The Football Association is investigating allegations that Manchester City paid £200,000 to Jadon Sancho's agent when the player was 14 years old.
The Press Association is reporting that the FA are looking into the matter, which was part of the Football Leaks series by German magazine Der Spiegel, who claimed City made the banned payment to agent Emeka Obasi in relation to the deal that took the youngster to the club from Watford in 2015.
Under Premier League rules, clubs are not permitted to offer financial inducements to a player under 16 or any person connected with that player.
On Friday City repeated their claim that there is an "organised and clear" attempt to damage the club's reputation, in response to the allegations by Der Spiegel.
A City statement read: "The attempt to damage the club's reputation is organised and clear.
"We will not be providing any comment on out of context materials purported to have been hacked or stolen from City Football Group and Manchester City personnel and associated people."
Sancho never made a first-team appearance for City and moved to German side Borussia Dortmund for £8million in August 2017. The winger made his England debut against the United States in November.
