Manchester City may reportedly decide to walk away from an agreement to sign West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta.
When it emerged that Ilkay Gundogan was going to join Barcelona in the summer, Paqueta became a key target for Pep Guardiola.
Although they faced resistance from West Ham, who naturally wanted to retain the services of one of their star players, there was initially an expectation that a deal would be reached.
However, the transfer soon stalled once it became apparent that the Brazil international was facing an investigation into alleged breaches of betting regulations.
If Paqueta was to be found guilty, then it would likely lead to some sort of ban, as has been shown in the cases of Ivan Toney and Sandro Tonali.
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As it stands, the case is yet to be heard, and the 26-year-old has been able to remain as a regular in the West Ham starting lineup throughout 2023-24.
A total of five goals and one assist have been contributed from his 18 appearances in all competitions, and he has also enhanced his stock by deputising on the left flank this season.
According to FootballTransfers, a deal remains theoretically in place for Paqueta to sign for Man City in the future for a fee in the region of £85m.
Nevertheless, the report says that Man City will move onto other targets if there is no quick resolution to the betting investigation surrounding Paqueta.
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Had City been performing consistently in the Premier League and his other midfield options had been contributing, Guardiola may have been prepared to show more patience.
Instead, City only sit in second place in the table after 13 games and are likely to give the green light to Kalvin Phillips departing the Etihad Stadium in January.
City are said to hold an interest in Bayern Munich playmaker Serge Gnabry, a player more equipped to play on the flanks than in a central position.
West Ham also face the prospect of possibly having to soften their stance regarding Paqueta's asking price, regardless of his contract not expiring until 2027.
Darren Plant
