‘Man City to launch instant Lucas Paqueta move after he avoids ban’
West Ham star Lucas Paqueta is still in limbo with the outcome of his betting breaches case not set to be revealed until June at the earliest.
The FA are pushing for the Paqueta to be banned for life by the independent three-person panel after accusing him of deliberately receiving bookings on four occasions.
He continues to play for West Ham while he awaits an outcome, with a previous hearing running for three weeks without reaching a conclusion.
Paqueta had been set to join Man City in 2023 before the allegations and investigation surfaced.
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – claimed he expects City to resurrect the move if Paqueta is cleared of any wrongdoing.
Paqueta could be part of Man City’s De Bruyne solution, says Wyness
Wyness has previously told Football Insider (17 April) that he has heard “strong noises” which “suggest Paqueta will be cleared”.
Speaking on Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the former Everton chief insisted the Brazil international could head to City in an ideal move as they lose legend Kevin De Bruyne.
| Appearances (Starts) | 33 (27) |
| Minutes Played | 2414 |
| Goals | 5 |
| Assists | 0 |
| Yellow Cards | 8 |
Wyness told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “It’s unfortunate to have this hanging over his head a bit longer.
“But if he is cleared, the byproduct of that is that I think he will be right on Man City’s radar straight away.
“He could be one of the replacements for Kevin De Bruyne that we’ll see coming in this summer.
“That’s what we could be looking out for as this situation clears itself up.”
Man City to agree Rodri deal as Real Madrid swoop
Meanwhile, Football Insider has revealed (25 April) that Real Madrid’s interest in Rodri will lead Man City to offer the Ballon d’Or winner a new long-term contract.
The Spaniard’s current deal is set to run until June 2027.
Rodri has spent most of the 2024-25 campaign on the sidelines with a serious knee injury but Real Madrid are nevertheless interested in bringing the midfielder back to his homeland.
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