West Ham must make most of Lucas Paquetá’s genius while they still can

There is still no indication about where the Football Association’s investigation into Lucas Paquetá’s alleged breach of betting regulations will end up. West Ham and the mercurial Brazilian remain in the dark. All they can do is wait patiently for news on whether Paquetá is going to be hit with a charge that would potentially end with him spending a long spell on the sidelines.

It was an eight-month ban for Ivan Toney when the FA found him guilty of betting on games. Paquetá, though, is in a different situation from the Brentford striker. The allegation against him relates to other people placing bets on the midfielder to receive yellow cards across various Premier League matches. Paquetá, whose hopes of completing an £85m move to Manchester City were quashed by the investigation coming to light last August, was said to have been shocked by the suggestion of any wrongdoing on his part.

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It has had no adverse effect on his football. This is Paquetá’s second year at West Ham and it remains to be seen if there is going to be a third. There is every chance of City reviving their interest in the former Lyon player if his innocence has been established by the time the summer transfer window opens.

In that context West Ham need to make the most of Paquetá while he remains in claret and blue. They have to savour the flicks, tricks and assists. Paquetá, who became the club’s record buy when he joined from Lyon for £52m in 2022, will want to go if City come calling again.

For now, though, David Moyes does not have to think about life without his most influential player. For Moyes, a manager whose cautious reputation somewhat chafes against the freedom he has given to Paquetá, the focus is on West Ham’s latest European run. They are in Germany for the first leg of their last-16 tie against Freiburg in the Europa League and, after a fractious start to 2024, it is no coincidence that the mood has improved now Paquetá has recovered from a persistent calf injury.

After all, West Ham were sixth in the Premier Lleague when Paquetá limped off against Bristol City in the third round of the FA Cup. They had topped their Europa League group, beating Freiburg home and away, and enjoyed wins against Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United. Everything pointed towards Moyes signing a two-year deal at the end of the season, only for West Ham’s momentum to stall when Mohammed Kudus went to represent Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations and Jarrod Bowen joined Paquetá on the sidelines.

They were not equipped to cope without their first-choice front three. Their lack of cover exposed, West Ham exited the FA Cup, slipped down the table and lost 6-0 at home against Arsenal. Moyes, still only ever one bad run away from feeling heat from supporters, found himself back under pressure. Even the return of Bowen and Kudus was not enough to stop the slump.

What West Ham needed was Paquetá, who has dazzled since adjusting to the pace of English football. It is not that they are a one‑man team. Alphonse Areola is an excellent goalkeeper. The left‑back Emerson Palmieri is a European champion. James Ward‑Prowse, Tomas Soucek and Edson Álvarez are solid midfielders, while few forwards in England are better than Kudus and Bowen.

Even so, Paquetá is the player who knits everything together. Operating from the left flank but never shy to drift inside, he makes moves flow, links with Emerson and makes it easier for Kudus and Bowen to find goalscoring opportunities.

“Lucas made a huge difference,” Moyes said after Paquetá’s return to fitness for the meeting with Brentford last month helped West Ham to end an eight-match winless run with a stylish 4-2 victory over Thomas Frank’s side.

Although Paquetá did not score or create any goals in recent wins against Brentford and Everton, his poise and technique restored belief. His mere presence was enough to lift his teammates. They know there is always a chance of Paquetá, who registered five superb assists in consecutive triumphs over Wolves and United in December, producing something out of nothing. He saw little of the ball when West Ham faced Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final last season but still found the composure to set up Bowen’s last-minute winner with a brilliant pass.

West Ham will expect more of the same against Freiburg. Although Paquetá’s future probably lies elsewhere, there can be no doubt over his mentality and commitment to the cause. The Brazilian, who scored a towering header against Freiburg last October, did not sulk after the deal with City broke down. He could have collapsed after the betting allegations emerged. Instead he kept his cool, stepped out to face Chelsea two days later and played as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Freiburg will have to work hard to make him sweat.