Lucas Paquetá’s name has been circulating heavily in the market over the past week, especially after reports surfaced that West Ham had offered him to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli. However, the Saudi club has absolutely no intention of opening negotiations — they view the player as too expensive and not currently fitting their recruitment strategy. With the door firmly shut in Jeddah, attention naturally turns to other potential destinations, and one of the most talked-about possibilities among fans is a return to Brazil with Flamengo.
From the club’s perspective, Flamengo would love to bring back a star of Paquetá’s stature. He is a homegrown talent, an academy graduate who became a fan favourite at the Maracanã before being sold to Milan in 2019. His technical ability, dynamic midfield play and emotional connection to the Flamengo supporters would make him an instant hit under Tite. Tactically, Flamengo could easily accommodate him, likely in the advanced midfield role currently shared by Arrascaeta and Gerson. The idea of having Paquetá alongside Nicolás De La Cruz and Everton Cebolinha would make the team’s creative options simply frightening for any opposition.
Financially, though, the move would be extremely difficult. West Ham paid Lyon around £51 million for Paquetá only two summers ago and have no desire to loan him out or sell at a discount. Flamengo’s directors, while ambitious, have made it very clear privately that there is no room in their current budget to match even half of what the Hammers would demand. A loan could be possible in theory, but only if West Ham were to cover a substantial portion of his salary — which is not something they are inclined to do.
At the moment, the most realistic scenario is that Paquetá remains in Europe, with West Ham hoping to hold onto him for at least another season — unless a big club from the continent
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