by There is still no indication of where the Football Association’s investigation into Lucas Paquetá’s alleged breach of betting regulations will end. West Ham and the mercurial Brazilian remain in the dark. All they have to do is wait patiently to see if Paquetá is going to be hit with a charge that could end him spending a long spell on the sidelines.
Ivan Toney was banned for eight months when the FA found him guilty of betting on matches. Paquetá, however, is in a different situation to the Brentford striker. The allegation against him relates to others who placed bets on the midfielder to receive yellow cards over various Premier League games. Paquetá, who had hoped to complete an £85m move to Manchester City, was put off by the investigation which came to light last August, was said to be surprised by any wrongdoing on his part .
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It had no adverse effect on his football. This is Paquetá’s second year at West Ham and it remains to be seen if there will be a third. City are likely to revive the former Lyon player if his innocence is established by the time the summer transfer window opens.
In that context, West Ham must make the most of Paquetá while he remains in the program and in blue. They have to taste the flicks, the tricks and the assists. Paquetá, who became the club’s biggest sale when he joined from Lyon for £52m in 2022, will want to go if City come calling again.
For now, though, David Moyes doesn’t have to contemplate life without his most influential player. For Moyes, a manager whose reputation for caution runs counter to the freedom he has given Paquetá, the focus is on West Ham’s latest European run. They are in Germany for the first leg of their last-16 tie against Freiburg in the Europa League and, after a false start to 2024, it is no coincidence that the mood has improved now that Paquetá has recovered from an ongoing injury calf
After all, West Ham were in sixth place in the Premier League when Paquetá managed to beat Bristol City in the third round of the FA Cup. They topped their group in the Europa League, beating Freiburg home and away, and had wins against Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United. Everything pointed to Moyes signing a two-year deal at the end of the season, but West Ham’s momentum did not stop when Mohammed Kudus left to represent Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations and Jarrod Bowen joined Paquetá on the fence.
They weren’t equipped to cope without their first choice starting three. Their lack of cover exposed, West Ham left the FA Cup, slipped down the table and lost 6-0 at home to Arsenal. Moyes, still only one bad run from feeling the heat from the supporters, was under pressure again. Even the return of Bowen and Kudus was not enough to stop the slump.
West Ham wanted Paquetá, who has dazzled since getting used to the pace of English football. It’s not like they’re a one-man team. Alphonse Areola is an excellent goalkeeper. Left back Emerson Palmieri is a European champion. James Ward-Prowse, Tomas Soucek and Edson Álvarez are strong midfielders, although there are few players in England better than Kudus and Bowen.
However, Paquetá is the player who brings everything together. Operating from the left but not shy of drifting inside, he makes flowing movements, links up with Emerson and makes it easier for Kudus and Bowen to find goal scoring opportunities.
“Lucas made a big difference,” Moyes said after Paquetá’s return to fitness for last month’s meeting with Brentford helped West Ham end an eight-game winless run with a stylish 4-2 win over Thomas Frank’s side.
Although Paquetá did not score or create a goal in recent wins against Brentford and Everton, his poise and technique have restored his faith. His presence was enough to lift his teammates. They know there is always the possibility that Paquetá, who registered an impressive five assists in consecutive wins over Wolves and United in December, will produce something from nothing. He didn’t see much of the ball when West Ham faced Fiorentina in last season’s Europa League final but still found the nerve to set up Bowen’s winner with a superb pass.
West Ham will be hoping for more of the same against Freiburg. Although Paquetá’s future likely lies elsewhere, his attitude and commitment to the cause cannot be doubted. The Brazilian, who scored a towering header against Freiburg last October, did not slip up after the deal with City fell through. It could fall apart after the betting allegations emerged. Instead he kept his cool, walked out to face Chelsea two days later and played as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Freiburg will have to work hard to make him sweat.
