Lucas Paqueta<\/a> has dominated headlines with his apparent desperation to leave the Hammers for a return to Brazil with boyhood club Flamengo.<\/p>\n There has been claim and counterclaim as to the truth of the situation.<\/p>\n But with so many different agendas of the various parties involved, set against the backdrop of West Ham\u2019s desperate bid to avoid relegation, it is difficult to know who and what to believe.<\/p>\n West Ham\u2019s Paqueta saga appears to be drawing to a close<\/p>\n One line is that Paqueta refused to play against QPR and is not training with the team as he pushes for the Hammers to let him leave for Flamengo, his first club. <\/p>\n The word from his camp is that he has a back injury.<\/p>\n How will you LOOK BACK on Lucas Paqueta\u2019s West Ham career? \ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddf7 <\/p>\n Rate his Hammers career out of 10<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc47 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say <\/p>\n West Ham\u2019s board issued a stern warning to Paqueta<\/a> amid rumours he could go on strike to force the club\u2019s hand after Flamengo saw a reported \u00a332m bid rejected.<\/p>\n Then came a big flash point.<\/p>\n West Ham made an astonishing Paqueta accusation<\/a>\u00a0on Thursday following intense speculation over the situation.<\/p>\n West Ham\u2019s ownership accused Paqueta of \u2018lies\u2019 and \u2018playing games\u2019 over his supposed back injury as talk in Brazil ramped up that a deal was inevitable.<\/p>\n Nuno Espirito Santo<\/a>\u00a0held a meeting with the 28-year-old playmaker this week. The Portuguese played the situation with a straight bat in his pre-Spurs press conference but dropped his guard slightly when saying \u2018the club must resolve the situation quickly\u2019.<\/p>\n Reports have claimed that Nuno agreed to ask West Ham to let Paqueta leave<\/a>\u00a0after holding that meeting with the 28-year-old.<\/p>\n West Ham\u2019s asking price is around \u00a342.5m \u2013 some \u00a310m more than Flamengo initially offered. But word from Brazil is that the biggest club outside of Europe can easily reach that figure.<\/p>\n Now David Sullivan\u2019s<\/a> actions suggest a West Ham deal for Paqueta is close.<\/p>\n Sullivan\u2019s actions suggest West Ham deal for Paqueta is close<\/p>\n Sullivan is West Ham\u2019s de facto director of football since the departures of Tim Steidten and Kyle Macaulay.<\/p>\n And it is what he is not saying that may now be the clearest indication that a West Ham deal to sell Paqueta is edging towards completion. <\/p>\n With these players out or doutbful, who needs to step up against Tottenham?! <\/p>\n \ud83d\udc47 Join the debate; share your insight. Use the comment button on the bottom left to have your say <\/p>\n The absence of familiar pushback, denial or delay tactics has not gone unnoticed after an approach from a prominent Hammers insider, who has admitted himself it suggests something is \u2018in play\u2019.<\/p>\n It will leave many reading between the lines and concluding that groundwork has already been done behind the scenes as the situation quietly accelerates given reports of a meeting between West Ham and Flamengo being set for Friday to finalise an agreement.<\/p>\n Sources in Brazil claim negotiations between Flamengo and West Ham through intermediaries are continuing today. <\/p>\n Paqueta is said to have agreed personal terms in principle on a four-year contract with his former club, who are prepared to offer West Ham \u20ac35m (\u00a330.4m) plus \u20ac5m (\u00a34.3m) of add-ons. West Ham are reported to have asked for a condition that Paqueta is loaned back to them for the rest of the season but this is yet to be verified by either side and Flamengo are said to be against the idea.<\/p>\n Sean Whetstone<\/a>, who is a close ally of Sullivan, says club and agent sources were staying tight-lipped to him over the latest from both sides \u2018indicating something is in play\u2019.<\/p>\n Sources in Brazil claim negotiations between Flamengo and West Ham through intermediaries are continuing today. <\/p>\n Paqueta is said to have agreed personal terms in principle on a four year contract with his former club who are prepared to offer West Ham \u20ac35m (\u00a330.4m) plus \u20ac5m\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/M4QyUU5qHR<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 West Ham Football (@westhamfootball) January 15, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n View Tweet<\/p>\n \u2018Paqueta\u2019s head is already in Brazil\u2019<\/p>\n In Brazil meanwhile, Monica Alves \u2013 a reporter working on Flamengo\u2019s biggest news site Flamengo Coluna do Fla, told its 1.1 million followers that the player\u2019s camp say \u2018Paqueta\u2019s head is already in Brazil\u2019 as a deal for his signing is \u2018practically set\u2019. <\/p>\n \u201cEverything is practically set for the signing of Lucas Paquet\u00e1 by Flamengo,\u201d Alves said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis Friday (16), in the afternoon (in England), during a meeting, Flamengo will formalize the proposal for the player to define the payment method, the contractual details, and the release date. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s worth remembering that The Telegraph reported that the English club would like Paquet\u00e1 to stay until the end of the season. However, the player\u2019s \u201chead is already in Brazil,\u201d according to sources close to him.\u201d<\/p>\n Tudo praticamente certo para a contrata\u00e7\u00e3o de Lucas Paquet\u00e1 pelo Flamengo.<\/p>\n Nesta sexta-feira (16), no per\u00edodo da tarde (na Inglaterra), em reuni\u00e3o, o Flamengo vai formalizar a proposta pelo jogador para definir a forma de pagamento, os pormenores contratuais e a data de\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/GaOVgRhr0J<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 M\u00f4nica Alves (@monicaalvesfs) January 15, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n View Tweet<\/p>\n Join Our Newsletter <\/p>\n Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox<\/p>\n ![\"Lucas](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Lucas-Paqueta-assist-stats-819x1024.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Lucas](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-2254465252-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by Jacques Feeney\/Offside\/Offside via Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/HN-2-1-819x1024.jpg\")
Credit: Getty Images\/James Gill \u2013 Danehouse <\/p>\n![\"Majority](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-2236414665-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by Justin Setterfield\/Getty Images<\/p>\n