Man City's £80million midfield transfer was days away when FA stepped in

Manchester City tried to sign Lucas Paqueta from West Ham in 2023 but the move collapsed when the midfielder was charged by the FA.

Lucas Paqueta has revealed he was days away from signing for Manchester City when he was charged by the Football Association with betting offences.

The Blues targeted the Brazilian midfielder during the summer window of 2023 and an £80millon switch from West Ham United had been lined up.

That transfer was scuppered when Paqueta was charged by the FA and he remained with the Hammers while his case was heard. Paqueta was cleared of spot-fixing charges by an independent commission earlier this year and although he was found to have breached minor charges relating to cooperation with the investigation, he faced no sanction.

Now 28, he is impressing again in midfield for West Ham this season and has been open about his desire to leave the London Stadium for a new challenge, but the door on a move to the Etihad has been closed.

Paqueta has revealed that the anguish on missing out on a transfer that was almost complete caused him plenty of pain.

"Everyone knows that I really had a transfer to City," Paqueta told Globo. "I probably would have signed the week I received the letter [from the FA]. Professionally speaking, I lost that, that transfer, a leap in my career.

"Psychologically, I think that's where I was most affected, by the fear of this indecision, the uncertainty of my future, despite knowing who I am, what I do, what I've done. But, due to the circumstances of the investigations and the way the federation handled everything, it generated fear in us."

Paqueta is likely to leave West Ham at the end of this season and revealed he had twice been approached about a return to boyhood club Flamengo.

"The first moment was when [Marcos] Braz was still at Flamengo, there was that contact," he said. "I know of Flamengo's desire, and they know of my desire, my passion for the club, so it's something that always happens.

"As soon as I was accused, and the whole trial process was about to begin, Braz came to my house, made the offer, and asked what I thought.

"Obviously, I always want to go back to Flamengo, but at that moment I was still a bit undecided about my decision, about what I was going to do, and then I also talked to the West Ham director and said: 'Braz, I want to go back, I know I'll feel good at Flamengo, but I can't be ungrateful to the club that's supporting me so much.' They supported me a lot at all times, helped me in various situations, so I couldn't force an exit from a place where I was being welcomed and respected.

"They respected me, my wife, my family. So I said: 'I want you to resolve this.' But yes, this exchange with Flamengo did happen."

---

Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester City coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.

And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Talking City podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.