Reports in France suggest that Ligue 1 side Nantes have drastically reduced their working arrangement with agent Mogi Bayat.

The Belgian, who has been involved in a number of both successful and notorious deals during the Pozzo era at Vicarage Road, had been a key recruitment figure for Nantes for a number of seasons.

However, Ouest-France report that everything has changed in this transfer window and Bayat has been pushed out of the picture.

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It’s understood that Nantes head coach Antoine Koumbouare – who played for the club as well as for Paris St Germain – is now taking far greater control of transfer dealings for The Canaries, who are currently 15th in the table.

Koumbouare is said to have a frosty relationship with Bayat, and has often refused to accept players suggested by the Belgian.

Indeed, before Koumbouare, a previous head coach – former Bosnian international Vahid Halilhodzic – was also said to have not wanted to work with Bayat.

Nantes are now using the combination of Koumbouare and their sporting co-ordinator Philippe Mao to source and approve transfers, although they have not totally severed all links with Bayat.

The summer signing of striker Vakoun Bayo was the latest deal to be brought to Vicarage Road by Bayat, who is one of more than 40 defendants still set to face trial in Belgium on charges ranging from money laundering and faking paperwork to the rigging of professional matches.

The four-year-old investigation, dubbed the ‘Footbelgate’ trial in Belgium, is expected to come to court later this year.

However, French newspaper Le Soir recently reported that some 10 defendants have already reached a settlement with the federal prosecutor’s officer and have paid money to the court as a result.

Eric Bisschop, Belgium’s Deputy Federal Prosecutor, told Le Soir: “If, on the basis of interview, we do not believe that a prison sentence of more than two years is necessary, we are open to the possibility of settling the case by compromise.”

However, as things stand, Bayat, his brother Mehdi, fellow agent Herman Van Holsbeeck and Bruno Venanzi – the president of Belgian club Standard Liege – remain among the defendants in the case.