After all the talk, the president of Flamengo has confirmed that a deal with West Ham for Lucas Paqueta is now imminent after making a personal vow to David Sullivan.
Hammers News was the first English outlet to reveal West Ham’s deal to sell Lucas Paqueta had ‘never been so close’ on Sunday.
The report, citing a top source from Brazil who has had the inside scoop on the Lucas Paqueta saga from the start, stated Flamengo had formalised a new proposal to West Ham for around £36m – but as a fixed fee.
It was revealed Flamengo removed the performance-related add-ons it had originally proposed to West Ham and kept only the instalment payments.
And the offer received a positive response from Hammers chief David Sullivan.
Now there has been a major development overnight.
Big development means West Ham’s Paqueta saga is nearly over
Paqueta was not in the squad for West Ham’s 3-1 win over Sunderland or the wins over Spurs and QPR prior to that.
Now it seems the last time Paqueta will have been seen in a West Ham shirt was that dismal defeat to Nottingham Forest on January 6th.
How many points would West Ham have taken from their last two games if Lucas Paqueta had been playing? 🤔
Maybe I’m harsh, but I just don’t think he suits this team anymore…
Despite vowing to give it everything for ‘one final season’ after he was forced to stay at West Ham in the summer, Paqueta has pushed to leave with the club in the thick of a Premier League relegation battle.
That has sullied his name among many Hammers fans given they – and the club – stood by Paqueta during his two-year spot-fixing case ordeal.
Paqueta has cited his treatment by the FA during that long, drawn-out saga as a major factor for his desperation to return to Brazil with his boyhood – and first – club Flamengo.
But Hammers supporters have questioned why he could not give his all to try and help save West Ham for just four more months.
Paqueta will always be fondly remembered for playing the genius pass which set up Jarrod Bowen for the winner in the Europa Conference League final in 2023.
Many feel that pass alone was worth every penny of his record £51m fee and £150k-per-week wages given it resulted in West Ham’s only major trophy of the last 46 years.
Time will tell what Paqueta’s Hammers legacy looks like.
But the 28-year-old is now on his way out of the club after causing an unwanted distraction for the team in recent weeks.
Because the Flamengo president has confirmed the West Ham deal for Paqueta is imminent and has made a vow to Sullivan.
Flamengo president confirms Paqueta imminent and makes vow to Sullivan
The assurance marks a major turning point in a saga that has strained relationships and tested patience on all sides, with senior-level trust now appearing to unlock a breakthrough after weeks of uncertainty and tension.
Flamengo are, without question, the biggest football club outside of Europe with over 10 million fans.
How will you LOOK BACK on Lucas Paqueta’s West Ham career? 🇧🇷
Rate his Hammers career out of 10
Their involvement in the FIFA Club World Cup last summer has generated even more income than usual, meaning the Black and Red have the financial wherewithal to do the Paqueta deal.
Sullivan has been demanding the Paqueta fee in as few payments as possible.
Usually a transfer fee is paid in equal annual chunks over the course of the contract the player signs with the new team.
But Hammers News understands Sullivan wants the whole lot in a maximum two or three instalments.
Sullivan agreed a similar deal with Spurs for Mohammed Kudus in the summer, with his £54m fee payable in three instalments.
Now Flamengo chief Luiz Eduardo Baptista has broken his silence on whether the deal is close.
And he says he has personally reassured Sullivan that West Ham have his word when they agree a payment method and Flamengo won’t be withholding cash or the payments down the line.
Baptista: ‘We’re close, Flamengo gives its word to West Ham’
“I don’t talk about negotiations (as a rule),” Baptista, known simply as ‘Bap’, told leading Brazilian football journalist Vene Casagrande.
“But what I can say is that we’re close.
“Today, the difference is the payment method.
“(But) Flamengo gives its word and honours everything it agrees to.”
While West Ham may not like to admit it, that assurance is needed given the club faces the distinct possibility of being relegated to the Championship.
So the Hammers need to be certain that clubs they do business with are good for every penny they will be owed.