Paquetá considering legal action after spot-fixing acquittal

Lucas Paquetá is considering whether to sue the Football Association (FA) for loss of earnings after a move from West Ham to Manchester City collapsed in 2023 amid a spot-fixing investigation.

The Brazil midfielder, who is still at West Ham, was cleared of four charges of spot-fixing by an independent commission in July, with the FA confirming on Wednesday it would not appeal against the commission's verdict.

Sources have told the PA news agency that the player is keeping all options under consideration.

A statement made by one of Paquetá's representatives, Nick De Marco KC, ahead of an interview with the FA on September 11, 2023, was included within the commission's written reasons which were published on Wednesday.

De Marco said leaking of information concerning the case had "led to a collapse of a transfer of the player that was otherwise agreed between [West Ham], and Manchester City Football Club, from which both the player and West Ham would have received substantial sums running into the tens of millions of pounds. Both the [player] and [West Ham] reserve all of their rights in that regard."

Neither West Ham nor Paquetá's legal representatives commented on the matter on Thursday.

The commission did find charges related to Paquetá's alleged failure to cooperate with the investigation proven, with sanctions still to be set.

It had been alleged Paquetá deliberately attempted to receive a card in four Premier League games between November 2022 and August 2023, but the charges were found not proven.

The FA said 253 separate bettors placed bets on Paquetá being yellow-carded over the four matches, and the FA said 27 could be linked to the player.

Paquetá maintained he only had a real relationship with five of the people. He said he did not speak to the five regularly, and even then, rarely about football.

The FA said the 253 bettors laid stakes of £47,000 ($63,210) and made a profit of £167,000 ($224,429).

However, the commission concluded that an analysis of the betting data was not "illustrative of a spot-fix."

The commission also found it "concerning" that the FA did not present any independent experts to provide an analysis of the betting data.

Former West Ham manager David Moyes and ex-Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg gave evidence on Paqueta's behalf from a performance perspective.

Moyes told the commission: "I have re-watched the yellow card incidents closely and, based on my own footballing experience and knowledge of [Paquetá] consider them to be entirely within the normal range of actions for this player."

Clattenburg disagreed with findings presented by Stats Perform Integrity Services (SPIS) in support of the FA's case, and felt two of the four yellow cards should not have been shown.

The commission concluded there was "nothing in Paquetá's on-field conduct" which advanced the FA's case that he had deliberately sought to be booked in any of the four games.