Manchester City may have dodged a bullet with the move for Lucas Paqueta appearing to be off. News first filtered out of City’s move stalling for the Brazilian, then reports came of the move being off. It then came to light of the West Ham midfielder and his entourage were being investigated by the FA over betting on games.
It had appeared that a deal between City and West Ham was close for the Brazilian international. With Kevin De Bruyne injured, all signs pointed to Paqueta coming into Guardiola’s squad to fill the void. Then the bombshell dropped, and it appears City’s move for the midfielder is now off. SkySports reported on the investigation into Paqueta’s activities is ongoing.
BREAKING: Manchester City’s move for Lucas Paqueta is on hold because of concerns surrounding an FA and FIFA betting investigation. pic.twitter.com/vp2aRUGcyn
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 18, 2023
While as it stands Lucas Paqueta is only under investigation, the allegations are of a very serious nature. The treble winners steering clear of wrapping up a deal for the midfielder is a smart business move from the club.
If the move went ahead before the investigation was completed it could have left the European champions in a worse position with a big-money signing unavailable for an extended period of time. By withdrawing their interest in signing the Brazilian it now has saved Manchester City the money they’d have spent on a sizable transfer fee and kept the club away from the potential issues faced by Lucas Paqueta.
City can now focus on other targets with 11 days remaining in the transfer window, armed with the money they intended to spend on the Brazilian international.
