Joining Flamengo for 41 million euros, Paquetá becomes the "highest-valued player in the Western Hemisphere"

By Han Bing On the evening of January 26 UK time, British media widely reported that West Ham United and Flamengo reached a principle agreement: the Brazilian powerhouse will acquire Paquetá for £36 million (around 41 million euros), with only minor details remaining to be settled. Should the transfer complete successfully, Paquetá will overtake Gérson, who transferred from Zenit Saint Petersburg to Cruzeiro for 30 million euros, to become the Western Hemisphere’s new "record signing." He will also be tied with Messi's 35 million euros move to Inter Miami in 2023, making him one of the highest-valued players to join a league in the Western Hemisphere.

The Brazilian league has traditionally been a talent pool for European leagues, profiting from selling gifted players at high prices. Paquetá, in the prime of his career, returning to Brazil for a "record fee" has naturally shocked European football circles. Flamengo’s ability to secure one of the Premier League’s best midfielders at a high price was driven decisively by Paquetá’s personal wishes and West Ham’s relegation battle pressures. The Brazilian midfielder was "extremely disappointed" with life in England and was eager to return to his familiar home club Flamengo to make a final push for the World Cup. West Ham also aimed to maximize returns from Paquetá, whose contract had only 18 months left, to reinvest in new players and improve their chances of staying up.

In July last year, after a two-year wait, the English FA declared Paquetá "not guilty" of alleged betting violations. However, this ruling caused him to miss the chance to join Manchester City last summer for a record fee of at least 100 million euros. He later sued the FA seeking compensation, but the legal process dragged on indefinitely. Due to a long suspension, he lost form and no longer had opportunities to join top clubs. Since late last year, Paquetá has been pushing for a transfer, missing three matches against Wolves, Tottenham, and Sunderland citing injury. West Ham originally hoped to loan him back after the transfer until season’s end, but the player refused. Tottenham also tried to sign him in the winter window, but Paquetá, disillusioned with the FA and West Ham, wanted a complete departure from the Premier League.

Flamengo president Baptista eagerly announced the deal was near completion, with the only disagreement being the payment method. Flamengo wants to pay the transfer fee over 24 months, while West Ham insists on full payment within 18 months. However, Flamengo remains very optimistic, believing an agreement is just a matter of time. Paquetá has played in all six recent Brazil matches since Ancelotti took charge, hoping to regain form at Flamengo to secure his World Cup spot. As Brazil’s top club, Flamengo aims to reap huge returns on and off the pitch through Paquetá’s skill and influence.

Before Paquetá, although the transfer fee record in Western Hemisphere leagues has been repeatedly broken in recent years, it had never reached the 40 million euro level.

The first Western Hemisphere signing to reach the 10 million euro mark was Carlos Alberto, who returned to Corinthians from Porto in January 2005 for 10 million euros. The first "record signing" at the 20 million euro level appeared in July 2024.

Atlanta United forward Almada transferred to Botafogo for 24.15 million euros in Major League Soccer. In February 2025, Roque set a new record by joining Palmeiras from Barcelona for 28 million euros. On January 10, Gérson moved from Zenit Saint Petersburg to Cruzeiro, raising the Western Hemisphere record transfer fee to 30 million euros. It is expected that Paquetá will become the first player in the Western Hemisphere to reach the 40 million euro transfer fee level.

Unlike Botafogo, which has American ownership, Flamengo’s revenue has soared in recent years thanks to financial reforms and a massive fan base across Brazil and Latin America, relying almost entirely on the domestic market. Flamengo boasts 65 million followers on social media platforms and generated 203 million euros in revenue in 2024, ranking among the top 30 clubs worldwide for the 2024/25 season and standing as the only non-European club on that list.

Last summer, Flamengo earned 25.5 million euros in prize money by participating in the Club World Cup and signed the highest chest sponsorship deal in the Western Hemisphere with the betting company Betano (41 million euros per year). This amount would have ranked first in Serie A last season, second in Bundesliga and Ligue 1, third in La Liga, and within the top six in the Premier League.

On one side is Flamengo, a financially powerful club targeting the Brazilian league and Copa Libertadores titles in the new season; on the other is West Ham, a Premier League relegation-threatened team that has deeply disappointed him. Paquetá’s choice should be clear without any doubt.