West Ham transfer news: Paqueta returning to Brazil? What do we know about the Hammers star's situation

Lucas Paqueta could return to Flamengo soon. In European football since 2018, the midfielder is in advanced negotiations with the Brazilian giants after they showed interest in bringing him back from West Ham United.

So far, the deal is not finalised, despite the interest from both Flamengo and Paqueta in reaching an agreement. This is because, despite both parties saying "yes", West Ham need to release the midfielder before his contract expires in June 2027.

This is not the first time Flamengo and Paqueta have discussed a potential return. However, the midfielder is closer than ever to returning to Brazil in these negotiations. This is because, in addition to the advanced talks, the Brazilian club have not yet made any major moves in the market and could afford the fee demanded by West Ham.

Flamengo have funds available

In recent weeks, amid the contract renewal with Filipe Luis until December 2027, Flamengo failed to reach an agreement with Kaio Jorge and Taty Castellanos.The Cruzeiro striker renewed until 2030, while the Argentine moved from Lazio to, precisely, West Ham. In both cases, Flamengo signalled offers exceeding €30m (£26.3m).

As such, Flamengo have money in the bank to make a move for Paqueta. The Libertadores and Brazilian Championship titles, combined with the prize money from the Club World Cup in the United States, allow Bap's administration to "go crazy" in the market for the midfielder developed in their youth academy.

West Ham situation favours Flamengo

The London club's situation could favour Flamengo in negotiations for Paqueta. Currently, the team sit in 18th place in the Premier League and face serious relegation risks — they are seven points from Nottingham Forest, the first club outside the drop zone.

Fighting against relegation could also mean Paqueta fails to make Carlo Ancelotti's final squad for the World Cup. Present in the Italian manager's recent call-ups, the midfielder maintains good individual statistics this season — despite his team's struggles.

In 2023, Lucas Paqueta was charged by the Football Association (FA) for alleged involvement in a betting scheme. At the time, Manchester City were negotiating with the midfielder for a transfer in the following window, but ended talks amid the start of the investigation.

In November 2025, Paqueta was sent off in West Ham's defeat to Liverpool. Criticised for the incident, the midfielder denounced the lack of support from the FA amid the ongoing investigation.

"It's ridiculous to have my life and career affected for two years without any psychological support from the federation. Perhaps this ridiculous behaviour is just a reflection of everything I've had to endure and, it seems, will continue to endure! Sorry if I'm not perfect," wrote the Brazilian, formerly of Flamengo.

However, even while under investigation in England, Paqueta spoke with Flamengo on two occasions about a potential return to Brazilian football. First with Marcos Braz and Rodolfo Landim in 2024, and later, already under Bap's administration, the midfielder spoke with Filipe Luis.

This article was originally published on Trivela.