West Ham have confirmed the club-record signing of Brazil midfielder Lucas Paqueta from Lyon.
The 25-year-old has signed an initial five-year contract at the London Stadium with a one-year option as manager David Moyes adds strength to his attacking options.
The Hammers have scored just once in their opening four Premier League games, Pablo Fornals getting the winning goal in Sunday's 1-0 victory at Aston Villa.
"I am extremely happy to be here. I hope it’s the beginning of an enjoyable journey. I hope my time here is successful," said Paqueta.
"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."
Born in Brazil, but now East London is his home.
— West Ham United (@WestHam) August 29, 2022
Bem-vindo, @LucasPaqueta97! 😍🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/N5AaDQROPD
After starting his career at Flamengo, Paqueta moved to Europe when he joined AC Milan in 2019.
He spent two seasons in Serie A but only managed one goal in 37 league outings for the Rossoneri before landing a move to Lyon.
There his form improved, hitting 21 goals in 80 games across all competitions while also locking down his spot in the Brazil squad.
"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," said Moyes.
"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."
Birmingham have signed Manchester United midfielder Hannibal Mejbri on a season-long loan.
The 19-year-old Tunisia international was part of Erik ten Hag's pre-season tour squad and featured in two matches in Thailand and Australia.
He made his senior debut for United on the final day of the 2019-20 season and played twice in the Premier League last year – a substitute appearance against Liverpool at Anfield before making his first start in the 1-0 loss at Crystal Palace.
Mejbri could make his Birmingham debut as early as Tuesday, if his clearance comes through in time to face Norwich in the Sky Bet Championship.
