Lucas Paqueta might still have one final assist to give West Ham United. Not on the pitch – the Brazilian has surely played his final Premier League minutes – but in the transfer department.
Because although Paqueta is expected to re-join Flamengo imminently – perhaps before the first rooster calls out on Friday morning – the money his departure will bring in could be put to very good use, very quickly indeed.
Brazilian reporter Pablo Rua broke the news on Tuesday. West Ham United and Flamengo are closer than ever to reaching an agreement.
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The latest offer from the Copa Libertadores and Brazilian league champions does not quite meet the Hammers’ £39 million asking price, but it is not far off.
On day when a purported swap has sparked discussion – Antonin Kinsky in, Mads Hermansen out, anyone? – is there a chance that Lucas Paqueta finds himself crossing paths with the Hammers’ next centre-back signing on his way out of Heathrow?
Brazilian publication Meia Hora reported last week that West Ham had made an enquiry about Flamengo’s own Leo Pereira. Everton are allegedly in the mix as well.
But while Pereira is unlikely to be utilised as a pawn or a sweetener in a deal to take Paqueta in the other direction, the relationship West Ham struck up with the men from the Maracana may prove to be a proverbial ace up their claret-coloured sleeve.
Could Lucas Paqueta help West Ham United sign Flamengo’s Leo Pereira?
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Flamengo are not simply going to gift-wrap Leo Pereira and hand him over to the Hammers as a ‘thank you’, should that Paqueta saga come to a positive conclusion.
Meia Hora point out that Flamengo coach Filipe Luis – the former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid left-back – sees Pereira as a crucial part of his plans going forward. The club are in no rush to sell.
But West Ham may have an advantage over Everton in the sense that they are already in active, regular discussions with the decision-makers at the top of Flamengo.
As Pablo Rua explains, their technical director Jose Boto had a meeting with his counterparts at the London Stadium last week. There is a chance, then, that West Ham have already discussed the prospect of signing Leo Pereira face-to-face with a man who wields plenty of power in the corridors of the iconic Maracana stadium.
“There was a meeting between Jose Boto and the English club’s board, when some parameters were set,” Rua says. Presumably, David Sullivan and Karren Brady were among those to speak to Boto.
“The expectation is that the negotiation [regarding Paqueta] will advance more concretely.
“After the meeting, [Flamengo] finalised the terms of the official proposal that was sent to the London club. The amount came close to West Ham’s asking price, which hovers around 45 million euros.
“From the player’s side, the mood is optimistic. Paqueta is excited about the chance of an immediate deal and believes the outcome could happen in the next few hours. From now on, the progress of the negotiation will essentially depend on West Ham’s response.”
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West Ham’s pursuit of defensive reinforcements has taken them from veterans such as Eric Dier, Ethan Pinnock and Jamaal Lascelles to up-and-coming youngsters, from Charlie Cresswell to Tiago Gabriel and Roggerio Nyassoki.
Leo Pereira sits closer to Dier than he does Cresswell on the experience spectrum.
At 29, he is one of the older defenders seemingly on West Ham’s radar. Formerly of Orlando City and Brazil’s Under-20 side, Pereira has made nearly 300 appearances since joining Flamengo half a decade ago.
He was included in the 2025 Brazilian league Team of the Season, while accumulating 15 trophies in a silver-coated spell.
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