West Ham United head coach Julen Lopetegui said Lucas Paqueta and his family “have suffered a lot” after the playmaker was charged by the Football Association (FA) for alleged betting breaches.
The 26-year-old is accused of getting himself deliberately booked in four Premier League games against Leicester City on November 12 2022, plus 2023 fixtures against Aston Villa on March 12, Leeds United on May 21 and Bournemouth on August 12. If found guilty, he could be banned for life, a fear that is shared internally by senior figures at West Ham.
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Paqueta, a transfer target for Manchester City last summer, denies the charges and has vowed to “fight with every breath to clear my name”.
In May, the attacker was cleared by the Brazil football federation to play at this summer’s Copa America. He scored in their 4-1 victory over Paraguay and new head coach Lopetegui is looking forward to working with the midfielder.
“We know Lucas and his family have suffered a lot,” said Lopetegui. “But I liked seeing him smile in his last match, because he’s enjoying his football. We are his family, this club is his family, and we’re going to take care of him a lot. We’re looking forward to having him play with us on the pitch.”
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Technical director Tim Steidten visited Paqueta ahead of the Copa America. Monday’s press conference was also Steidten’s first time addressing the media since his arrival from German side Bayer Leverkusen in July 2023.
“I visited Lucas in Brazil and talked to him,” said Steidten. “We’re looking forward to having him back. He’s an important part of our team and a member of our family.”
West Ham have augmented their squad with the additions of winger Luis Guilherme and goalkeeper Wes Foderingham so far this summer. Michail Antonio, Mohammed Kudus, Nayef Aguerd and captain Kurt Zouma have been linked with moves elsewhere, but Steidten is adamant West Ham do not have to sell in order to sanction signings.
“We’re trying to build up the squad,” said Steidten. “We’re not limiting ourselves to one position (forward) — we’re looking at all areas. England is our home ground so we have to be in that market if possible. We are looking elsewhere too — that’s part of our job to find the right players for West Ham. It will be a busy summer for me and Julen. We don’t have to sell in order to buy players this summer.”
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(George Wood/Getty Images)
