West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta decision already vindicated after what he did in Flamengo debut
West Ham fans will be delighted to see how Lucas Paqueta’s debut for Flamengo panned out following his recent move.
The Brazilian often cut a divisive figure during his time in the Premier League, and he finally departed the London Stadium last week after being linked with a move away for several successive transfer windows.
Paqueta had been desperate to leave West Ham since the start of the January window, and missed several league games for the East Londoners across the month with a back injury.
Nuno Espirito Santo and Co. were initially hugely reluctant to sanction the sale of a player of such talent, but they eventually relented and gave in to his desire to leave, and that decision already appears to have been vindicated.
Lucas Paqueta misses sitter in Flamengo’s cup final
West Ham eventually netted a fee of £36.5million for Paqueta, as they finally opted to grant him the move that he had been pushing so hard to secure.
The Irons were stuck between a rock and a hard place in terms of the attacking midfielder’s future, as he would have been a crucial player in their fight against relegation, but had also had his attitude questioned by fans and pundits on several occasions.
Once it became clear that Paqueta’s heart was at Flamengo, it made complete sense for West Ham to soften their stance and give the green light to his exit, and it is already paying off for them.
Paqueta made his second debut for his boyhood club in the Brazilian Super Cup final against Corinthians on Sunday evening, as he was introduced as a 58th-minute substitute.
However, things quickly soured for the 28-year-old as his team were beaten 2-0 in the showpiece final, with Yuri Alberto netting the decisive second goal in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
West Ham fans would have been delighted to see that Paqueta missed a golden opportunity to send the game into extra-time just moments before that, as he skied the ball over from close range after controlling on his thigh.
It was a miss that summed up the way his career has gone of late, and is sure to quietly have West Ham thinking that they made the right call in selling him.
Lucas Paqueta often flattered to deceive at West Ham
Paqueta’s push to leave West Ham would have hurt the club, but they should not be overly concerned about losing him, especially since they were able to net a healthy sum of money.
The former AC Milan star often flattered to deceive during his time in England, as his supreme talent translated into just one season where he managed 10 Premier League goal involvements.
The Brazilian’s quality was undeniable, but when compared to his end product, his displays often left a lot to be desired, while it could certainly be argued that he is not the kind of player you want in a relegation battle.
West Ham are desperately trying to avoid slipping into the Championship, and Paqueta frequently put himself in the limelight with careless decisions, not least his bizarre red card for dissent against Liverpool in November.
His miss on debut for Flamengo was yet more evidence of a player who promised so much, and regularly offered very little.