Flamengo president: Lucas Paquetá deal 'close'

Flamengo are close to agreeing a deal with West Ham to sign midfielder Lucas Paquetá, according to the Brazilian club's president Luiz Eduardo Baptista.

Paquetá is expected to return to his boyhood club Flamengo in this transfer window for a fixed fee of €41.25m (£35.78m, $48.9m), with no performance-related bonuses included in the transfer.

However, the two clubs have yet to agree terms on the payment schedule.

"What I can say is that we are close," Baptista said when asked about Paqueta's potential arrival while attending an event for the 2027 Women's World Cup.

"We reached an agreement on several aspects, which I consider the most important. Today, the difference is the payment method we will use."

Paquetá, who has been an undisputed starter under West Ham coach Nuno Espirito Santo, has 18 months left on his contract with the London club.

He wants to return to Brazil this month and has already agreed personal terms with Flamengo until December 2029.

Flamengo fans are hopeful the deal will be done this week so that the 28-year-old can be available for their team's Brazilian Super Cup against Corinthians on Sunday. Baptista says he is working around the clock to get it done.

"I'm focusing all my energy on resolving this [payment method] obstacle," Baptista said. "If it [the deal] can be done within the next hour, great, if not, let it be in two or three hours. We're in contact every hour to adjust one thing or another.

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"But I can't say exactly how long this will take. There's always the other side, West Ham's needs...

"But let's be clear: this is a transaction never before done in South America, and we highly value our word and the commitments we make."

Paquetá, who joined the east London club in the summer of 2022 from Lyon, has four goals and one assist in 18 Premier League appearances this season.

The Brazil international last played on Jan. 6 and with his future at the club uncertain, he was left out of the squads in the consecutive wins against Queen Park Rangers, Tottenham and Sunderland.