West Ham have announced the signing of the Brazil midfielder Lucas Paquetá from Lyon in a club-record €60 million deal.
The 25-year-old becomes the eighth new recruit for the Hammers this summer, signing a deal until 2027 with an option to extend his contract by an additional year.
The deal was confirmed on Monday evening after West Ham reached a verbal agreement with player and club on Friday. The Hammers will pay a guaranteed fee of €43 million, with €17 million in add-ons taking the value of the deal beyond the £45 million paid to Eintracht Frankfurt for Sébastien Haller in 2019.
David Moyes will be hoping the former AC Milan midfielder can help his side to find the back of the net on a more consistent basis. West Ham have managed just one goal from their opening four Premier League games.
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Paquetá, who came up against his new club in the Europa League quarter-finals last season, is raring to get started. “I am extremely happy to be here. I hope it’s the beginning of an enjoyable journey. I hope my time here is successful,” he told the club’s website. “Last season, West Ham had a very good season and I hope they continue to enjoy more and more good seasons in my time at the club.”
After starting his career at Flamengo, Paquetá moved to Europe when he joined AC Milan in 2019. He spent two seasons in Serie A but only managed one goal in 37 league outings for the Rossoneri before landing a move to Lyon. His form improved in France, hitting 21 goals in 80 games across all competitions while also locking down his spot in the Brazil squad.
“I’m delighted to welcome Lucas to West Ham,” Moyes said. “He’s a player I’ve admired from afar for a very long time and of course, we saw him close up in our Europa League campaign last season. He’s a very talented footballer and whilst he will need time to adapt to the Premier League, we’re excited about adding another proven international to our squad.”
Paquetá could be in line to make his West Ham debut in Wednesday night’s London derby at home against Tottenham. His arrival follows those of Nayef Aguerd, Alphonse Areola, Maxwel Cornet, Flynn Downes, Thilo Kehrer, Emerson Palmieri and Gianluca Scamacca. – Guardian
