The English FA have found no evidence that Manchester City made an illegal payment to an agent when they signed Jadon Sancho back in March 2015.
A previous report had suggested that City paid agent Emeka Obasi £200,000 to help facilitate the deal to sign Sancho from Watford, despite it being against the rules for players under the age of 16 to be represented by an agent.
The Times report that the FA conducted a nine-month investigation into the allegations, but they could not find any evidence to substantiate the claims of City's illegal payment.
There is now not expected to be any further action against City, who Sancho left for Borussia Dortmund in 2017, but there are two separate cases against the Citizens which remain ongoing.
The Premier League are still conducting their own investigation into City's conduct regarding the signing of young players and third-party ownership. They began looking into the situation back in March and have since refused to comment on the open investigation.
In addition, the defending league champions are also under investigation from FIFA, who are investigating whether City broke any rules in relation to their signings of numerous young players from overseas.
It was initially thought that City risked a two-window transfer ban, similar to that which was handed down to Chelsea last summer after the Blues were found to have breached similar rules, but no such punishment has arrived as of yet.
City also remain in a battle with UEFA over a previous ruling that they broke Financial Fair Play regulations. The club have always denied that, and they continue to try and prove their innocence.
Amid all the controversy and drama away from the pitch, it has been a difficult start to the season for Pep Guardiola's side. Having set the bar so high last season, they have struggled to match that level and currently find themselves six points behind Liverpool in the title race.
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Source :
90min
