‘He’s lost two years’ – West Ham and Lucas Paqueta’s chances of winning compensation claim revealed
West Ham star Lucas Paqueta has to decide whether or not to file a compensation claim against the FA after being cleared of the charges in his spot-fixing case.
The 27-year-old was accused of picking up four bookings for the purpose of financial gain after being charged by the governing body in May 2024.
The Brazil international received the yellow cards for West Ham in games against Leicester City, Aston Villa, Leeds United and Bournemouth between November 2022 and August 2023.
It was confirmed on 31 July Paqueta has been cleared of the spot-fixing charges after an independent regulatory commission found them to be “not proven” following a hearing between March and May this year.
The midfielder was charged with two counts of failing to co-operate with the investigation, but that is only likely to lead to a fine.
After the verdict was revealed, Paqueta said: “Since the first day of this investigation, I have maintained my innocence against these extremely serious accusations.
“I can’t say anything more at this time, but I would like to express how grateful I am to God and how eager I am to return to playing football with a smile on my face.
“To my wife who never let go of my hand, to West Ham United, to the fans who always cheered me on, and to my family, friends and the legal team who have supported me – thank you for everything.”
Lucas Paqueta facing uphill battle with legal claim
This article contains exclusive comment from Stefan Borson, a former financial adviser to Man City.
Paqueta joined West Ham in a £51million deal from Lyon in 2022, with his contract set to run until June 2027.
There have been suggestions the Brazilian, who missed out on a move to Manchester City in 2023 as a result of the charges, could have grounds for a complaint against the FA following the ordeal.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Borson said: “We would have to see what the written reasons say.
“I’d be very surprised if they said words to the effect that the FA should never have brought the case, so just having an outcome of not proven is not the same as criticising the FA for bringing the case or suggesting negligence on their part.
“I suspect, therefore, that he has no claim and it’s simply a case that the FA could not prove to the necessary standard that he had committed these offences.
“That’s unfortunate for him because he’s lost two years of his career with this hanging over him and he lost the opportunity to move to City, for example.
“But I don’t believe that there’s going to be something that’s claimable from the FA unless the panel makes some findings that the FA have acted inappropriately or negligently, which is very unlikely.
“So, I would say there is almost certainly no claim potential from either West Ham or the player.”
Man City set sights on new Lucas Paqueta bid
Football Insider revealed on 1 August Man City are readying a new move for Paqueta, two years after his previous transfer collapsed.
An £85million release clause became active in June 2023, with Pep Guardiola‘s side ready to secure his signature at the time.
West Ham rejected Man City’s opening offer worth £70million, but the club’s executives were then anticipating a second bid before the FA investigation scuppered the deal.
Paqueta has featured heavily for the Hammers throughout pre-season as he remains a key figure at the London Stadium.
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