(Reuters) – West Ham United have signed midfielder Lucas Paqueta from French side Olympique Lyonnais for a club record fee, the Premier League club said on Monday.
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 teammates 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 up close in our Europa League campaign last season,” Moyes said.
“He’s a very talented footballer and while 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.
($1 = 0.8535 pounds)
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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