West Ham 'turn to lawyer who has beaten Premier League twice to defend Lucas Paqueta' in on-going spot-fixing case

West Ham person reportedly made a perchance important move successful their efforts to thwart nan ineligible lawsuit against Lucas Paqueta, bringing successful a barrister pinch 2 high-profile wins complete nan Premier League. 

The West Ham prima is accused of being deliberately booked in an effort to power betting markets and is expected to look a proceeding adjacent March. 

The Football Association alleges that Paqueta was deliberately booked successful matches against Leicester, Aston Villa, Leeds and Bournemouth truthful that either he and/or his friends could profit from bets placed connected him being carded. Paqueta has denied each nan charges against him and has antecedently said that he 'will conflict pinch each activity to clear my name'.

Around 60 group successful Brazil are said to person wagered bets betwixt £7 and £400 connected him being booked successful applicable games, pinch full winnings of £100,000. He is reportedly group to look a proceeding successful March. 

Yet successful their conflict to clear their prima attacking midfielder's name, nan Hammers person now turned to Nick De Marco KC, according to the Sun. 

According to reports from nan Sun, De Marco was nan barrister down Leicester's successful bid to debar a points conclusion for breaches of Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR) for nan 2022-23 season. 

The barrister's statement pertained to nan truth that nan Foxes had already been relegated to nan Championship by nan clip their books were filed, and by fending disconnected nan charges nan nine avoided a seven-point deduction. 

Similarly he has aided Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County successful reducing aliases avoiding deductions while facing allegations of spending breaches. 

The KC has besides had notable wins complete nan top-flight successful helping to push done nan takeover of Premier League broadside Newcastle by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) successful 2021. 

Paqueta has been overshadowed by nan allegations since they were first made earlier nan commencement of past season. 

He had emerged arsenic 1 of West Ham's cardinal stars connected their measurement to Conference League glory successful 2023, and had been wide linked pinch a move to Manchester City pinch Pep Guardiola thought to beryllium keen. 

However, erstwhile nan communicative of Paqueta's betting probe backmost successful August 2023 emerged, surgery exclusively by Mail Sport, his prospective £85million move collapsed.

The FA are thought to beryllium pushing for a life prohibition from shot should he beryllium recovered blameworthy of nan charges against him, but nan Hammers will beryllium hoping nan Brazilian midfielder tin go De Marco's latest large triumph complete nan Premier League, should reports of his assignment beryllium true. 

The FA seized Paqueta's telephone for 2 months past twelvemonth while investigators looked into his messages, calls, and banking history, during which clip he bought a caller mobile. 

They yet gave it back, but recalled it down nan statement arsenic nan investigators wanted to cheque other details, nevertheless nan subordinate had thrown it distant and could not find it. 

As a consequence nan FA are accusing him of obstructing nan investigation with two aggravated breaches for non-cooperation, The Sun reports. 

West Ham head Julen Lopetegui has insisted that nan subordinate is handling his looming ineligible troubles good but revealed that he has not discussed nan rumor pinch him.

'I'm happy pinch his behaviour and his commitment,' Lopetegui said past month. 'He's moving very hard, he's trying to understand what we want. We're trying to thief him to beryllium amended and better. He's an important player.'

He added: 'We don't talk astir [the charges]. We talk astir football, astir nan adjacent lucifer and astir life. But not astir this.'

Paqueta has played 9 times this season, scoring 2 goals.