Lucas Paquetá may be going through the motions in the last throes of his West Ham career: Whether Graham Potter decides to play him against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, the likelihood of him being a Hammers player come the start of next season is diminishing rapidly. The FA inquiry is shortly to pass its judgement on Paqueta and the signs are becoming clear that either way, the Brazilian may be near the end of the road as a West Ham employee.
If the FA find against him, the lifetime ban awaits. There’s a growing groundswell of opinion that a ‘guilty’ verdict is less and less likely owing to the poor quality of evidence – but nobody can be sure until the verdict is announced.
If he is exonerated there is an increasing likelihood that he’ll be sold. Having rubbished the suggestions that Paqueta would go back to Brazil on loan, no such response was received from a West Ham spokesman when we asked about a sale, merely a reiteration that it would take time for the FA outcome to be delivered.
So we all draw our own conclusions from that – I’d suggest nothing until the FA inquiry issues its findings, but then Paquetá will be likely sold pretty swiftly if exonerated. Take the time to enjoy Lucas Paquetá if he gets on the pitch on Sunday – it might well be your last opportunity. Along with the four whose contracts have run down, plus soon to be departing loanees Carlos Soler and Evan Ferguson, Lucas Paqueta may well be making his last appearance in front of the home crowd.
Lucas Paquetá has always maintained his innocence of all the FA allegations.
If we can get anywhere near to £80mill for him, sell him. I can’t remember the last time he really had an overwhelming positive impact on the outcome of a game. If can get the same or more for Kudus, sell him too, way too petulant and inconsistent for me. Together that is £160mill we could spread across a number of players and be able to say to Potter, there you go now you have what you want, deliver, there are no longer any hiding places.
Almost certain that these are the last opportunities to see Paqueta in claret and blue , however if he’s found innocent and only derisory offers are made for him Westham should keep him and see if he can get to his best again .
Doubtful that the FA inquiry is about to come to an end imminently. It is in everyone’s interest (except Lucas Paqueta) to keep this process going for at least another couple of years. The FA have no interest whatsoever to reach a decision in favour of the player.
They are finding it impossible to discover or uncover conclusive evidence to find him guilty.
Their only hope is that Paqueta can be coerced and persuaded into a confession of wrongdoing.
That is not going to happen and so the saga continues. We live in a sad world when this kind of process is encouraged and tolerated.
COYI
There’s little point in speculating on the futures of any of the current squad as the facts are we all KNOW nothing.
That’s why I’m giving the upcoming summer silly season a complete swerve as usual. It’s pointless speculation which serves no purpose.
What we do KNOW is that with the midget involved our summer dealings will be farcical, embarrassing and ultimately disastrous in nature.
Definitely a case of a fresh start being needed by both parties. Time for the player and club to say thanks and move on.
On his day he can thread the ball through an eye of a needle…However since the cup win have we really seen the best of him?…..The one thing that Potter has to get right is consistency of performance from the whole squad in 25/26..
I feel that we have compromised this by playing him out of sympathy for his court case.
It feels that we have been playing with ten men some games as he struggles to get a grip .
The episode against Spurs shows that mentally the boy is not right.
Its not his fault…Or it might be…We will know soon enough.
Such a shame that i dont think we have really seen the very best of Paqueta in a West Ham shirt…Now finances dictate that he will have to be sold one way or another…