West Ham United have agreed to sell Lucas Paqueta to Flamengo.
Despite trying to convince him to stay, West Ham reluctantly agreed to sell Paqueta to Flamengo after he made it clear that he wanted to return to his native Brazil.
While losing a player of his talent halfway through a relegation battle is hardly ideal on the face of it, West Ham have been playing well without Paqueta in the side of late.
West Ham did all they could but Lucas Paqueta STILL wanted out! 😡
Do you respect his stance? Or do you feel let down? Hit the comments 👇
Indeed, it’s hard to argue that his departure makes this West Ham team any worse right now, in the context of a relegation battle at least.
Given the manner of his departure, the 28-year-old has invoked the ire of Irons supporters.
Now, more insight into what the last few days have been like has emerged.
Lucas Paqueta sources say he’s euphoric about leaving West Ham
Brazilian media outlet Globo Esporte have added some colour from behind the scenes.
They suggest that Paqueta has been in a euphoric state over the past few days and that he had previously been drawn to tears over the idea his return to Flamengo could be off the cards.
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How West Ham fans react to that is a personal choice. They’d be within their rights to feel let down, but there is also a human being to consider, one that has been through a lot in recent years.
Paqueta has explained his reasons for leaving West Ham and they are worth listening to, even if there is a case to suggest he has approached things in the wrong way.
Lucas Paqueta’s move away from West Ham has broken a record
Flamengo have broken their transfer record to sign Paqueta for what is believed to be around £38million.
It’s the most expensive transfer in the history of the Brazilian league, and perhaps a reflection on the changing landscape of football finance.
Flamengo, of course, played in the Club World Cup earlier this summer and now have funds to afford such huge deals.
It will be fascinating to see if a player leaving the monied Premier League for South America is just a one-off or becomes a part of a trend following the expansion of the Club World Cup.
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