English journalist surprised by Flamengo move for Paquetá | OneFootball

Flamengo are close to announcing the signing of Lucas Paquetá from West Ham for 41.25 million euros, a deal that prompted English journalist Kavel Solhekol to highlight the club’s financial clout.

"They are champions of Brazil, champions of South America, one of the biggest clubs in the world. I think their revenue increased 20, 25% last year. So they are as rich as some Premier League clubs. They earn a lot from player sales," he said on Sky Sports.

"They also took part in the Club World Cup, beat Chelsea 3-1. They reached the second round of the World Cup and earned a lot."

If finalised, Paquetá would become the most expensive signing in Brazilian football history, eclipsing Gerson’s 27 million euro switch from Zenit to Cruzeiro.

"This is a historic deal for Brazilian football. It is almost unheard of for a Brazilian club to buy back a player from a European club for 40 million euros."

"And Lucas Paquetá is eager to swap London for Rio de Janeiro. The record crowd at the Maracanã is 173,000. He will play for a crowd there. The stadium has been remodelled and capacity is 78,000."

Flamengo and West Ham are finalising details, with a large portion to be paid immediately and the instalment schedule still under discussion, while a five-season deal to 2030 is planned.

Flamengo visit São Paulo on Wednesday, 28, at 21:30 Brasília time at MorumBIS in the Campeonato Brasileiro opener.

Source: Coluna Do Fla