The FA have officially slammed West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta with charges for breaching betting rules, MySportDab reports.
The prolific midfielder has been under the radar and investigations of the FA for months after he appeared to have intentionally committed series of fouls to be booked.
According to the FA, about four bookings received by Paqueta in 2022 and 2023 received were linked to his betting activities.
He is also being charged for failure to comply and cooperate with the authorities during months of the investigations – an allegation he has denied.
One of the bookings was the card he received on injury time during West Ham United’s 1-1 draw against Bournemouth in August 2023.
The second incident reportedly occurred on May 11 during West Ham United’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa, and then the third incident during Leeds United match on May 21.
Following the charges, he has been given until June 3, 2024, to respond before further actions. The case will be heard by an independent commission before a decision is taken.
The 26-year-old is more likely to face a ban if found guilty. Meanwhile, he has denied the allegations.
The FA charges on Paqueta are coming at the crucial stage of his career with a strong interest from Manchester City for his services.
The Premier League giants, who have led the race for Paqueta, were reportedly eager to fork out as much as £80m for the player.
As things stand, the move could scuttled should the player be found guilty and placed on a ban l. However, it is pertinent to note that Paqueta is not directly charged for placing bets but for malicious fouls linked to betting activities.
This could limit his ban duration, unlike Ivan Toney who served an eight-month ban for charges linked to multiple bets.
