West Ham have reportedly taken a potentially crucial step in their efforts to thwart the legal case against Lucas Paquetá, bringing in a lawyer with two high-profile Premier League wins.
The West Ham star is accused of having been deliberately booked in an attempt to influence betting markets and is expected to face a hearing next March.
The Football Association alleges that Paquetá was deliberately booked in matches against Leicester, Aston Villa, Leeds and Bournemouth so that he and/or his friends could benefit from bets placed on his card. Paqueta has denied all charges against him and has previously said he will “fight with every breath to clear my name.”
Around 60 people in Brazil are said to have bet between £7 and £400 on him being booked in relevant games, with total winnings of £100,000. He will reportedly face a hearing in March.
However, in their battle to clear the name of their star attacking midfielder, the Hammers have now turned to Nick De Marco KC, according to the Sun.
West Ham have reportedly made a potentially crucial move with Lucas Paqueta facing spot-fixing accusations.
The Hammers have reportedly signed Nick De Marco in their bid to clear the Brazilian star’s name.
The FA has investigated suspicious betting patterns surrounding four bookings Paquetá received in 2022 and 2023.
According to reports from Solar, De Marco was the lawyer behind Leicester’s successful attempt to avoid a points deduction for non-compliance with the Benefits and Sustainability Regulations (PSR) for the 2022-23 season.
The lawyer’s argument concerned the fact that the Foxes had already been relegated to the Championship when their books were submitted, and by defending themselves against the charges the club avoided a seven-point deduction.
Similarly, he has helped Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County reduce or avoid deductions while facing allegations of non-payment.
KC have also scored notable top-flight wins by helping drive the takeover of Premier League side Newcastle by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) in 2021.
Paquetá has been overshadowed by the allegations since they were first made before the start of last season.
He had emerged as one of West Ham’s key stars on their path to Convention League glory in 2023, and had been widely linked with a move to Manchester Metropolis, with Pep Guardiola thought to be interested.
However, once the story of Paqueta’s betting investigation emerged in August 2023, revealed exclusively by Mail Sport, his potential £85m move collapsed.
The FA is believed to be pushing for a lifetime ban from football should he be found guilty of the charges against him, but the Hammers will be hoping the Brazilian midfielder can become De Marco’s last big win in the Premier League, if his appointment is reported. prove that it is true.
Paqueta will reportedly face a hearing for alleged spot-fixing in March following his accusation by the Football Association.
Paquetá expressed surprise at the charges and continues to deny any wrongdoing
The FA confiscated Paquetá’s phone for two months last year while investigators investigated his messages, calls and banking history, during which time he bought a new mobile phone.
It was eventually returned but was later removed because investigators wanted to verify additional details, however the player had thrown it away and could not find it.
For this reason, the FA accuses him of obstructing the investigation with two aggravated failures to cooperate. the sun reports.
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui has insisted the player is handling his impending legal problems well, but revealed he has not discussed the issue with him.
“I am happy with his behavior and his commitment,” Lopetegui said last month. ‘He’s working very hard, he’s trying to understand what we want. We are trying to help you become better and better. “He is an important player.”
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui has insisted Paquetá is handling the looming legal problems well.
And he added: “We are not talking about [the charges]. We talk about football, the next game and life. But not about this.’
Paqueta has played nine times this season and has scored two goals.
