Lucas Paqueta has endured a torrid time at West Ham United over the past 18 months or so.
The West Ham fans couldn’t believe our luck when Lucas Paqueta rocked up at the London Stadium nearly three years ago now.
The Hammers had an enigmatic talent on our hands, that much was clear to see. However, it all went downhill from August 2023 onwards, when he was accused of potentially breaching betting rules.
It has since been claimed that the West Ham owners fear Lucas Paqueta could receive a lifetime ban if he’s proven guilty of the charges he faces.
What a mess the whole situation is for the club and player right now.
Paqueta is currently in the midst of his FA trial, and there have been no real indications as to the potential outcome of that.
What is clear is that the burden of proof is lower in civil cases than it would be in criminal ones.
Lucas Paqueta broke his silence regarding the betting breach trial in October 2024 and released a lengthy statement pleading his innocence.
It remains to be seen whether or not he is able to clear his name. However, it seems like the West Ham staff had the impression that Paqueta wouldn’t be around long after he joined us.
What West Ham staff thought of Lucas Paqueta when he joined
The Brazilian has thrilled and frustrated the Hammers fans in equal measure since he joined us from Lyon.
What did those behind the scenes think of the Brazilian after he swapped France for England though?
According to the Daily Mail, the Hammers staff all had very much the same first impression of Paqueta when he joined the club from Lyon.
It is claimed that the majority of the people at the London Stadium believed that Paqueta had one sole purpose of joining West Ham:
“The perception, outside of the squad at least, was of a man on a stepping stone. That he was passing through and in a bit of a hurry.
“And, as we know, he very nearly did, all the way to Manchester City, but that £80 million plan was quickly pulped once the investigation hit the open air.“
In fairness, I think that’s absolutely spot on.
Lucas Paqueta a potential unsellable £80 million asset
We all know that had the investigation into his potential betting breaches not come to light, he wouldn’t be a Hammers player now.
Lucas Paqueta would have left West Ham to join Manchester City in the summer of 2023 in an £80 million deal.
How frustrating is that! We could have got a huge fee for a player who isn’t anywhere near consistent enough to justify that kind of money.
Instead, the Hammers now have a pretty much unsellable asset, depending on the outcome of the trial of course, that could have once yielded a huge fee for us.
Lucas Paqueta faces an anxious wait over the next couple of weeks, as do West Ham.
If he is found guilty and receives a lifetime ban, he won’t be a Hammers player for much longer…just as the club’s staff predicted when he joined!
