Flamengo sporting director Jose Boto has made a startling claim about dealing with former West Ham chairman David Sullivan, challenging the widely held view among Hammers supporters that the club’s old regime struggled to get sufficient value from player sales.

A large section of West Ham fans rejoiced when David Sullivan resigned from the club’s board after 16-and-a-half years at the helm, following Karren Brady’s departure six weeks earlier.

Daniel Kretinsky and his representatives subsequently took charge, overseeing a summer in which West Ham generated almost £200m in player sales despite relegation to the Championship, second only to European champions PSG.

For years, Sullivan was criticised for failing to extract maximum value from the Hammers’ best players. Dimitri Payet and Marko Arnautovic were both sold for around £25m, while even Declan Rice’s £105m departure to Arsenal has prompted debate, led by David Moyes, over whether West Ham could have demanded significantly more.

But Boto’s account of the negotiations to take Lucas Paqueta back to Flamengo paints a rather different picture of Sullivan’s approach when it came to selling one of West Ham’s most talented players.

Flamengo chief makes admission about Sullivan

Paqueta pushed to leave West Ham in January as the Hammers fought to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

West Ham eventually agreed a deal worth around £35.5m, bringing an end to Paqueta’s time in east London.

Some supporters believed the club should and could have done more to keep the midfielder until the end of the season, given what was at stake in the battle for survival. Others questioned whether Sullivan had secured the best possible price for a player of Paqueta’s ability.

Now Boto has offered his own account of what he says was the most difficult transfer negotiation of his life.

Speaking to GiveMeSport journalist Ben Jacobs, the Flamengo chief said Sullivan fought hard to keep Paqueta at West Ham and resisted the Brazilian club’s attempts to secure a deal for two months.

“Firstly, it was a very tough transfer to negotiate with West Ham,” Boto said.

“It was a negotiation lasting two months – and it was only possible because of the player’s wish to play for Flamengo.”

Boto added that if Paqueta had wanted to join another Premier League club, Flamengo would not have been able to complete the transfer on the same terms.

“It was a very difficult deal with the owner of West Ham. Very, very tough,” Boto added.

“It was me who led the negotiation from Flamengo’s side. I’m very happy to have signed him. In my career as a sporting director, it was one of the hardest negotiations I have been involved in.”

New regime have proved West Ham can get top dollar for stars

Those comments will surprise many Hammers supporters who have spent years questioning the club’s transfer dealings under Sullivan.

There were certainly occasions when West Ham appeared to sell valuable players without securing the kind of fees their performances warranted. Payet’s departure and Arnautovic’s move to China remain examples regularly cited by frustrated supporters.

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Tomas Soucek of West Ham United celebrates with teammates after scoring the team's fifth goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Lincoln City and West Ham United at the Gelder Group Sincil Bank Stadium in Lincoln, on October 14, 2026.

Rice’s £105m move to Arsenal was a record sale for West Ham, but his subsequent influence has led some to argue that even that fee could have been higher.

There have also been a host of players sold at big losses.

Paqueta’s transfer was different, however. The Brazilian was determined to return home, leaving West Ham in a terrible negotiating position.

Boto’s comments suggest Sullivan was far from a pushover during those negotiations, with the Flamengo sporting director describing him as one of the toughest opponents he had encountered in the transfer market.

That does not necessarily mean West Ham extracted the maximum possible fee, but it does challenge the idea that Sullivan simply allowed players to leave without a fight.

As West Ham fight to return to the Premier League, Paqueta has enjoyed life back in his homeland, scoring a career-best 13 goals so far and helping his boyhood club challenge for the title.

Paqueta’s latest wonder goal has offered a reminder of the extraordinary talent West Ham possessed before his departure.

Boto’s account suggests West Ham did not simply roll over in negotiations. Whether fans believe Sullivan got the right deal is another matter, but the Flamengo chief’s verdict offers a fresh perspective on one of the club’s most significant recent transfers.