West Ham midfielder Lucas Paquetá could be set to discover his fate sooner rather than later, Claret & Hugh has learned this morning.
The Brazilian playmaker has been awaiting the verdict and possible sentencing over FA charges relating to betting irregularities surrounding yellow cards received while playing for West Ham.
However, yesterday, club insiders were suggesting that the decision — which has dragged on for nearly two years — could be extended by a further two months. This would be incredibly bad news for both the club and the player, who has suffered mentally while the FA pontificated over their decision.
When Claret & Hugh spoke to a source close to the situation earlier this morning, we were given some hopeful — yet mixed — news: “We don’t think the decision will take that long and expect to hear by the end of this month (June).”
Our source continued: “He’s more confident he’ll be cleared than ever, but he won’t be at West Ham next season. A lot of clubs are waiting on the decision.”
While losing Paquetá is far from ideal, if the FA fail to make their charges stick, it will at least allow the Hammers to recoup some of the outlay for their record signing.
Did anyone ever look at the bets made for him to be booked when the poor guy was not booked?
“A lot of clubs waiting on the decision” that should mean we can sell at a good profit like normal clubs would
Still completely puzzled as to how you can recommend selling Paqueta to recoup some of the outlay, while suggesting it is best to sell for a reduced price a 50M under contract Brazilian playmaker to replace him with young, players of potential worth 20M-30M? We need 20M+ youngsters to be added but box-to-box, ball winners, etc.
WHU are going to sell a major player who is 28yo at cut price after an average season in a bad team while under scrutiny by the FA,? Not sure who they think will come to WHU who has his ability and can take a team forwards and unlock the opponent’s defence. On the back of a successful season with a high selling price and players eager to join WHU ok, but timing seems completely off and all makes no sense.
If Graham Potter prefers robotic players who do not stray from the script, then pity and we’ll see how it goes next season. Bit of a shame when a manager cannot work that out, but that has always been a conundrum and manager has to play the team he wants.
Anyway wish him luck wherever he goes.
Paqueta has surely played his last game in West Ham colours, I wish Lucas all the best, no matter where his future playing day may be… except Spurs of course!
The club should push back on this and state that they and Paqueta have acted in good faith and demand the matter be bought to a head or they will consider it closed. The FA are in a hole now having taken two years looking at this and rendered no verdict. It’s become clear it’s more about how they can come out of it with any credibility, and they will likely be sued no matter what.
It would be good to get this saga finally over and hopefully get him back to his best BUT in Brazil please if he has to go at all
I’d like to know what the club, his employer with duty of care, have been doing to force this issue to a close. The mental anguish thus man has experienced is of the scale and we saw this when, as a grown man, he broke down in tears in front of millions.
In any other job even a half decent union rep would be taking West Ham and/or the FA to an employment tribunal.
The fact that Lucas has continued to perform, albeit not as well as we have seen him in the past but under intolerable levels of anxiety, is a testament to his mental strength and professionalism.
FGS and the sake of his mental health, someone sort this out!
I would love to see the FA members who perpetuated these actions suffer the same mental stresses that Paqueta has been subjected to . A conspiracist might look at the ridiculously small alleged 7 pound bets and consider the possibility that this whole debacle is an effort to financially damage Westham a club who were threatening to break into the upper echelons of the league . The knock on effects have totally destroyed Westham’s progress . Think , 2 years ago Paqueta sold for 85 million and Cole Palmer signed for 40 million . How different things might have been .
The FA a quaking in their knickers, they have nothing, otherwise he would have been convicted and banned. The Club and Paqueta will sue the FA for loss….Which is huge….
This has gone on too long the FA need to decide what the verdict is and put everyone in the picture The only reason I can think of is that the FA knows he is not guilty but are desperate delaying the verdict in the hope that they can find something else to charge him with both player and club left in limbo this has to be brought to a end whoever is in charge of this case at the FA should be sacked for making false allegations and the FA should pay compensation to both player and club for all the grief they have caused
I really hope Lucas and the club end up suing the FA for professional misconduct and persecution of a registered player. 😡
Aside from anything to do with the hearing, we need a different kind of player for next season. That said, I hope it’s sorted out in his favour without further delay. Are there any other professions where a thing like this would be allowed to drag on for so long? Very bad form.
Others? Post Office springs to mind.
Too true.
Police Complaints Authority and Medical Misconduct Boards to name two professionals at heel-dragging.
Fair enough.