Lucas Paqueta, a star for West Ham, speaks out about the betting scandal that caused his £80 million move to Man City to fall through last summer.
Lucas Paqueta disclosed that the support of “special” West Ham manager David Moyes enabled him to manage the betting scandal that caused his £80 million transfer to Manchester City to fall through.
The FA is still looking into suspicious betting patterns related to the three yellow cards that Brazil’s forward Paqueta received from West Ham last year. The investigation has lasted seven months.
Since the investigation started, Paqueta has not played for Brazil; however, on Saturday at Wembley against England, he will make a comeback under new manager Dorival Junior.
This season, Moyes has stuck with his talisman, and Paqueta, who was speaking publicly for the first time about the matter, thanked the Hammers manager for his backing.
Paqueta, who is thought to be denying any wrongdoing, stated, “I don’t think they [West Ham] did anything different from what they should have done.” “I have a great relationship with David Moyes.” We discussed this. I was told he wanted me to be a member of the team.
“I believe it was significant because I have improved and grown throughout this season.” My development from the previous season to this one was significant. Without a doubt, his support was crucial in helping me to leave all of this behind. For me, he was unique.
In August, Mail Sport disclosed that Paqueta was the focus of an FA investigation concerning dubious wagers made with Brazilian bookmakers, which were purportedly linked to Paqueta Island in Guanabara Bay, the island where Paqueta was raised.
They are rumored to center on the bookings he picked up against Leeds in May, Aston Villa in March, and Bournemouth on the first day of the previous campaign.
Before his match against England on Tuesday, Paqueta told a crowded press conference in Brazil, “I was told not to comment on this subject.” “It has been seven months since it happened, and I’m cooperating and doing everything within my power to help resolve it.”
After Mail Sport’s revelations, Paqueta’s transfer to City fell through, but Pep Guardiola is reportedly still content to wait for the central midfielder, who he views as Bernardo Silva’s long-term replacement.
The length of the investigation is causing frustration for both West Ham and City, particularly because there is an £86 million release clause that is expected to activate this summer. The fact that a comparable inquiry into former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka took 17 months to complete raises additional concerns.
