LONDON (AP) — Brazil international Lucas Paquetá joined West Ham for a club-record fee of 61.6 million euros ($61.6 million) on Monday, ending his two-year stint at French team Lyon.
Lyon said the fee included 18.7 million euros in bonuses spread over the player’s five-year contract.
The signing of Paquetá, a silky attacking midfielder who can play anywhere across the forward line or deeper in central midfield, is another statement of intent by West Ham, which has also bought Italy striker Gianluca Scamacca for 30 million pounds ($36 million) from Sassuolo in this transfer window.
Paquetá played against West Ham in the Europa League last season. He previously played for AC Milan.
“He’s a player I’ve admired from afar for a very long time,” West Ham manager David Moyes said, “and of course, we saw him close up in our Europa League campaign last season.
“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.”
___
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports