Paqueta reveals Chelsea transfer bid

Lucas Paqueta has revealed that he was subject to a transfer bid from Chelsea before he left West Ham for Flamengo.

Paqueta’s departure from the Irons was a drawn-out affair that ultimately ended in the Brazilian club paying a record fee to lure him from the Premier League side.

The deal was fuelled primarily because the playmaker wanted to return to his homeland – and he has revealed just how passionate he was about the move, flatly rejecting the possibility of moving to Stamford Bridge.

Paqueta: I rejected Chelsea to make Flamengo move

In an interview with Flamengo TV, Paqueta said: “Tottenham called me, and so did Chelsea.

“The funny thing is that Tata, my agent, called all excited and said: ‘Chelsea is calling, they’re going to make an offer’.

“I replied: ‘Okay, but what about Flamengo?’”

How serious was Chelsea’s interest?

Paqueta’s words confirm the existence of interest from Chelsea, which had been reported in mid-January.

“Chelsea are a club interested in the player and could open up competition with Flamengo still in this winter window. Despite the player’s longing to return to his club of heart, people close to the midfielder believe it would be best for him to stay longer in Europe since he’s still only 28 years old,” Brazilian journalist Renan Moura wrote on X.

“The decision, however, lies with the player and West Ham, with whom he has a contract until June 2027. Paqueta is truly willing to leave England due to the way he’s been treated since the start of the investigation into his alleged involvement in match-fixing.”

West Ham might have preferred Paqueta to move to Chelsea if they were willing to meet their initial €60 million asking price for the player.

The fact that Flamengo were able to negotiate the London club’s price down to €42m – well below his €62.4m Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) – suggests that the Blues were not offering such money for him.

Indeed, Chelsea have been uncharacteristically quiet during the transfer window, not completing a single major signing thus far.

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