**West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta has been linked with a move away from the club in recent weeks.**
The 28-year-old wants to take on a new challenge, and he’s ready to leave the club in January. According to a report from [Bolavip](https://br.bolavip.com/flamengo/flamengo-decide-pagar-valor-astronomico-para-fechar-a-contratacao-de-lucas-paqueta-e-ganha-recebe-positiva), West Ham are willing to negotiate the player’s exit in January, and there is a verbal agreement between the club and the player. It remains to be seen whether any club is willing to come forward and pay the asking price for him.
The report further claims that Brazilian club Flamengo is interested in securing his signature. They are willing to pay up to €30 million in order to get the deal done. It will be interesting to see if West Ham is prepared to sanction his departure. The €30 million fee could prove to be a bargain for a player of his quality. However, it is a substantial amount of money for South American clubs, and it is highly unlikely that they will be able to pay much more than that. West Ham will have to be reasonable with their demands in order for the move to go through.
The 28-year-old has been outstanding for West Ham since joining the club, and there is no doubt that he’s one of the best players at the club. His departure in January will be a blow for the club. However, the player has his heart set on a move, and the London club is unlikely to keep him against his wishes. It remains to be seen whether they decide to honour the verbal agreement between the two parties and let him move on when the transfer window reopens.
Meanwhile, West Ham will need to bring in a top-class replacement for the player as well..