The English Football Association (FA) has announced an investigation into Brazilian player Lucas Paquetá, midfielder for West Ham, for allegedly violating betting regulations.

In a statement, the FA explained that the 26-year-old player has been accused of "misconduct in relation to alleged breaches" of two FA rules in four English league matches played by his club in 2022 and 2023.

Specifically, the FA detected alleged irregularities in West Ham’s matches against Leicester City on November 12, 2022; Aston Villa on March 12, 2023; Leeds United on May 21, 2023; and AFC Bournemouth on August 12, 2023.

According to the statement, Paquetá was questioned by the FA last September and allowed their experts access to his mobile phone the following month for analysis.

The investigation began after the FA observed suspicious betting patterns regarding a yellow card the Brazilian international received in added time during the match at Bournemouth, the first of last season, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

"Allegedly, he sought to directly influence the progress, conduct, or any other aspect or event of these matches by intentionally seeking to receive a card from the referee with the improper purpose of affecting the betting market so that one or more individuals would benefit from the bets," the FA stated in the communication.

The FA indicated that Paquetá has until June to provide "a response" to these accusations. For his part, the Brazilian midfielder has expressed being "extremely surprised and upset" that the FA has brought charges against him, while denying any wrongdoing.

"For nine months, I have cooperated with every step of their investigation and provided all the information I could," Paquetá wrote on his Instagram account.

"I deny all the charges in their entirety and will fight with all my might to clear my name. Due to the ongoing process, I will make no further comments," the player concluded.