Lucas Paqueta withdrawn from Brazil squad after Man City move collapses amid FA investigation

Lucas Paqueta has been withdrawn from the Brazil squad after his move to Manchester City collapsed amid an FA investigation.

The Football Association is taking a close look into the Brazilian’s betting activity as they suspect there has been a breach in their guidelines related to gambling on football. Since the matter is under investigation, Manchester City decided to pull out of the transfer which would have seen Paqueta making a £70 million ($89m) move to the Etihad from West Ham.

Now, the player has suffered another setback as he has been pulled out of Brazil’s national team squad by coach Fernando Diniz as he wants the 23-year-old to “resolve these issues”.

“I’m a guy who… what protects me my whole life is the truth. Paqueta was on the list. He’s a player I like a lot. It’s a question of preservation, letting him resolve these issues, which go beyond the game,” he said.

“Make him more comfortable to resolve. We had these problems here in Brazil. This needs the time factor for things to clear up. He’s a player I adore, even though we’ve never worked together. The CBF will have its doors open to receive him as soon as he positively resolves these issues we had at the last minute.”

It has been reported that the FA is investigating bets placed with bookmakers in Brazil, which involve in-game incidents rather than the final result of West Ham’s matches. However, Paqueta is yet to face an enquiry board and he maintains his innocence.Paqueta will continue to feature for West Ham, amid the ongoing investigation, and will take the pitch against Chelsea on Sunday in a