LONDON — West Ham United has signed midfielder Lucas Paqueta from French side Olympique Lyonnais for a club record fee, the Premier League club said.
Financial details were not disclosed but British media said West Ham paid an initial fee of 36.5 million pounds ($42.76 million) with a potential 14.4 million in add-ons for the Brazilian who signed a five-year deal with a one-year option.
That fee would eclipse the 45 million pounds West Ham paid for French striker Sebastien Haller in 2019.
“I am extremely happy to be here. I hope it’s the beginning of an enjoyable journey. I hope my time here is successful,” Paqueta said in a statement.
“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.
“I am excited to pull on the West Ham shirt and show the fans what I can do, to help my team mates and the club.”
West Ham finished seventh last season under manager David Moyes but have struggled to get going in the new campaign to sit 16th after four games.
“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,” Moyes said according to Reuters.
“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.”
West Ham next host Tottenham Hotspur in the league on Wednesday.
Elsewhere, Chelsea will look to bring in new recruits before the transfer window closes on September 1 but will make do with the existing squad if they have to, manager Thomas Tuchel said.
Speaking ahead of his trip to Southampton, Tuchel said he was fully focused on their opponents as they look to make it three victories from five games after beating Leicester City 2-1 last time out.
“Right now we could need more players in some positions but it’s close to the end of the transfer window and when September 1 comes I will be a happy coach no matter what happens,” Tuchel told a news conference.
“I will try to find solutions and not think about what could have happened.”
Chelsea has been linked with Leicester defender Wesley Fofana and Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
“All that matters is the reality and the moment now… and what will matter at Southampton is to find a way to win, step up individually and push the team. This is what we will do whether players come or not,” Tuchel added.
Chelsea cruised to a 6-0 win over Southampton last season, but Tuchel said his team cannot take their 13th-placed opponents lightly at St Mary’s.
“What you can always expect at Southampton is a physical game, a running game and a high-intensity game,” Tuchel said. “So we need to recover well and be well prepared to have a chance to repeat what we did last season.”
