Flamengo director José Boto has admitted the club could need to sell players to meet transfer commitments, including West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta payment.
Speaking on Thursday, Boto outlined contingency plans as uncertainty over betting sponsorship threatens income Flamengo had included in their budget.
In comments reported by UOL, he said, translated from Portuguese: “In the worst scenarios, we may have to sell players and not replace them.”
Boto specifically identified payments to West Ham when discussing Paquetá. He explained that the concern involved the transfer agreement, while insisting player and staff wages remained protected.
Lucas Paqueta payment puts January cash flow in focus
UOL journalist Rodrigo Mattos reported that Flamengo had expected a R$120million payment from sponsor Betano in January 2027.
That anticipated income formed part of their planning for instalments owed to West Ham and several other clubs.
The R$120m figure represents the expected sponsorship payment, rather than the amount due to the Hammers.
Mattos said the sponsorship agreement was on hold while Brazil’s Congress considered the provisional betting measure. His report identified next year’s cash flow as the main concern.
Neither report establishes that Flamengo have missed a payment to West Ham. Boto presented possible sales as a way to honour commitments if the expected income disappeared.
For Hammers supporters, the relevance is the timing of money from an agreed departure. As our analysis of West Ham’s transfer finances explains, a headline sale fee does not necessarily arrive in one payment.
Boto’s comments make Flamengo’s proposed response clearer, but they do not confirm any change to West Ham’s January transfer budget.
