Manchester City look set to be investigated by Fifa over their signing of the French teenager Jérémy Hélan after the defender's former club, Rennes, said they had complained to world football's governing body about the transfer.
Hélan, who is 17, joined City in February and Rennes want Fifa to look into the Premier League club's conduct. "We have referred this to Fifa," the technical director, Pierre Dreossi, told the Independent. City are understood to be adamant that they broke no rules in bringing the player, who was then 16, to the club.
Rennes' action comes after Chelsea were given a transfer ban to 2011 by Fifa after being found guilty of illegally inducing Gaël Kakuta to sign from Lens. Chelsea have said they did nothing wrong and that they will appeal.
Hélan, a product of France's Clairefontaine academy, had been a target for Manchester United before he signed for City.
City have made several more high-profile and costly signings since their Middle Eastern owners took over last season but the United defender Rio Ferdinand has warned that the lavish spending is no guarantee of success and said that Manchester is not big enough for two highly successful team.
"I won't like it very much if City start doing well," he said. "This city isn't big enough for two big teams. But they have very loyal supporters who have been crying out for success. Maybe they think their time has come with all the money that has been invested.
"Sometimes money doesn't buy success. It can do, as we saw at Chelsea, but they were starting from finishing fourth, fifth and third in the league. City are starting from a different position."
