FA to push FIFA over Lucas Paqueta ban if West Ham United star is found guilty
The FA will push FIFA to impose a worldwide ban on Lucas Paqueta if the West Ham star is found guilty of gambling offences, according to The Times.
Reporting via their website on 31 May the paper claimed that the English authorities want the Brazilian midfielder to be punished severely if an independent commission rules against him, after he was accused of spot-fixing over four bookings.
The 25-year-old had been expected to leave the London Stadium in a big-money move to Manchester City this summer, having had a move derailed at the last minute a year ago when the investigation first came to light, but the FA’s decision to charge him has again scuppered that.
He has denied all of the allegations against him and reportedly may request an extension to the deadline before he officially responds, with a ban that could “stretch to years rather than months” potentially on the cards.
West Ham star could have book thrown at him after Manchester City move evaporates
Paqueta may yet be cleared of all the allegations and end up back at something like square one in terms of his future at the London Stadium.
But the FA presumably wouldn’t have charged him after a whole season of investigating if they didn’t believe they had a solid case to argue, so it is an uncertain time for the Brazilian international.
The issue throws a spanner into the works for Tim Steidten and West Ham as well as clearly leaving a major risk hanging over the former Lyon man’s head individually.
With the best part of £100million potentially on the cards if he had made a switch to the Etihad that is a major amount of money missing from the projected transfer budget as the club looks to revamp for incoming boss Julen Lopetegui.
Paqueta has been called up for Brazil and could feasibly still be able to play for the Irons to start next season depending on when his hearing is and when the verdict is announced.
But it has to be unsettling at best for him to potentially have a career-ending sanction on the cards if things don’t go his way, and indications are that the FA are taking their position extremely seriously.
The West Ham man no doubt will be doing the same from his perspective but only one side can come out on top when there are such clearly-opposing views.
In other West Ham news, an in-demand ace has changed agents in preparation for a possible move with the Irons looking to bring him in.
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