Paqueta legal team blamed after West Ham incident, Jim White responds
West Ham star Lucas Paqueta is continuing in his legal battle with his legal team now coming under fire as Jim White speaks out.
The Hammers midfielder is awaiting trial for his alleged spot-fixing charges, which has rumbled on at the London Stadium for nearly two years.
The FA appears to be dangling a potential lifetime ban over the 27-year-old who is unlikely to learn the result of his hearing until the summer at the earliest.
This has clearly begun to impact Paqueta, with White questioning why nothing has been done at this stage in the legal case against the Brazilian.
Simon Jordan and White question Paqueta legal team
The most recent Hammers clash against Tottenham was clear evidence of things getting on top of the 27-year-old at the London Stadium.
The attacking midfielder picked up a booking from Michael Oliver and broke down in tears on the pitch before being taken off by Graham Potter.
This could see Paqueta miss the rest of the season in East London as the strain of potential punishment looks to have taken a toll.
There appears to be very little light at the end of the tunnel for the ex-Lyon man after months of waiting, which is certainly having a negative impact on his career.
This has raised a question from White live on talkSPORT (8 May, 10:55am), as he wondered why there have been no updates on the situation.
He said: “When you think of it, a year on and nothing’s happened.”
This sparked a reaction from Jordan, who responded: “You have to ask yourself why? What is taking the time? Is it the investigation or is it the legal construct of his defence that’s being put forward, and a variety of objections that might be coming from the defensive side of things?
“I would assume that they must have compelling evidence to bring such a charge, it can’t be on the basis of hearsay. If there was no substance to this, there must be a mechanism where Paqueta’s legal team could have cut through and said, ‘You’ve got no basis for this. You’ve got no substance behind this. This isn’t even grounded in anything that vaguely resembles a meaningful set of observations.’
“I don’t understand if I’m Paqueta and I’ve got all the resources that I’ve got, plus a football club that will support me economically, why I’m not dragging these people kicking and screaming to the first available date to concentrate their minds on the reality of the ramifications of what’s happening to my career.”
This sparked a question from White, “So you’re saying Paqueta’s legal team have to get this going?”
Jordan snapped back, adding: “I’m saying that there must be a reason why these two years of torment, as people refer to them, have been allowed to drag on. Why is it taking so long? If Paqueta is innocent, then you would like to think he’d be on the front foot, screaming and shouting via his legal representation.”
West Ham must be patient with Paqueta
The Irons are in a serious predicament with the attacking midfielder based on how much he is worth to the East London outfit.
Alongside the likes of Mohammed Kudus, the Hammers have some quality options in attack, regardless of their struggles this campaign.
As a result, losing Paqueta could prove to be a sizable blow, and it has been a source of constant frustration throughout the season.
| Stat (Premier League 24/25) | Lucas Paqueta |
| Appearnaces | 31 |
| Goals | 4 |
| Assists | 0 |
It will be interesting to see what Potter does in the remaining three games and what it means for the future of the Brazil international for the rest of his career.