MANCHESTER CITY are set to be investigated by Fifa for breaching regulations on signing young players.
The Premier League club will follow rivals Chelsea and be probed by the world governing body on signing foreign players under the age of 18.
City have already breached Premier League rules and were previously banned from signing academy players for two years, and fined £300,000.
They were found to have been contacting the parents of players too early on.
Now Fifa will look into their dealings in global scouting.
A Fifa spokesman told the Daily Mail: “We can confirm that an investigation is ongoing.
“Please note that we cannot provide any details concerning the matters under investigation.”
A City source is reported to have said that the club are not aware of any investigation.
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Fifa take a firm view on youth players.
Atletico Madrid are currently on a six-month worldwide transfer ban for breaching rules on signing young players.
Rivals Real Madrid were also punished last year and were unable to sign players for one window.
The Premier League have previously found Liverpool in breach of rules.
The Reds were found guilty of offering inducements to a player and his family.
Liverpool were banned for two years from signing any academy player and fined £100,000.
The investigation into Chelsea will be the third time the Blues have faced questions in the last eight years.
In 2009 they were banned for two windows because of the deal to sign Gael Kakuta from Lens – although they successfully appealed that ruling.
And last year Fifa looked into Bertrand Traore’s arrival at the club, after pictures emerged of him playing for Chelsea when he was 16.
Traore would not have had international clearance at that age.
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