Nicolas Anelka may face FIFA probe for dodging Atletico Mineiro move

London: French striker Nicolas Anelka may reportedly face a FIFA probe after he calls off his move to Brazilian club Atletico Mineiro.

Atletico Mineiro's director Eduardo Maluf said that Anelka, who left Bromwich Albion last month after he received a five-match ban for the racially controversial 'quenelle' goal celebration, had been given until Monday of this week to sign his contract with the Brazilian side, but one of his agents informed the club that he would not be able to come to Brazil until the end of next week.

Maluf said that Anelka and his agents have given 'excuses' for the third time now for the strikers failure to report to the club and Atletico Mineiro's president Alexandre Kalil said that the club is thinking about filing a complaint to FIFA regarding the player and his agents, as they broke their agreement with the club, the Independent reported.

Mineiro had reportedly revealed that the club would sign Anelka on April 6 and said that a pre-contract had already been signed with the striker and they had been heavily marketing the player's arrival despite the continued delay.

Maluf said that he was caught by surprise earlier this week when Anelka's agent told him that the player was in Kuwait for a religious trip, adding that the striker had the obligation to let the club know about this in advance and called the deal off.

Anelka had reportedly claimed that he terminated his contract with Albion after leaving the club, but the Premier League side has disputed this version of events claiming that he was supposed to form a striking partnership with the former Brazil star Ronaldinho, the report added.