by a betting investigation that also derailed a prospective switch to Manchester City. Flamengo pushed hard this winter to bring him back. After 135 appearances for West Ham, the 28-year-old returns to Brazil to join the reigning league champions and recent Copa Libertadores winners.

Source: L'Équipe