Paquetá tops record list as Flamengo set new Brazilian transfer benchmark | OneFootball

Lucas Paquetá’s return to Flamengo has set a national transfer record and underlined a new financial era in Brazilian football.

According to Diario Do Peixe, Flamengo agreed a 42 million euro fee, about R$ 260 million, with West Ham, eclipsing all previous deals. It overtakes Gerson’s January 2026 move to Cruzeiro for about 27 million euros, while Vitor Roque’s 2025 switch to Palmeiras at roughly 25.5 million also now trails.

The current top 10 also features Thiago Almada to Botafogo for 24.15 million, Danilo to Botafogo for 23 million and Samuel Lino to Flamengo for 23 million. Paulinho to Palmeiras and Carlos Alcaraz to Flamengo both cost 18 million, while Gabigol rejoined Flamengo for 17.5 million and Luiz Henrique signed for Botafogo for 16 million.

Six of these deals exceed 20 million euros, a level once unthinkable domestically and a sign of a hotter, more globalised market. Flamengo account for four of the 10, reflecting a long-built sporting and financial project that attracts repatriated stars and Europe-based prospects.

The rise of SAFs has been pivotal, with Cruzeiro, Botafogo and Bahia examples of outside capital revitalising debt-laden institutions and enabling bigger moves. Meanwhile, Flamengo and Palmeiras have benefited from solid management, record gates, member schemes and high-value sponsorships.

Paquetá’s signing encapsulates this reinvention, as Brazilian clubs now both export and bring back talent. High-value transfers could become more frequent in future windows, particularly around major dates in the international calendar.

Source: Diario Do Peixe