Lucas Paqueta has revealed just how close he came to leaving West Ham in the summer - but not to Aston Villa.
The Brazil international faced a summer of speculation, particularly when the Villans offered £47million for his services, but he ended up staying at the London Stadium.
Paqueta has been discussing his future, and recent past, while away with Brazil
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Paqueta has been discussing his future, and recent past, while away with BrazilCredit: Getty
Yet he’s now revealed it was another club he was keen to join - boyhood side Flamengo.
The 28-year-old broke through at the Rio de Janeiro club who are now one of the best teams outside of Europe under former Chelsea man Filipe Luis, who has guided them into the Copa Libertadores final.
But it was their former vice president, Marcos Braz, who did the convincing.
Attacking midfielder Paqueta told Brazilian outlet Globo: "The first moment was when Braz was still at Flamengo, there was that contact.
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“I know of Flamengo's desire, and they know of my desire, my passion for the club, so it's something that always happens.”
Why did Paqueta stay at West Ham?
However, Paqueta then went on to explain that he felt too loyal to West Ham due to how they backed him during a Football Association investigation into spot-fixing, an allegation he was later cleared of.
He continued: “As soon as I was accused, and the whole trial process was about to begin, Braz came to my house, made the offer, and asked what I thought.
“Obviously, I always want to go back to Flamengo, but at that moment I was still a bit undecided about my decision, about what I was going to do.
“Then I also talked to the West Ham director and said, 'Braz, I want to go back, I know I'll feel good at Flamengo, but I can't be ungrateful to the club that's supporting me so much.'
“They supported me a lot at all times, helped me in various situations, so I couldn't force an exit from a place where I was being welcomed and respected.
Paqueta was tempted by his boyhood side, but opted to stay in London
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Paqueta was tempted by his boyhood side, but opted to stay in London
“They respected me, my wife, my family. So I said, 'I want you to resolve this.' But yes, this exchange with Flamengo did happen.”
The FA investigation put paid to an earlier move for Paqueta, when he was in advanced talks with Manchester City during the summer of 2024.
When West Ham fought off interest from Villa during the summer, he again made his feelings towards the club clear, performing a hanging up the phone celebration after scoring in a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest in August.
However, Paqueta went on to admit a move was on his mind, but only to Flamengo.
“Maybe I shouldn't even be saying this, but I had some conversations with Filipe [Luis], who is a friend, in addition to the work he's doing at Flamengo,” he added.
“I really expressed my desire to return and also showed it to my agents.
Paqueta made it clear he wanted to stay at West Ham with his August phone celebration
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Paqueta made it clear he wanted to stay at West Ham with his August phone celebrationCredit: Getty
“It was a difficult decision because I'm 28 years old, it's very young, and I still have a lot of market value outside of here. I've been doing my job well, but it was a very strong desire.
“And I tried very hard, but unfortunately, once again, I decided to respect my club, not to force anything, because it's a club that supported me, that I have enormous affection for.
“So I let it happen, and it really didn't. I understood that it wasn't the right time, but I know the doors will always be open for me. I know that at some point this return will happen.”
That exit could be sooner than some West Ham fans would like, with Paqueta alluding to a departure after his Forest goal.
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In an Instagram post he wrote: “It's about staying loyal not only when you had everything, but also when there was nothing… it's not time to say goodbye yet! Let's go together for one more season!”
The No.10’s contract is due to expire in 2027, meaning next summer could well be West Ham’s last chance of receiving a transfer fee for him.