West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta has been accused of deliberately getting booked to influence the betting market. The Football Association (FA) has charged him with four counts of misconduct related to matches against Leicester City, Aston Villa, Leeds United, and Bournemouth.

Paqueta, 26, allegedly sought to profit from betting by intentionally seeking yellow cards from referees. He denies all charges and claims to have cooperated fully with the investigation.

The Brazilian international has until June 3 to respond to the charges, which include two breaches of FA rules for failing to provide information and documents.

West Ham has pledged to support Paqueta throughout the process, despite confirming the appointment of new head coach Julen Lopetegui on the same day.

The charges relate to four specific matches, including a 2022 game against Leicester City and three 2023 fixtures against Aston Villa, Leeds United, and Bournemouth. Paqueta was booked in each of these matches, with some instances occurring when the score was level or West Ham was trailing.

The investigation into Paqueta’s conduct began last summer, and he faces a potentially lengthy ban and fine if found guilty.