Lucas Paquetá reveals chat with Filipe Luís about Flamengo return | OneFootball

Lucas Paquetá Recently Negotiated with Flamengo on Two Occasions

A passionate fan of Flamengo, Lucas Paquetá has never hidden his desire to return to his boyhood club. And a comeback almost happened on two occasions. In one of them, the West Ham (ENG) midfielder even spoke with coach Filipe Luís.

— The first time was still when (Marcos) Braz was at Flamengo, there was this contact. I know about Flamengo’s desire, and they know about mine, my passion for the club, so it’s something that always comes up. As soon as I was accused, when the whole trial process was about to start, Braz came to my house, made the offer, and asked what I thought — said Paquetá, to GE.

— Obviously, I always want to return to Flamengo, but at that moment I was still unsure about my decision, about what I was going to do, so I also spoke with the West Ham director and said: Braz, I want to come back, I know I’ll feel good at Flamengo, but I can’t be ungrateful to the club that’s supporting me so much. They supported me through everything, helped me in many situations, so I couldn’t force my way out of a place where I was being welcomed, respected. They respected me, my wife, my family. So I said: I want you to sort this out. But yes, there was this exchange with Flamengo — the midfielder added.

HOW WAS THE CONVERSATION WITH FILIPE LUÍS?

Filipe Luís, who has been Flamengo’s coach for just over a year, spoke with Lucas Paquetá at another time about signing the midfielder. However, the gratitude for West Ham (ENG), which supported the player during his trial for alleged involvement in sports betting, weighed heavily.

– The second time, incredibly enough, was when I already knew I could keep playing normally. That’s when I felt an even greater desire to return to Flamengo. Maybe I shouldn’t even say this, but I had some conversations with Filipe (Luís), who is a friend, besides the work he’s doing at Flamengo. I really showed my desire to come back and also made it clear to my agents — said Paquetá.

– It was a tough decision, because I’m 28, it’s still early and I still have a big market abroad, I’ve been doing my job well, but it was a huge desire. And I tried a lot, but unfortunately, once again, I chose to respect my club, not to force anything, because it’s a club that supported me, that I care about a lot. So I let things happen and it really didn’t work out. I understood it wasn’t the right time, but I know the doors will always be open for me. I know that at some point this return will happen — the midfielder concluded.

WHEN WILL PAQUETÁ RETURN?

Lucas Paquetá continues to dream of Flamengo, and Flamengo continues to dream of Lucas Paquetá. However, the midfielder is under contract with West Ham until June 2027. For fans who don’t follow the star in the Premier League, there will be a chance to watch him with the Brazilian National Team.

That’s because Brazil faces Senegal this Saturday (15th), starting at 1pm (Brasília time), with live broadcast on TV Globo nationwide on free-to-air TV. In addition, the pay-TV channel SporTV will also show the match on cable.

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