Rui Pinto, the Portuguese hacktivist whose Football Leaks prompted investigations into Manchester City, says he is in talks with British authorities over a co-operation deal.

Pinto is seeking protection in exchange for helping to expose crime after being told at the height of the coverage of Manchester City’s bombshell financial cheating verdict that he will be withdrawn from a witness safeguarding programme in his native Portugal.

He is being represented by feted French human rights lawyer William Bourdon, whose previous clients have included Edward Snowden and Julian Assange, the sources of other high-profile leaks.

“I can confirm that the process is under way,” Bourdon told The Guardian, which reported that the Serious Fraud Office had made contact with Pinto’s camp.

A Serious Fraud Office spokesperson told : “In line with long established practice to avoid prejudice to law enforcement activity, we can neither confirm nor deny any investigation into this matter.”

It is understood that the SFO handles over 1,000 referrals a year and undertakes enquiries before deciding whether to progress to a formal investigation.

Pinto, 38, rose to prominence through Football Leaks, a website which obtained millions of secret documents about contracts relating to some of the game’s biggest clubs and players, including Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, City, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar. 

How Manchester City case traces back to Rui Pinto

He later collaborated with European media outlets including Der Spiegel to publish further materials, including those that sparked investigations by Uefa and the Premier League into Manchester City’s sponsorship agreements and contracts.

Pinto was arrested in Hungary in 2019 by Portuguese authorities and extradited. He was found guilty of five counts of cybercrime and handed a four-year suspended prison sentence. His supporters describe him as a whistleblower; his critics as a hacker or criminal.

He was told in late September that his six years in witness protection were coming to an end. He said he feared for his safety and is still appealing the decision. 

Days earlier, Manchester City were found guilty on more than 100 counts of breaking the Premier League’s financial rules during a nine-year period from 2009 to 2018.

An independent commission accused the club of hiding more than £900m of contributions from their Abu Dhabi ownership as sponsorship income from related parties. 

Manchester City have always denied wrongdoing and have appealed the findings. They face relegation, a huge financial penalty and, potentially, a forced sale of the club, if the guilty verdicts are upheld.