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£37m midfielder reveals Chelsea’s January move for him

Originally posted on HITC | By Jack Drury | Last updated Jan 31, 2026 3:12 PM ET

Big spending may be behind Chelsea but they need something new to boost a weak season

It’s starting to look like another quiet January window for Chelsea, with no significant first-team signings on the horizon.

The Blues are still being linked with Jeremy Jacquet, and reports suggest there could be an update after their match against West Ham later today.

Liam Rosenior will be hoping to continue his strong start at Stamford Bridge, up against a West Ham side who have been in good form lately. The Hammers have made some notable moves this winter as well, with Pablo and Valentin Castellanos both featuring in their latest fixture.

Lucas Paqueta reveals he turned down Chelsea to join Flamengo

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Paqueta, who made it clear he was not interested in battling for Premier League survival this season, has moved to Flamengo in his homeland for £37m (Sky Sports).

During an interview with Flamengo TV, he admitted that while Chelsea showed interest, it was never an option he considered.

“The Tottenham called, the Chelsea called, and the funny thing is that Tatá (his agent) called all excited and said: ‘Chelsea’s calling, they’re gonna make an offer.’ I replied: ‘Okay, but what about Flamengo?’”

“He said: ‘Are you serious?’ I said: ‘Yeah, I don’t care about that. I want to hear about Flamengo,’ and that’s how it all turned out.”

Chelsea’s interest wasn’t new. The club had been connected to Paqueta before. Thiago Silva had even recommended him to the club back in 2022.

Chelsea didn’t manage much this January

No one knows whether signing Paqueta would have been well received by Chelsea supporters, but they almost certainly would’ve welcomed any fresh addition during this window.

The club are now fighting just to secure a top-four finish after falling out of title contention late on under Enzo Maresca.

Before Liam Rosenior took charge of Stamford Bridge there were reports suggesting that the manager was looking for assurances over winter signings. That hasn’t happened so far.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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