Will Lucas Paqueta play for West Ham this weekend?! Nuno Espirito Santo issues update on wantaway midfielder ahead of Spurs clash amid Flamengo bid

Nearly two years on from the Football Association launching an investigation against Paqueta, the West Ham star was cleared of spot-fixing charges by an independent regulatory commission last July. The 28-year-old was facing the prospect of a lifetime ban if found guilty but much to his relief, he was allowed to carry on playing. In a statement, he maintained his innocence and thanked the Hammers and the club's fans for their support.

"Since the first day of this investigation, I have maintained my innocence against these extremely serious accusations," said Paqueta. "I can't say anything more at this time, but I would like to express how grateful I am to God and how eager I am to return to playing football with a smile on my face. To my wife who never let go of my hand, to West Ham United, to the fans who always cheered me on, and to my family, friends and the legal team who have supported me - thank you for everything."

Last October, amid Paqueta's struggles for form and consistency, he was linked with a return to his native Brazil, specifically Flamengo. A month later, he admitted that the pull from his home country was strong and that the process of the lengthy investigation had taken its toll on him.

He said in November, "The first moment (Flamengo tried to sign Paqueta) was when (Marcos) Braz was still at Flamengo (as vice president), there was that contact. I know of Flamengo's desire, and they know of my desire, my passion for the club, so it's something that always happens. As soon as I was accused, and the whole trial process was about to begin, Braz came to my house, made the offer, and asked what I thought. Obviously, I always want to go back to Flamengo, but at that moment, I was still a bit undecided about my decision, about what I was going to do. Then I also talked to the West Ham director and said: 'Braz, I want to go back, I know I'll feel good at Flamengo, but I can't be ungrateful to the club that's supporting me so much. They supported me a lot at all times, helped me in various situations, so I couldn't force an exit from a place where I was being welcomed and respected. They respected me, my wife, my family. So I said: 'I want you to resolve this.' But yes, this exchange with Flamengo did happen."

Paqueta added that while a move to Flamengo was tempting, he felt compelled to stay at West Ham off the back of how they helped him during the investigation.

"Maybe I shouldn't even be saying this, but I had some conversations with Filipe (Luís), who is a friend, in addition to the work he's doing at Flamengo," he said. “I really expressed my desire to return and also showed it to my agents. It was a difficult decision because I'm 28 years old, it's very young, and I still have a lot of market value outside of here. I've been doing my job well, but it was a very strong desire. And I tried very hard, but unfortunately, once again, I decided to respect my club, not to force anything, because it's a club that supported me, that I have enormous affection for. So I let it happen, and it really didn't. I understood that it wasn't the right time, but I know the doors will always be open for me. I know that at some point this return will happen."

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