West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta is hoping to return to Flamengo this summer, according to reports.

The spot-fixing allegations have taken their toll on the Brazilian and The Sun claim he is looking for a “fresh start”.

It is believed that the Hammers will not stand in Paqueta’s way if he wants to leave but they will demand at least £30m from prospective buyers.

Flamengo would be keen on re-signing the midfielder, who they sold to AC Milan for €35m in January 2019, but it is not clear at this stage whether they would be willing to match the asking price.

In the past, reports suggested that the Brazilian side have offered to take Paqueta on loan, which is not the sort of deal that West Ham would accept.

Paqueta does have other suitors

Saudi Pro League teams are also said to be interested in taking the midfielder off the club’s hands. They would certainly be able to meet his valuation but it’s unlikely that the player would be open to such a move.

Manchester City were very interested in securing Paqueta’s services before the betting scandal but it seems doubtful that they would table a bid now.

Pep Guardiola’s side have recently signed the likes of Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders and they are not in the market for another central midfielder.

When will West Ham find out the result of the hearing?

It was reported at the beginning of June that it could take another four to eight weeks before a verdict is given. That means we could get a decision at any point between now and the end of July.

If Paqueta is found guilty, it has been suggested that the FA could push for a lifetime ban from football, and that would scupper any efforts to sell him.

In other news, West Ham’s attempts to sign an Ivorian forward could “hasten the exit of Mohammed Kudus”