Man City have the chance to reignite forgotten £80m transfer plan

Had Manchester City known then what we know now, Lucas Paqueta might already be a Blue. Pep Guardiola wanted to sign the West Ham midfielder two years ago, only for the player to be charged by the Football Association with betting offences.

That included claims of spot-fixing by deliberately picking up yellow cards, but Paqueta is now expected to be cleared by an independent regulatory commission, with confirmation due next week.

Hammers boss Graham Potter said he didn't know the outcome of the process when speaking in America overnight, but he did say Paqueta had been through "a long ordeal".

A guilty verdict could have resulted in a life ban from the game, but the 27-year-old will now be free to continue his playing career, although where that happens will be a subject of interest for the rest of the summer.

City were lining up an £80million deal in 2023 before the investigation into claims Paqueta had deliberately picked up yellow cards in West Ham’s games against Leicester City, Leeds United, Aston Villa and Bournemouth became public.

Guardiola remains a fan of the player, although City have since revamped their midfield, with Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki the latest new additions this summer. That was business done in the centre of the pitch for the club, with a deal for Morgan Gibbs-White ruled out last week.

Whether Paqueta's availability changes that will be of interest. Now he has been cleared, West Ham might look to cash in as they try and raise funds for their own rebuild, having already sold Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham.

City turned to Matheus Nunes after passing on Paqueta in 2023 but former City player Barry Silkman worked on the deal and told the MEN earlier this year that it was all but done when the