Lucas Paqueta Seeks January Departure from West Ham

Lucas Paqueta, the West Ham midfielder, is eager to leave the club in January and join Flamengo in Brazil. The Brazilian team is prepared to pay £26m (€30m) for his transfer, and Paqueta is willing to accept a salary reduction to return to his home country. However, West Ham, who are struggling to avoid relegation, are hesitant to let go of one of their key players, especially given their current 18th position in the Premier League and seven-point deficit from safety. Although two other Premier League clubs have expressed interest in signing Paqueta this month, his priority is to return to Brazil. The Brazilian transfer window remains open until March, but West Ham have yet to receive a formal offer for the 28-year-old, who became the club's record signing after joining from Lyon in August 2022 for £51m. Paqueta was absent from West Ham's recent FA Cup win over QPR and was present at the team's training ground on Monday. It has been reported that regardless of West Ham's decision, Paqueta will not be playing for the club next season. The Brazil international is currently contracted to West Ham until the summer of 2027, with the option for a 12-month extension. Paqueta was recently cleared of spot-fixing charges after a two-year investigation that had threatened to end his career.