Guardiola heaps praise on Paquetá and sends message after Flamengo move | OneFootball

Paquetá arrives in Rio de Janeiro this Thursday (29th) to sign with Flamengo

Before being signed by Flamengo, Lucas Paquetá was already close to playing for Manchester City (ENG), managed by Pep Guardiola. Thus, the Spanish coach commented this Wednesday (28th) that the Rubro-Negro will be receiving a fantastic player.

— Well, he protects the ball well, knows how to score, has personality, he’s a fantastic athlete. I’m very happy that he decided to go to Brazil to be with those he loves. I wish him all the best — said Guardiola to TNT Sports.

How does Guardiola know Lucas Paquetá?

The youth academy product from Flamengo played for four seasons in the Premier League, the English league considered the strongest in the world. Therefore, the midfielder faced the coach six times while at West Ham.

Was Paquetá ever close to playing for City?

In 2023, the Ninho graduate was experiencing one of his best moments wearing the West Ham shirt. Then, City became interested and made a bid of 70 million pounds (R$ 437 million at the exchange rate at the time).

However, before the deal was closed, the midfielder came under investigation for alleged involvement in sports betting in England. Thus, Guardiola’s team decided to back out of the signing, but the playmaker remained available to West Ham.

So, did Flamengo outmaneuver Guardiola?

Despite its great financial power, the Rubro-Negro did not match City’s offer. After all, the Manchester team made their proposal three years ago and the Most Beloved only signed Paquetá this Wednesday (28th).

Fla would pay 41.25 million euros (R$ 256 million) for the player. However, West Ham did not like the installment terms in the Rubro-Negro’s proposal. So, the Most Beloved raised the amount to 42 million euros (R$ 260 million), which received the green light.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.