Lucas Paqueta: Shocking Twist in Man City's £80m Transfer Move Revealed Amid Betting Investigation

Manchester City's attempt to sign Lucas Paqueta from West Ham for £80m has been canceled due to an ongoing FA investigation into the midfielder's alleged betting breaches.

The possibility of the transfer taking place on Friday morning was extremely low, but now it is completely ruled out.

Paqueta is scheduled for an interview with the FA as they investigate the matter, and he maintains his innocence.

The investigation was initiated due to an abnormally high volume of bets being placed in Brazil on Paqueta receiving a yellow card during West Ham's home game against Aston Villa on March 12, 2023. In the 70th minute of the match, referee Chris Kavanagh issued a yellow card to Paqueta for a challenge on John McGinn, resulting in a 1-1 draw.

The International Betting Integrity Association reported the bets to FIFA and the FA, who were then alerted. FIFA's spokesperson declined to comment on ongoing investigations regarding alleged cases.

The 25-year-old is not included in Brazil's squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Bolivia.

Paqueta, who still has four years remaining on his West Ham contract, received nine bookings for both club and country during the previous season.

Moyes: Paqueta performed 'really well' in Chelsea win

Despite the investigation, Paqueta started and scored in Sunday's 3-1 home win over Chelsea with Hammers boss David Moyes delighted with his performance after a difficult week.

Moyes expressed, "A crowd of 65,000 people cheered him on, recognizing his skills and contributions. He adds a different dynamic to our team, being a player of great caliber. He's an exceptional talent, a diligent individual, and I believed he displayed outstanding performance."

Doku to undergo Man City medical ahead of £55.5m move

Manchester City have agreed a £55.5m deal to sign Rennes winger Jeremy Doku, who is is expected to travel to the northwest on Tuesday to undergo a medical.

The 21-year-old Belgian international, who has attracted interest from several Premier League clubs this summer, is viewed as a suitable replacement for Riyad Mahrez. Mahrez recently departed for a £30m transfer to Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli. In fact, West Ham made an unsuccessful bid for the player earlier this month.

Should Doku complete the move to the Etihad Stadium, he will become Pep Guardiola's third summer recruit in this transfer window, after Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol.

West Ham continue Kudus pursuit

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Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus is a West Ham target this summer

West Ham have not given up on signing Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus after having an opening bid rejected.

The Ghanaian player featured for the entire match in Ajax's draw against Excelsior on Saturday, and despite having only two years left on his contract, the Dutch club is keen on retaining him. West Ham Technical Director Tim Steidten recently visited the Netherlands for in-person discussions with Ajax.

One source has informed us that West Ham are being given positive signals that the 23-year-old is receptive to the potential transfer.

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