Eliaquim Mangala’s record transfer from FC Porto to Manchester City is currently under investigation from FIFA for a possible violation of third-party ownership rules.
The French international moved to City in the summer of 2014 for $54 million, the largest transfer fee paid to bring a defender to the Premier League.
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Manchester City is not under investigation, but rather FC Porto and their involvement with Doyen Sports, a player investment company.
Doyen paid Porto for a stake in Mangala’s worth when he first joined the club in 2011, and received a portion of the record transfer fee when he moved City.
While all of that is legal and commonplace in transfers, Porto is under investigation for possibly giving power to Doyen to negotiate the terms of the transfer to Manchester City, which would be a breach of FIFA’s third-party ownership rules.
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If found guilty, Porto could be fined from FIFA or be placed under a transfer embargo, similar to clubs who have been punished for Financial Fair Play infractions.
Doyen is also under investigation for their involvement in Marcos Rojo’s transfer from Sporting Lisbon to Manchester United, with Sporting claiming the company pressured the club to sell the defender.
