The playmaking No. 10 was, and remains, just the sort of player that they love down in East London. A bit of flair, unpredictable at times but with skill oozing out of every pore.
In Paqueta, the Hammers faithful had a new hero to worship, and it wasn't long before he had become a darling of the London Stadium terraces.
However, back in May 2024, the player was charged by the Football Association for alleged breaches of betting rules.
Though Paqueta pleaded his innocence, the FA pressed ahead with their charges in relation to his conduct in matches against Leicester in November 2022, Aston Villa in March 2023, Leeds in May 2023 and Bournemouth in August 2023.
"It's alleged that he directly sought to influence the progress, conduct, or any other aspect of, or occurrence in these matches by intentionally seeking to receive a card from the referee for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market in order for one or more persons to profit from betting," a statement from the FA read.
A failure to provide information and documents at the time meant that the player was also charged with two breaches of FA Rule F3 in respect of alleged failures to comply pursuant to FA Rule F2.
Fast forward to the present day and a three-week hearing into the case is set to begin before the end of March. With the FA seeking a lifetime ban for Paqueta, the stakes couldn't be higher.
Whilst any ban appears not to have entered into the player's own thinking at this stage, it does beg the question as to whether the Irons could cope without arguably their most skilful player.
In 83 Premier League appearances to date, he's scored 12 goals and assisted for nine more. 33 of his 130 shots have been on target, and he's also created 18 big chances.
Crossing and shooting accuracy remains steady and success for him comes roughly a quarter of the time in this regard (23% and 25% respectively).
174 accurate long balls and 54 through balls form part of the 3,469 passes made in the English top-flight since he joined.
Unusually for a Brazilian player that possesses such flair for attacking, he's made 443 ball recoveries, 49 interceptions and 193 tackles in that time, suggesting that hard work underscores his delightful understanding of the game.
20 games missed through injury since signing on the dotted line with the Hammers has meant that, for the most part, he has been available to play, however, take him out of the starting XI and things start to unravel.
At the beginning of 2024, Paqueta had to sit on the sidelines for seven games - the longest period out for one injury in his career - after he sustained a calf problem in the FA Cup tie against Bristol City.
West Ham lost in the replay, and in all of the other games during his absence at that time, not a single match was won.
It was a run that included a 3-0 defeat at Manchester United, a 6-0 home defeat to Arsenal - which saw thousands of supporters streaming out of the ground at half-time - and a 2-0 loss at Nottingham Forest.
In his first game back, Paqueta spurred the Hammers on to a 4-2 victory over Brentford, a game which was most notable for Jarrod Bowen's hat-trick.
If we look into his absences in more detail, a worrying pattern starts to emerge too.
His first injury after joining West Ham, a shoulder problem, saw Paqueta miss a number of matches between mid-October and early November 2022.
That particular period did see a Premier League win over Bournemouth as well as two more (expected) victories in the UEFA Conference League against Silkeborg and FCSB.
However, losses to Liverpool, Man United and Crystal Palace in the league, and a penalty shoot-out defeat against Blackburn Rovers in the Carabao Cup in that time frame are far more revealing.
His most recent issue was an ankle injury between late February 2025 and early March. West Ham lost to Arsenal, beat lowly Leicester - who have lost 13 of their last 15 games - and lost again to Newcastle, though Paqueta would make an appearance as a 65th-minute substitute (by which time Graham Potter's side were already behind).
With players such as Mohammed Kudus, Bowen and Tomas Soucek in the squad, it can't be said that Paqueta carries this Hammers side, and one man has never made a team.
What the 27-year-old does give his squad, however, is that little bit extra that no one else can.
He might have the flicks and tricks expected of someone that is a regular for the Selecao too, but unlike some of his countrymen, he can back that up with his diligence and work-rate.
His in-game intelligence is also clear for all to see as he opens up those passing lanes unseen by others and provides intricate passages of play that ensure he is the conduit through which all of West Ham's best football is played.
The notion of a lifetime ban is a lot to digest and anyone with a vested interest in ensuring the player remains able to ply his trade on a football pitch will therefore be on tenterhooks over the next three weeks.
One of the most important decisions in West Ham's recent history and Paqueta's career is imminent...
