West Ham ‘furious’ over ‘mysterious’ twist in Lucas Paqueta trial
Lucas Paqueta has now been cleared of any wrongdoing related to betting allegations after a long-winded FA hearing concluded.
The Brazilian was accused of deliberately being booked on four separate occasions in order to influence the betting markets.
Paqueta maintained his innocence throughout the process, as the midfielder and West Ham were kept in the dark for so long.
The Hammers have been left fuming with the situation, with delays to the verdict adding extra pressure for Graham Potter’s side.
West Ham expected the findings to be announced last week
Paqueta missed out on a host of career opportunities due to the allegations hanging over his head, including a potential £80million transfer with Manchester City.
The FA were seeking a lifetime ban for Paqueta, which would have been even more costly for the Hammers.
West Ham will have no doubt backed Paqueta by contributing to legal fees and their frustrations will have grown after the latest revelation.
The Daily Mail announced in its print edition (page 72, 1 August) that the Hammers had received the verdict last week, but the results of the proceedings were not released to the public, in a “mysterious” twist.
Potter’s side have reportedly been left “furious” by the drawn-out process, but fortunately can now move on without the threat of losing the Brazilian.
West Ham will have put transfers on hold during Paqueta hearing
West Ham’s transfer business will have been put on hold during Paqueta’s hearing.
| Games | Goal contributions |
| 120 | 32 |
- Paqueta has averaged a goal contribution every 300 minutes since the accusations were brought forward in August 2023
- The midfielder only played 2536 minutes last campaign, compared to 3478 in the 2023/24 season
- He averaged a goal contribution every 260 minutes in his first season at the Irons
It will have been unknown whether the Hammers would have had to have signed a new midfielder this summer to cover for his potential suspension.
Now, the Irons will be playing catch-up in the transfer window as they move on without the threat of losing their star midfielder.
There seems to be some irony to the fact that West Ham have had to suppress their transfer activity this summer due to Profit and Sustainability rules, meanwhile, the FA continued their witchhunt of Paqueta.
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