Man City seal £10m off-pitch deal thanks to West Ham's Lucas Paqueta

Man City have struck a new commercial deal that likely would not have happened if not for one-time transfer target, West Ham attacker Lucas Paqueta.

Paqueta, 26, is facing a potential lifetime FA ban after he was charged with six betting offences earlier this year.

He will be free to play until at least the conclusion of his case, but he would be a potentially incalculable loss for West Ham if found guilty.

The Brazilian became West Ham‘s record signing in a deal potentially worth up to £51m less than two years ago.

He was the subject of interest from Man City as well as number of other elite clubs before news of the charges emerged.

More recently, Brazil side Flamengo, where his would-be ban would not apply, have been in England to discuss a deal to sign Paqueta.

However, West Ham’s near total lack of leverage means they would likely only receive a modest fee for a player who would otherwise be one of the prize assets.

Paqueta was charged by the FA after Betway, who happen to be West Ham’s principle sponsor in a deal worth £12m per year, flagged suspicious betting activity that could indicate spot-fixing.

And the relationship between the two parties appears to have fractured, presenting Man City with a commercial opportunity.

• READ MORE WEST HAM NEWS: West Ham have bid for £34m striker despite Niclas Fullkrug arrival

Man City sign with Beway; West Ham to dump them

Betway have been West Ham’s front-of-shirt sponsor since 2015 and also give their name to the Betway Cup, a pre-season exhibition at the London Stadium.

Their deal is set to expire at the end of the 2024-25 season, and West Ham are expected to honour the contract.

However, as reported by Matt Hughes for The Sun, the Irons will split from Betway at the end of the season as they are unhappy with their role in Paqueta’s charges.

The Premier League will introduce a front-of-shirt gambling ban after the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, and club vice-chair Karren Brady has previously said they were looking for a new shir sponsor.

However, there were many suggestions that Betway could stay on in some capacity, perhaps as sleeve sponsor or even as a naming rights partner for the London Stadium.

But, if the report is accurate, that now seems out of the question.

That seems even more certain given that Man City have just struck a global partnership with Betway believed to be worth £10m per season.

TBR Analysis: Will West Ham secure improve front-of-shirt deal?

The value of front-of-shirt rights among clubs of the stature of West Ham appears to be increasing across the Premier League.

Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Everton are now all aiming for the £20m-plus bracket, and the Hammers will hope to be in that peer group.

They will have no issues finding a sponsor of roughly equivalent value to the current Betway.

Whether Betway would have renegotiated at a higher price had it not been for the Paqueta controversy and the front-of-shirt betting ban is another question.