English Premier League team Manchester City won’t be pursuing a ￡80m ($101m) transfer of West Ham player Lucas Paquetá. The two teams had agreed to the deal in principle last week before an investigation by the English Football Association (FA) into alleged betting rule breaches came to light.
suspicious betting activity in Brazil on Paquetá getting a yellow card
A yellow card that the 25-year-old Brazilian received in March during a home game against Aston Villa is under scrutiny. The International Betting Integrity Association alerted the FA and FIFA about suspicious betting activity in Brazil on Paquetá getting a yellow card.
The FA is set to interview the player, who is denying any wrongdoing. Sky Sports reported that sources close to Paquetá believe the transfer to Manchester City could go ahead in January.
Despite the matter hanging over his head, the attacking midfielder played in West Ham’s 3-1 victory over Chelsea on Sunday, scoring a goal in the process. Paquetá joined West Ham in August 2022 from AC Milan. He has made 42 appearances for the Brazil national team, scoring nine goals.