Exclusive: West Ham told to 'rest assured' as Lucas Paqueta rumours rubbished

West Ham's Lucas Paqueta saga may not be all it seems.

Flamengo were reportedly set to inform them that they would not be able to pay the next instalment for the 29-year-old's transfer.

The Irons sold the playmaker in a £35.5million deal, but the initial payment was only around £13m.

The rest is due in annual instalments, then next of which is due in January 2027

However, the Brazilian government's betting ban is set to wipe out lucrative sponsorships for the eight-time champions and their rivals.

That looked set to cause an issue for Nuno Espirito Santo's side, according to information from Brazil.

What has been said about Lucas Paqueta payment rumours?

A new update has been shared on the potential payment issue that could hamper the London Stadium side.

The Rio de Janeiro-based side are set to lose £38.83m from their deal with gambling company Betano, and losses could run up to a total of £57.84m.

Flamengo fan and content creator Alexandre Mattos exclusively told West Ham Zone that his club will not miss the payment, rubbishing what he labelled as rumours from the media.

The source, who has over 20,000 followers on Instagram, said: "The situation is normal.

"Our main sponsorship was suspended, but Flamengo honours its commitments.

"It is the club with the best reputation and management in Brazil.

"Rest assured, payment will be made as usual.

"That's right. They are just rumours, Flamengo does not fall behind on its financial obligations."

That would suggest that there is little reason for the E20 side to be worried at the moment.

Should West Ham be worried about Paqueta situation?

West Ham will just have to see how it all shakes out over the next couple of months.

Ultimately, they have no control over the issue, and can only wait in hope that a solution is found.

Mattos is very confident that his club will come up with the funds, but whether that is actually the case and they can honour the payment, remains to be seen.

They will get their money eventually, no matter what happens, it just may not be when they expected it as part of the deal that was agreed last winter to sell the midfielder.