Every few months, the press kicks up the same story: Lucas Paquetá wants to leave West Ham. In an August Instagram post, Lucas made it known that this would be, in his mind at least, his final season as a Hammer. After a two-year battle with the FA over a betting scandal—where the accused was said to have made what amounted to a few thousand quid—Paquetá told friends he was mentally exhausted. Despite a great relationship with the team and his family loving London, maybe it was time for a fresh start.
Paquetá leaving West Ham started over two years ago, when he was rumored to have an offer in place from Manchester City. As reported on Fansided and Green St. Hammers, we explained how one of the tactics to bring his price down was for City Football Group to bring up a forthcoming investigation. City had done their due diligence and was told by the FA that Paquetá was being investigated over a potential gambling scandal. City took a deeper dive and believed the player would eventually be cleared of allegations. City chose to use the information to try to drive down the price for the player they coveted, and when West Ham didn’t submit, City allegedly leaked the story that Paquetá was under investigation.
The FA had no plans to make the investigation publicly known at that point because they didn’t have all the information. Several media outlets would eventually report that Paquetá was accused of setting up deliberate yellow cards on the same weekend with a friend, Luiz Henrique, who played for Real Betis in La Liga. Paquetá was said to have set this up as a birthday gift for his uncle, who placed the bet. His uncle’s son reportedly then made a bank transfer to Henrique. Both players would eventually be exonerated. No suspensions were handed out, and after two years of investigation and torture, Paquetá was a free man.
Paquetá wore his emotions on his sleeve. In a match last season, he became so emotional that he had to be substituted and needed to be consoled on the sidelines. Every step of the way, from manager to manager—starting with David Moyes, who testified at his hearings—all supported Paquetá. West Ham’s loyalty motivated Paquetá to keep playing and keep fighting, despite how difficult the circumstances had become for him and his family. It hasn’t always been easy for Paquetá; he didn’t see eye to eye with former manager Julen Lopetegui, but they did respect each other.
From the very first time Paquetá was approached by another team, he has always expressed the same view. He told his representatives and the team that he loved playing in London and would fulfill his contract if that was what was asked of him. However, if the opportunity came and the price was right, he wouldn’t stand in the way. He made the City deal rather quickly and told the team to get the most for him that they could get, and he wouldn’t be upset if that number couldn’t be reached and he continued to play in East London.
Transfer opportunities have come and gone since, and each time Paquetá would tell his reps and the team the same: get the most you can get, but either way he was fine with being there. It allowed West Ham to have some leverage in negotiations, despite the cloud of controversy that had been following him. It also allowed West Ham to keep turning down low bids, like a rumored loan deal to Brazilian side Flamengo this January.
As the summer transfer window neared the deadline, Aston Villa approached West Ham about Paquetá, and in this instance their offers fell short of what Paquetá wanted, and the transfer bid was below what majority owner David Sullivan wanted. Instead of taking the deal, Sullivan decided to hold out until the January window.
So, as the story goes, Paquetá is available—but he has been available for the right price during every transfer window in the last two years. The player is comfortable with leaving because he’s told the world that he’s ready to leave. However, he has never put pressure on West Ham to sell him before they were ready to.
What we find in the media coverage of West Ham is that several storylines always get regurgitated. There really is no new news here other than that he’s available for the right price. Anyone who says different isn't reporting the truth.