Lucas Paqueta’s bid to quit West Ham United and head home to Brazil looks set to drag on – dashing boss Nuno Espirito Santo’s hopes of a swift end to his transfer drama, GIVEMESPORT understands.
The Hammers boss has said that he would prefer the situation to be resolved sooner rather than later and a fresh bid from Brazilian club Flamengo has raised hopes that a deal can be done.
But the offer of €35m plus €5m in add-ons (£30.3m plus £4.3m) is still short of what West Ham want in order to sanction a transfer for their unsettled playmaker, and talks look set to continue into next week.
Sources: West Ham Reject New Paqueta Bid
That figure is below what Aston Villa were ready to pay for Paqueta’s services last summer and a deal could not be reached then, which makes it impossible for them to accept currently.
GIVEMESPORT understands that Flamengo would be willing to up their bid to €38m (£32.9m) plus €4m (£3.4m) in add-ons.
In addition, there are the immense logistics of any agreement to wade through, which includes payment schedules, installment amounts, and whether or not Paqueta, who has been described as ‘world-class’, will in fact be sold and then immediately loaned back to the Premier League side.
West Ham head coach Nuno considers Paqueta as one of his best players and is reluctant to let him go outright.
Sources close to the negotiations claim it could be the middle of next week at the earliest for a deal to be rubber-stamped.
Nuno said: “What I want is a clear definition of the situation from the club, from Lucas, from all of us, so we can move forwards.
“What we need are facts so that we can address the situation. There is an issue that the club and Lucas must address and solve.”
Paqueta will miss his third successive game in a row when West Ham take on Sunderland this weekend. A minor but persistent back injury is being blamed for his ongoing absence. The player is also not said to be in the right frame of mind to play while his future is under such scrutiny.
Sources: West Ham Want Paqueta Back on Loan
Loaning Paqueta back to West Ham is one option and would make the price lower for Flamengo, his first club, as opposed to an all-out sale.
West Ham paid around £45m for Paqueta in 2022, and a year later he provided the assist for winger Jarrod Bowen to score the winning goal in the UEFA Conference League final – the club’s first meaningful trophy for 43 years.
Whether an agreement can be found remains to be seen, but this is one to keep an eye on in the final week of the window.
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