West Ham owners make style plea over Lucas Paqueta amid big Man City twist

The FA want Paqueta banned for life if he is found guilty of spot-fixing by deliberately receiving yellow cards to influence the betting market.

Manchester City will be interested observers given they were in talks to sign Paqueta for £85m when the allegations first emerged in August 2023.

Man City will soon learn their own fate over the 115 charges from the Premier League.

Paqueta faces six charges and West Ham are worried, particularly given how the trial is decided by a three-person independent panel.

West Ham owners make style plea over Paqueta

The Hammers playmaker has always vehemently maintained his innocence.

The 27-year-old was due to join Man City in a ‘dream move’ which would have seen Cole Palmer sign for West Ham.

The collapsed Paqueta and Palmer deal between West Ham and Manchester City has since been confirmed by both David Moyes and Hammers vice-chair Karren Brady.

Paqueta declared he will clear his name ahead of the case.

And Brazilian magnifico Paqueta has called in a legal big gun to fight his corner against the Football Association.

In an update after day one of the trial this week, West Ham said they expect it to last the full three weeks because it will be ‘slow progress’.

Now West Ham’s owners have made a style plea over Paqueta amid a big Man City twist.

Big Man City twist as Moyes helps Hammers star

The top spokesman for the Hammers hierarchy says Paqueta can’t help himself and there’s little they can do to help him.

West Ham have conceded they do not have someone from the club in the hearing every day.

But they hope Paqueta’s style of play, which was on show against Everton, will be taken into consideration.

“We don’t have someone from the club there everyday as we can do nothing,” the West Ham spokesman told Hammers News.

“Look at Lucas’ yellow card at Everton on Saturday, it seems totally pointless but it is his style of play and he can’t help himself.”

West Ham’s update comes amid a major twist which will see ex Hammers boss David Moyes attend the hearing.

Mail Sport revealed last night that Moyes will corroborate a key element of Paqueta’s defence against the accusations.

Pep Guardiola launched a bid for Paqueta, believing he would be perfect to rejuvenate his Man City side.

But it wasn’t to be as the allegations emerged – and now probably never will, even if Paqueta is absolved.

That failed Manchester City move could now be key to the Paqueta case, though, it is claimed.

Moyes to verify Paqueta asked to sit out over Man City move

Mail Sport claim Moyes will verify that Paqueta asked him to be left out of West Ham’s game against Bournemouth after his head had been turned by the Man City bid.

Moyes will reportedly confirm to the hearing that he spoke with Paqueta in the build-up to that game, explaining he understood but underlining he intended on using him while he remained his player.

The report states the Scot also promised he would keep Paqueta personally updated on the ongoing club-to-club negotiations.

Paqueta agreed to start on the understanding he would be subbed off if West Ham were winning comfortably, so as to not potentially jeopardise his move to Man City by picking up an injury.

The Hammers were 1-0 up after 51 minutes but Bournemouth equalised in the 82nd minute with Paqueta still on the pitch.

And he picked up one of the four bookings which form the case against him, deep into stoppage time of that match.

Mail Sport state Paqueta hopes to prove he could not have been involved in a card conspiracy if he did not even want to be playing in the game.

Respect levels for Moyes will raise even further among West Ham fans as a result.

Ironically Paqueta’s game against his old boss at Goodison Park on Saturday could be one of his last if the panel does find against the Hammers star.

One Liverpool journalist believes that may have been why Paqueta lingered, clapping as he left the pitch when subbed at the weekend.