A football finance expert has revealed the punishment Manchester City could receive if found guilty of breaching the Premier League's financial rules.
The defending Premier League champions had 115 charges brought against them in early 2023, and a hearing into their case concluded last month.
A verdict is expected imminently on whether they are guilty or not, and finance expert Kieran Maguire has now given an insight into City's situation.
Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, hosted by sky betMaguire told Jamie Carragher, Paul Scholes and the assembled group of supporters: 'In the City case, there are actually three charges. It is not 115. Has money arrived from the owners who claim to be sponsors? If that is the case, then it is fraud. This is the most serious it can get.
“And, if they find him guilty of those charges, then they will throw the book at Manchester City and take away a lot of points.”
“You can't relegate them because the Premier League and the EFL are independent bodies, so the EFL doesn't have to accept them.” Given Everton and Forest's point deductions, the commission described them as “minor breaches”. Well, what Manchester City are accused of is major breaches over a period of 9 to 10 years. Therefore, you would get between 60 and 100 points if you pay charge by charge. So, I would relegate them.
The Premier League has been investigating whether Manchester City, managed by owner Sheikh Mansour (first left, bottom row), has breached its financial rules.
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire (pictured) expects City to be deducted between 60 and 100 points if found guilty
This huge deduction would relegate City from the Premier League
“People paying off the books happens in football. I know several players and former players who work for the owners' company and also receive a salary at the club. We have a history of players' mothers being paid hundreds of thousands of pounds to be an academy scout so the player would get a slightly better deal etc. Football is quite creative in those rules.
“And the third charge, which I think City will find difficult to defend, will be non-cooperation with the Premier League investigation. That said, if my wife looks at my internet history, I'm in trouble! It shouldn't be done. “You shouldn't trust hacked emails, and that's City's defence.”
If City are found guilty, some expect them to immediately file an appeal which could drag the case into next season and beyond.
But Maguire is not convinced this is a suitable option for the club.
“I think the grounds for appeal are very limited,” he continued. 'It is only if the committee's own conduct was in some way unprofessional that a party can potentially lodge an appeal.
“If Manchester City are found guilty, the entire board will have to resign because they will have been found guilty of misrepresentation, effectively lying to a commission.”
Everton and Nottingham Forest received points deductions last season for breaching financial rules, and Coty is now waiting to find out his fate following the “trial of the century”.
But Maguire does not believe they are the last club under the Premier League microscope.
Top-flight teams had to submit their financial accounts by December 31, and the Premier League now reviews the documentation before deciding whether any club has breached its rules.
Maguire revealed another Premier League club is at “high risk” of being charged
It seemed to confirm that neither Liverpool nor Manchester United are at risk
Maguire revealed that one club is at risk of being charged, but refused to reveal who it might be.
“There is one club in particular, in the Premier League, that is at high risk of being accused by the Premier League of breaching (their rules),” Maguire said.
When pressed by a fan about the color of the jersey the team plays in, Maguire added: “It's not red!”
This revelation appears to rule out the current top three – Liverpool, Arsenal and Forest – while Manchester United, Brentford, Bournemouth and Southampton also appear to be safe.