Manchester City’s pursuit of Lucas Paqueta is reportedly on hold as the West Ham United midfielder is being investigated by FIFA and the FA over alleged betting breaches.
The Citizens have stepped up their interest in the 25-year-old this month following the departure of Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona and the hamstring injury suffered by Kevin De Bruyne, who is facing up to four months on the sidelines.
Pep Guardiola’s side were believed to be preparing to submit a formal offer for Paqueta, but reports have since emerged that talks over his proposed switch to the Etihad Stadium have been placed on hold and there is a 90% chance that the deal will be called off.
According to Sky Sports News, negotiations between Man City and West Ham have stalled as the Brazil international is the subject of a FIFA and FA investigation over allegations of gambling on football.
Sky Sports chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol claims that Paqueta is ‘surprised and shocked’ by the allegations that relate to bets placed in Brazil, and the midfielder insists that the bets were not placed by him.
It is understood that Man City were close to reaching an agreement with West Ham over an £80m deal for Paqueta, and the transfer could still happen if the issue is resolved quickly.
Paqueta, who played in West Ham’s 1-1 draw with Bournemouth last weekend, is said to be focused on preparations for Sunday’s Premier League game against Chelsea, with the Hammers waiting to discover if the investigation will lead to the midfielder being charged.
The news regarding Paqueta’s investigation comes three months after Brentford striker Ivan Toney was suspended from all football-related activity for eight months after being found guilty of breaching FA betting rules.
Toney was also fined £50,000 after he admitted to breaching a total of 232 betting rules between February 25, 2017, and January 23, 2021.
Paqueta joined West Ham from Lyon for a club-record £51m last summer and made 41 appearances across all competitions last season, scoring five goals and providing seven assists.
The Brazilian, who is under contract at the London Stadium until the summer of 2027, helped the Hammers win the Europa Conference League and provided the assist for Jarrod Bowen’s match-winner against Fiorentina in the final.
West Ham are hoping to keep hold of Paqueta this summer, but the midfielder is believed to be keen to join Man City and has allegedly agreed personal terms over a six-year contract.
Moyes responded to questions about Paqueta’s future at a pre-match press conference on Friday, saying: “I can’t shed any light on Lucas [Paqueta’s situation]. I said last week there had been an enquiry from Manchester City but I can’t say any more than that.”
The potential absence of Paqueta for Sunday’s game against Chelsea could see James Ward-Prowse come into the starting lineup to make his West Ham debut following his £30m summer move from Southampton.
