West Ham have reportedly made a potentially crucial move in their efforts to thwart the legal case against Lucas Paqueta, bringing in a barrister with two high-profile wins over the Premier League.
The West Ham star is accused of being deliberately booked in an attempt to influence betting markets and is expected to face a hearing next March.
The Football Association alleges that Paqueta was deliberately booked in matches against Leicester, Aston Villa, Leeds and Bournemouth so that either he and/or his friends could profit from bets placed on him being carded. Paqueta has denied all the charges against him and has previously said that he 'will fight with every breath to clear my name'.
Around 60 people in Brazil are said to have wagered bets between £7 and £400 on him being booked in relevant games, with total winnings of £100,000. He is reportedly set to face a hearing in March.
Yet in their battle to clear their star attacking midfielder's name, 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 allegations
The Hammers have reportedly brought in Nick De Marco in their bid to clear the Brazilian star's name
The FA have investigated suspicious betting patterns surrounding four bookings Paqueta picked up in 2022 and 2023
According to reports from the Sun, De Marco was the barrister behind Leicester's successful bid to avoid a points deduction for breaches of Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR) for the 2022-23 season.
The barrister's argument pertained to the fact that the Foxes had already been relegated to the Championship by the time their books were filed, and by fending off the charges the club avoided a seven-point deduction.
Similarly he has aided Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County in reducing or avoiding deductions while facing allegations of spending breaches.
The KC has also had notable wins over the top-flight in helping to push through the takeover of Premier League side Newcastle by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) in 2021.
Paqueta 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 way to Conference League glory in 2023, and had been widely linked with a move to Manchester City with Pep Guardiola thought to be keen.
However, once the story of Paqueta's betting probe back in August 2023 emerged, broken exclusively by Mail Sport, his prospective £85million move collapsed.
The FA are thought 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 latest big win over the Premier League, should reports of his appointment prove true.
Paqueta will reportedly face a hearing into alleged spot-fixing in March following his charge by the Football Association
Paqueta expressed his surprise at the charges and continues to deny any wrongdoing
The FA seized Paqueta's phone for two months last year while investigators looked into his messages, calls, and banking history, during which time he bought a new mobile.
They eventually gave it back, but recalled it down the line as the investigators wanted to check extra details, however the player had thrown it away and could not find it.
As a result the FA are accusing him of obstructing the investigation with two aggravated breaches for non-cooperation, The Sun reports.
West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui has insisted that the player is handling his looming legal troubles well but revealed that he has not discussed the issue with him.
'I'm happy with his behaviour and his commitment,' Lopetegui said last month. 'He's working very hard, he's trying to understand what we want. We're trying to help him to be better and better. He's an important player.'
West Ham boss Julen Lopetegui has insisted Paqueta is handling the looming legal troubles well
He added: 'We don't talk about [the charges]. We talk about football, about the next match and about life. But not about this.'
Paqueta has played nine times this season, scoring two goals.