Manchester City are close to hearing the outcome of the ongoing legal battle regarding allegations of financial rule breaches.
The Citizens were hit with 115 charges by the Premier League amid accusations of rule breaking roughly two years ago – but a final decision is edging closer.
Ahead of Sunday’s showpiece event at the Etihad Stadium as Liverpool visit the Etihad Stadium, David Ornstein – one of the best journalists around – has provided an update on the legal situation after speaking to those inside Manchester City.
Manchester City confident they will be “fine”
Pep Guardiola has heard hypothetical punishments such as relegation to League Two and stripped titles mentioned amid this lengthy legal battle – but those within the Etihad Stadium are very optimistic about avoiding punishment.
Ornstein told NBC Sports Soccer: “The feeling that I get from speaking to people at and around the club is that we could be looking at a springtime verdict, so maybe a month or two away.
“From Man City’s perspective, they’re totally confident they will be exonerated and proved innocent. They’re operating as usual and we saw them do a lot of business in January. None of that, to my knowledge, was to pre-empt potential punishments because they don’t think they’re going to be punished.
“In contract negotiations held in recent years, in transfer talks taking place, no clauses have been inserted into those deals to say, if Man City are punished, this is going to happen. Players want to join Manchester City, and they’re continuing with everything they’re doing. It had no impact on Pep Guardiola’s new contract, Erling Haaland’s in January, Txiki Begiristain’s decision to leave – that was long planned, Hugo Viana’s replacing him. They think they’re going to be fine.”
If this is true, Guardiola – who hit out at Jamie Carragher – will breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Work to do for Pep Guardiola regardless
Whatever happens with this legal battle, Manchester City need a big summer.
Not only do the Citizens need to freshen up their ageing squad with more young talents like they did in the winter transfer window, but Manchester City, who admire Florian Wirtz, also need to examine the medical department, and figure out why so many injuries are occurring.
If solutions can be found to both of these problems, then the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal should watch out next season.
