West Ham accept £36m Lucas Paqueta bid from Flamengo | OneFootball

Midfielder finally gets his wish to return to his boyhood club

The 28-year-old, who missed West Ham’s victories over Tottenham and Sunderland with a back injury, has long been linked with a move away from the east London club.

Paqueta attracted interest from Aston Villa in the summer, and was also approached by Flamengo over a potential move. He has since revealed he found it hard to turn down a return to his homeland.

The Brazilian decided to stay at West Ham, later revealing that he felt he owed a debt of loyalty to the club after they stood by him during a nearly two-year investigation into spot-fixing charges.

Paqueta was cleared of the charges in July, but has continued to struggle with the mental toll of the investigation. A big-money move to Manchester City collapsed as a result of the investigation.

The midfielder has endured an inconsistent season for West Ham, and apologised to manager Nuno Espirito Santo and his team-mates after his sending-off against Liverpool in November.

Paqueta last played for the Hammers in their 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest at the start of January. He leaves having scored 16 goals in 110 Premier League appearances, as well as helping guide the club to their first major silverware since more than 40 years with the Conference League win in 2023.