West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta has been linked with a move away from the East London club in recent weeks.
According to an update by Brazilian journalist Renan Moura, Chelsea have now joined Flamengo in the race to sign West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta.
The Hammers paid £51 million to sign the Brazilian international, and it will be interesting to see if they are willing to sanction his departure for a reasonable fee. Chelsea will not want to pay over the odds for the South American playmaker.
Paqueta has performed quite well in the Premier League, and there is no doubt he would be an excellent addition to the Chelsea squad. They need more creativity and work rate in the middle of the park, and the Brazilian international would be the ideal fit. He can operate as a central midfielder or an attacking midfielder.
Chelsea could use a creator like Paqueta
Chelsea invested in two quality strikers in the summer transfer window, but they need to add more creativity to the side so that the strikers receive more service in the final third. Signing the South American playmaker could be ideal for them.
The 28-year-old has done quite well for West Ham in the Premier League, and the opportunity to join one of the biggest clubs in the country will be exciting for him. He will look to fight for major trophies with Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Flamengo are interested in bringing him back, with the player keen on returning to the club. However, they have yet to find a common ground with West Ham on the transfer fee. The opportunity to move back to Brazil could be exciting for the player as well. He would get to play in his comfort zone.
However, the player is at the peak of his career right now, and moving back to Brazil might not be ideal. The 28-year-old is good enough to compete at the highest level, and he should look to stay at Chelsea and fight for major trophies. He will have plenty of opportunities to return to South America in future. It remains to be seen where he ends up.