Nuno Espirito Santo undermined by West Ham again as Lucas Paqueta agreement struck
West Ham and Flamengo have agreed a deal reportedly worth £36-40million for the transfer of Lucas Paqueta.
Paqueta is desperate to leave West Ham this month, with the Brazilian’s first choice being a return to his former club.
The midfielder has failed to appear in the Hammers’ last three games across all competitions, which have, ironically, coincided with their best form of the season.
West Ham smashed Sunderland 3-1 on Saturday, with goals from Crysencio Summerville, Jarrod Bowen and Mateus Fernandes backing up a stunning late victory at Tottenham earlier this month.
Nuno Espirito Santo had been under huge pressure at West Ham, but the former Tottenham manager has brought the Irons back to within five points of Nottingham Forest.
Flamengo reach Lucas Paqueta agreement as Nuno Espirito Santo wishes ignored
David Sullivan reportedly undermined Nuno when he decided to keep Callum Wilson against the manager’s wishes last week.
The decision came off the back of the striker’s later winner against Tottenham, with West Ham now set to keep him put until the end of the season.
| Lucas Paqueta | Premier League 2025-26 |
| Appearances | 18 |
| Goals | 4 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Chances created | 23 |
| Fouls won | 30 |
| Duels won | 123 |
Nuno has preferred new signing Taty Castellanos over the Englishman, and stuck with his starting line-up against Sunderland.
Now, a similar situation appears to have developed in the case of Paqueta, who, according to The Guardian, is set to join Flamengo.
A deal has been verbally agreed between the sides, which will see the midfielder immediately join the Brazilian side, instead of staying in London until the end of the season as West Ham had previously insisted.
The paper reports that, despite Nuno having said that he believes Paqueta will play for the club again, decision-makers at the London Stadium have instead decided to grant the 28-year-old his move away.
What has Nuno said about Paqueta?
Paqueta has undoubtedly been a key player for West Ham this season. The Brazilian has scored four goals in the Premier League, and just last month, scored and assisted in a 2-2 draw with Brighton.
But undoubtedly, the midfielder has shown increased signs of wanting to escape life at the London Stadium in recent months.
One bizarre moment against Liverpool in November saw Paqueta receive back-to-back yellow cards after continuing to argue with the referee.
Speaking about him earlier this month, Nuno said: “I think it is a situation that we have to solve.
“We always want our best players to be involved and Lucas is one of our best players, so let’s try and solve the situation.”
The solution to the situation does appear to have been found – whether it is the solution Nuno wanted is another matter.