The whispers in the corridors of Westminster have been replaced by frantic texts from agents and boardrooms. Achraf Hakimi, PSG's Moroccan star, will stand trial for rape. The charge is grave. The implications for his career? Potentially seismic.
Sources inside the Premier League confirm that at least three clubs, all with deep pockets and a craving for a marquee right-back, are monitoring the case with unusual intensity. The game is the game. But this is different. A rape trial is not a contract dispute or a transfer fee haggle. It is a moral abyss that clubs, even the most cynical, fear falling into.
Hakimi denies the allegations. His legal team in France, led by a barrister known for high-stakes acquittals, is preparing for a trial that could last weeks. The accuser's testimony will be scrutinised. So will Hakimi's. And the clubs? They are doing what they always do: hedging. Leaks to trusted journalists suggest no formal talks will take place until a verdict is reached. But the due diligence has already started.
The timing is brutal for Hakimi. At 25, he is at his peak. A World Cup semi-finalist. A Ligue 1 champion. But his reputation is now a liability. The Moroccan federation, usually a bastion of support, has gone quiet. A source close to the national team's camp told me: "We are waiting. Like everyone else."
Back in London, the lobby is buzzing with comparisons to other athletes caught in legal storms. Benjamin Mendy. Cristiano Ronaldo. The parallels are uncomfortable but instructive. Mendy was acquitted. Ronaldo settled. But the stain remains. Clubs know this. They also know that Hakimi's talent is rare. A full-back who can defend, attack, and dictate tempo. The kind of player who wins titles.
But at what cost? One club's legal advisor, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "We have to consider the fan reaction. The sponsor reaction. The moral hazard. It's a minefield."
The trial is set to begin in Paris in January 2025. The football world will be watching. Not just for the verdict, but for the signal it sends. If Hakimi is acquitted, expect a flurry of activity. Transfer fees will be quoted. Medicals arranged. But if he is convicted? His career as a top-flight footballer is over.
For now, the only certainty is uncertainty. And in the world of power and influence, that is the most dangerous currency of all.
