Manchester City are ready to end their interest in Brazilian international Lucas Paqueta it has been reported. Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail reported that Manchester City had agreed a deal with West Ham for the midfielder. The deal collapsed after it was revealed that Paqueta is currently under an FA investigation concerning suspicious betting activities.
Steve Kay of footballtransfers.com has reported that the European champions are close to ending their interest in Paqueta. Kay adds that City are becoming frustrated with how long the betting investigation is taking. Furthermore, he reports that if a resolution isn’t found by January the champions may move on to other targets.
Manchester City have been interested in Lucas Paqueta since the summer. After a deal collapsed it was reported that they could return for the midfielder in January. Rafael Reis had previously reported for UOL that the champions were set to return for the West Ham star in January.
It remains to be seen if City will be active when the transfer window opens in January. Phil Thomas has reported for the Sun that Kalvin Phillips is likely to leave the club in January. He adds that Newcastle, West Ham and Bayern Munich are interested in the England international.
If Phillips does leave Manchester City it would appear that Pep Guardiola’s squad could be a midfielder short. With Kevin De Bruyne on track to return in the New Year, he would add cover to the City midfield. With Kay’s report indicating that the club may end their interest in Paqueta, it remains to be seen if they will move for another midfielder to strengthen the squad for their treble defence.
