Manchester City have been linked with a move for 25-year-old West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta.
A report from 90min claims that Manchester City’s pursuit of Lucas Paqueta has now stalled because of an investigation into the 25-year-old Brazilian international for breaching betting regulations.
Apparently, the FA and FIFA are looking into some of the bets that were placed in Brazil regarding the midfielder. So it remains to be seen whether the player is punished in the coming weeks. Recently Brentford striker Ivan Toney was suspended for several months for breaching betting regulations.
Manchester City do not want to be stuck with a player who could be suspended for a significant period of time. So they have decided to cool their interest in the player. Paqueta has been a key player for West Ham since joining the club, and he would have been a quality acquisition for Manchester City as well.
The Premier League champions recently sanctioned the departure of Ilkay Gundogan, and they have brought in Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea as his replacement. They need to add more quality and depth in the middle of the park, and the 25-year-old Brazilian international emerged as a top target.
He is well-settled in the Premier League and could have made an immediate impact for Pep Guardiola this season. The opportunity to join one of the best clubs in the world will have been an exciting proposition for the player, and he will be devastated by the situation.
A move to Manchester City would have been a major step up in his career, and he would have competed for major trophies with them. In addition to that, playing alongside better players at Manchester City would have helped him improve and develop as a player.
Guardiola is widely regarded as the best manager of his generation, and the Manchester City boss could have played a key role in the development of Paqueta as well. It remains to be seen whether the Brazilian can avoid a ban because of the betting investigation and play regularly for West Ham this season.
The Hammers will compete in the UEFA Europa League, and they will need key players like Paqueta to step up and deliver for them. West Ham have already sanctioned the departure of Declan Rice earlier this summer, and they cannot afford to lose someone like Paqueta as well.
It will be interesting to see if Manchester City decide to shift their attention towards another central midfielder in the remaining days of the window. Recent reports have linked them with RB Leipzig playmaker Dani Olmo.
