"What I can say is that we are close," Baptista said, as reported by ESPN. "We reached an agreement on several aspects, which I consider the most important. The difference is the payment method we will use. "I'm focusing all my energy on resolving this [payment method] obstacle. "If it [the deal] can be done within the next hour, great, if not, let it be in two or three hours. We're in contact every hour to adjust one thing or another.
"It's ridiculous to have your life and career affected for two years without any psychological support from the federation. Perhaps this ridiculous behavior is just a reflection of everything I've had to endure and, it seems, have to continue enduring! I'm sorry if I'm not perfect https://t.co/0CdUYNkoSU - Lucas Paquetá (@LucasPaqueta97) November 30, 2025"
The 28-year-old midfielder, who was left in limbo for two years during a Football Association investigation into spot-fixing allegations, was shown two yellow cards, both for dissent, within seconds of one another by the referee Darren England. Players from both sides had tried to cool Paqueta's protests following the initial caution, but after seemingly being successfully ushered away, he returned to harangue the official once more and was sent off.