West Ham fear Lucas Paqueta betting investigation will scupper their transfer planning, with a lack of clarity putting them on edge before Man City target’s £85m release clause kicks in this summer
- The investigation led to the collapse of the Brazilian’s £80 million move to Man City
- West Ham does not want to sell Paqueta, who is still under contract until 2027
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West Ham are concerned that the FA’s betting investigation into Lucas Paqueta could affect their transfer plans for a second successive summer, with his £85m release clause triggering at the end of the season.
Paqueta remains the subject of an active FA investigation, six months after the governing body began investigating suspicious gambling patterns surrounding three bookings last year, which led to the collapse of an £80m move to Manchester City agreed by the clubs. A similar FA investigation into bets placed on a single booking received by Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka three years ago took 17 months before action was taken.
City remain interested in signing Paqueta, who has shaken off controversy and injury problems to enjoy another excellent season for West Ham, with Pep Guardiola identifying the 26-year-old as a potential replacement for Bernado Silva. The Portuguese midfielder will enter the final two years of his contract this summer and City could listen to offers if he refuses to sign an extension, amid interest from Paris Saint Germain and several Saudi Pro League clubs.
West Ham do not want to sell Paqueta, who is under contract until 2027, but would like some clarity on the situation, especially as an £85 million buyout clause could be activated in his contract from this summer. The club are said to be frustrated by the lack of information they have received from the FA, whose investigators interviewed Paqueta last October and analyzed his phone records but have not provided a recent update.
Paqueta is believed to have denied any wrongdoing after the FA opened an investigation into suspicious betting patterns on three of his bookings, which, as Mail Sport revealed last summer, included a yellow card shown to him at Bournemouth for targeting Illia Zabarnyi opening day of this booking. season. The first caution under scrutiny is a yellow card Paqueta received for a late challenge on John McGinn in a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa on March 11, while a booking he received for a foul is also being looked at on Crysencio Summerville from Leeds on May 21st. bee.
An investigation is underway into suspicious gambling patterns surrounding three bookings by Lucas Paqueta
The investigation was sparked after an integrity alert was triggered over betting on a booking for Paqueta at Bournemouth in August
West Ham’s concerns about the prospect of further delays have been heightened after they discovered that a similar FA investigation into betting on a booking Granit Xhaka received while playing for Arsenal against Leeds in December 2021 took 17 months to complete. The Swiss midfielder was never charged, but Arsenal were not formally told that the FA’s investigation into a single booking he received for wasting time at Elland Road had been closed until May 2023.
Paqueta returned after seven weeks away with a calf injury and was the inspiration for West Ham’s 4-2 win over Brentford last night, with Jarrod Bown scoring the first hat-trick of his career.
The Brazilian’s importance to David Moyes’ side is reflected in the fact that they have not won any of the seven Premier League matches that Paqueta has missed this season, while they have won 11 of the 19 games he has started.
