West Ham sources furious at Lucas Paqueta news as FA hearing finally concludes
Lucas Paqueta is set to finally find out his West Ham fate.
The Brazilian has been the subject of a Football Association hearing into alleged betting offences that threatens to finish his career.
The FA are seeking a lifetime ban for the Hammers ace if he is found guilty of deliberately being booked on four separate occasions to influence gambling markets.
The 27-year-old denies any wrongdoing, and his mental health is believed to have been severely hampered by the investigation, which has now concluded.
Paqueta hearing ends amid West Ham concerns
Paqueta has faced a lengthy wait to find out whether he will ever play for the London Stadium outfit again.
A report from the Daily Mail (4 June) claims that Irons’ sources are not happy after they were warned that it could take between four to eight weeks for an outcome to be revealed.
It states that there is no indication as to whether the Brazil international will be found guilty or not, but the Hammers fear that the odds are against them, given the lower standard of proof.
The report claims that the FA’s hearing is based on a ‘balance of probabilities’ for a civil case rather than the ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ burden of proof in criminal cases.
West Ham need swift Paqueta outcome
With their plans for the summer in full swing, Graham Potter and Co. need a resolution to the Paqueta saga either way.
If the playmaker is a part of the ex-Brighton man’s plans going forward, then he needs to know the outcome sooner rather than later, so he can plan his transfer dealings around that.
| Stats (Premier League) | Paqueta |
| Matches | 32 |
| Goals | 4 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Minutes played | 2,374 |
If he is not and Potter wants to sell him to raise funds to overhaul his squad, he also needs a verdict quickly, otherwise it may be too late to move him on, with interested parties already potentially securing other targets.
Paqueta was the subject of potential £80million interest from Manchester City before the saga began and Pep Guardiola’s side may revive that deal, if the midfield maestro is proven innocent.
If he is found guilty, his footballing career could be over, and the East London side will have a huge creative and financial burden.
The nervous wait begins.