West Ham are on the verge of smashing their club transfer record after agreeing a deal with Lyon for Brazilian international Lucas Paqueta.

Per The Sun, the 24-year-old playmaker is set to cost the east London club £51 million.

The arrival of Paqueta, who has been capped 33 times for his country, is sure to provide some much-needed creativity in the final third for David Moyes' side following their dreadful start to the new Premier League season.

The Hammers currently sit bottom of the table after opening their campaign with three straight defeats and have still yet to score a goal this term.

It's hard to imagine West Ham struggling for goals with Paqueta running the show in their midfield. His dazzling skills and immaculate technique promise to make him a tough opponent for defences across the English top-flight.

Paqueta possesses some serious flair and has never been afraid to bust it out to entertain the masses.

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However, during a Ligue 1 match last season, his showboating got him into hot water with a referee who appeared to book him for attempting an audacious piece of skill late in the game.

Lyon were coasting to victory against Troyes last September when Paqueta decided to try and cheekily get the better of a defender by attempting a rainbow flick at the byline.

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 07: Lucas Paqueta of Olympique Lyonnais holds off Tomas Soucek of West Ham United during the UEFA Europa League Quarter Final Leg One match between West Ham United and Olympique Lyon at Olympic Stadium on April 07, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

The Brazilian didn't successfully land the trick, but his efforts were appreciated by a delighted home crowd at Groupama Stadium.

Match official Stephanie Frappart, though, was not impressed, quickly halting proceedings to show Paqueta a yellow card.

We'll let you be the judge from the footage below, but it certainly seems as though the midfielder was cautioned for having one too many skills at his disposal. For his part, Paqueta just looked completely stunned.

Watch: Lucas Paqueta gets booked for attempting a rainbow flick

Last time we checked, there's nothing in the laws of the game to suggest that being technically gifted is an offence. We couldn't work out why Paqueta was booked and neither could his Brazil teammate Neymar, who spoke out after the game to blast the decision.

Neymar himself had famously been on the receiving end of a similarly bizarre caution in the past and admitted he found the ruling "very sad".

"This is a very sad scene," he said, per The Independent. "Showing a yellow card for a dribble... a technical move is a solution. It doesn't matter where on the pitch it is performed or in what minute of the game. This happened to me last season. And this season it's Paqueta.

"Honestly, I don't understand the reasoning. The famous Jogo Bonito (beautiful game) is finished. Enjoy it while you can."

Hopefully, we don't see similar madness again - and Paqueta's forthcoming move to the Premier League sees him demonstrate his full array of skills regularly. At his best, he has the potential to be one of the most exciting players in the competition.

West Ham fans could be in for a treat this season.

Paqueta to West Ham latest | Via The Football Terrace