FA grant West Ham Lucas Paqueta interview request over alleged betting breach
West Ham have successfully appealed to have Lucas Paqueta's interview with the Football Association postponed, amid allegations the Brazil international may have fallen foul of betting regulations.
Earlier reports suggested the former Lyon man was being investigated in relation to alleged betting breaches. Paqueta had been the subject of interest from Manchester City before reports of those allegations first broke, but a move to the Etihad Stadium is off for the time being.
Paqueta has not been stopped from playing at this stage of the investigation. He started for West Ham against Chelsea on Sunday, and converted a late penalty in the Hammers' 3-1 victory.
The alleged offences are believed to relate to bets placed in Brazil. Mirror Football has contacted the FA, who declined to comment, while West Ham have also been contacted.
According to The Mail, Paqueta had been due to undertake an interview on Monday before West Ham requested a delay. The same report claims West Ham have concerns over the 'processes' linked with the investigation.
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West Ham signed Paqueta from Lyon in the summer of 2022, and was a regular under David Moyes last season. He was handed the number 10 shirt by the club ahead of the 2023-24 season, following Manuel Lanzini's return to Argentina.
No new date has been announced for the player's interview. However, the international break has been posited as a potential window, after new Brazil boss Fernando Diniz left Paqueta out of his squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Peru.
Lucas Paqueta scored for West Ham against Chelsea on Sunday (Shaun Brooks/Action Plus/REX/Shutterstock)"He's a player I like a lot," Diniz told Globo Esporte (via The Mail) of his decision. "It's a question of preservation, letting him resolve these issues, which go beyond the game.
"Make him more comfortable to resolve. We had these problems here in Brazil. He needs the time factor for things to clear up. He's a player I adore, even though we've never worked together. The CBF will have its doors open to receive him as soon as he positively resolves these issues we had at the last minute."
West Ham manager Moyes was asked about Paqueta after the victory over Chelsea. The midfielder hit the woodwork in the first half of the game, and eventually got himself on the scoresheet in second-half stoppage-time after Emerson was fouled by Moises Caicedo, after earlier goals from Nayef Aguerd and Michail Antonio had put West Ham in front going into the final stages of the game at the London Stadium.
"You don't need to ask me that. I'm only interested in how he performed today," Moyes told Sky Sports. "65,000 fans were cheering him as they know what he brings. He gives us some flair, a really hard-working boy."
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