Manchester City could face questions from HM Revenue & Customs after it was claimed they secretly doubled manager Roberto Mancini's salary by funnelling £1.75milllion into an offshore account.

Tax inspectors are said to be keeping a close watch after City were accused of manipulating their wage bill by paying Mancini £1.45million as his base club salary in 2011, while also rewarding him even more handsomely as an adviser for another club owned by Sheikh Mansour.

In the latest chapter in the football leaks series, City are also accused of striking a legally-binding third party player ownership deal to cream off the best African talent from a Danish feeder club. In the agreement signed May 26, 2016, Tom Vernon, the British president of FC Nordsjaelland, is alleged to have committed his club to giving up West African talents from the club's lauded Right to Dream Academy in Ghana.

The alleged agreement, detailed in Danish newspaper Politiken, will spark speculation that striker Mohammed Kudus, one of the greatest talents in the Danish Superliga, will now transfer to City for free. Confronted with the allegations yesterday, Vernon told Der Spiegel: “We are confident that we are in compliance with all relevant football regulations."

The Premier League could take action against the club if the third party player claims are proven.