Flamengo reject West Ham approach after Lucas Paqueta transfer dealings
West Ham may have hoped that their sale of Lucas Paqueta to Flamengo would have allowed them to poach Brazilian talent on the cheap.
Paqueta finally got his wish to leave West Ham and return to his homeland when a move was announced on 30 January.
The Hammers received a £36.5million fee for Paqueta‘s services and hoped to reinvest that in the squad in the final days of the window, using their relationship with the Brazilian outfit.
However, Nuno Espirito Santo‘s side learned the hard way as they tried to sign one of the Red Black’s players, that it is not as simple as they expected.
Who did West Ham try to sign from Flamengo?
Evertton Araujo was one of three players reportedly offered to West Ham as a potential sweetener to allow Paqueta to leave.
It appears that they were interested in the 22-year-old defensive midfielder, as they made an approach for his services.
A report from Mix Vale on 4 February claims that the Irons expressed their interest for a £10.3m move, but it was rejected.
| Stats | Evertton Araujo |
| Appearances | 67 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Assists | 0 |
It states that Rio de Janeiro-based outfit viewed the valuation from the East Londoners as significantly lower than what they would accept.
Will West Ham go after Araujo in the summer?
Perhaps the E20 club will try again for Araujo when the market reopens, but it may just have been a convenient approach as they had already dealt with the Brazilian club.
Nuno did need further midfield reinforcements in the latter stages of the window, after allowing both Paqueta and James Ward-Prowse to depart.
He did not get them, and surely the Hammers will be back in for engine room recruits in the summer, but their league status may well affect their business.
They are currently six points from safety, sitting in 18th place in the Premier League, with 14 matches left to play.
If they are relegated to the Championship, then surely Araujo and other targets will think twice about moving to the London Stadium.
If they remain in the top-flight, then they may move for alternative targets with more experience in European football, as that would be easier for the player to settle into the intensity and pace of the division.