FA to Investigate Man City’s signing of Sancho

The Football Association is set to investigate the deal that took Jadon Sancho to Manchester City from Watford in 2015 over an alleged payment made to the player’s agent.

German publication Der Spiegel claims to have seen documents from whistleblowers Football Leaks that show City paid Emeka Obasi £200,000 as part of the scouting contract to find players in South and Central America.

Der Spiegel alleged this payment was actually in relation to Sancho’s move from Watford as a 14-year-old, with the process arranged to circumvent FIFA rules that prevent agent fees being made in transfers involving minors.

It has also claimed to have seen an e-mail sent to Sancho’s father outlining what salary and bonuses he would receive once he turned professional. According to the report, a club lawyer later intervened stressing the letter was not an offer.

In a statement to Omnisport, an FA spokesperson said on Tuesday: “We can confirm that the FA will be investigating the allegations.”