Midfielder unhappy in England and keen on Brazil return
West Ham would like to keep him and reject €35m bid
Lucas Paquetá asked to be left out of West Ham’s FA Cup tie against QPR and is keen to join Flamengo this month. The Brazilian club had a €35m (£30.3m) bid rejected on Monday but are willing to go €40m.
The midfielder has grown disillusioned with life in England and wants to return to his homeland. Paquetá was last year cleared of alleged breaches of the Football Association’s betting regulations, and it is unclear whether he will play for West Ham again. The uncertainty over his future increased when he missed the third-round win over QPR despite being fit.
West Ham are aware of the 28-year-old’s unhappiness but wary of selling him before the end of the season. Nuno Espírito Santo’s side are 18th in the Premier League before visiting Tottenham on Saturday and regard Paquetá as a key asset in their fight against relegation.
