Premier League CEO Richard Masters has admitted that the process surrounding Manchester City's 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules is taking longer than expected.
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Manchester City were first charged by the Premier League back in February 2023 with more than 100 alleged breaches of the division's financial regulations, spanning across a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018 - which the club consistently and strenuously denies.
The charges cover alleged failures to provide accurate financial information, breaches relating to manager and player payments, and non-cooperation with the league's investigation - a seismic case that was subsequently referred to an independent commission.
That 12-week hearing has long since concluded, but supporters on all sides have been left waiting for a resolution, and the absence of a verdict has become one of the most persistent storylines in English football.
Masters: process must reach 'natural conclusion'
Now, speaking as part of a wide-ranging interview with BBC Sport, the Premier League's CEO Richard Masters has addressed the ongoing wait surrounding Manchester City's case, and personally acknowledged the frustration surrounding the matter, whilst also making clear that he was unable to shed any fresh light on proceedings.
"I can't pass any real comment or provide anything new today on it. I do accept it's taking longer than expected, and I understand people want to find out as soon as possible what's going on. But I simply can't provide that," the Premier League chief executive officer said.
He continued, "Our rules are very clear, we have to follow the process, and there's only one real clear route through - which is to allow that process to reach its natural conclusion."
Richard Masters also pointed to the sheer scale of the case involving Manchester City as a factor behind the ongoing delay, having previously taken part in a hearing that stretched across three months.
"It's hugely complex. The hearing took 12 weeks, and so it has taken longer than expected," he concluded on the subject.
What does all this mean for Manchester City?
The latest comments from Richard Masters offer very little in the way of clarity or an update to those waiting for such, and are instead mostly restatements of things that have been public knowledge for a long time.
For Manchester City and all those involved in senior positions around the Etihad Stadium, who have continued to maintain their innocence at every turn, the wait for a verdict goes on - and with it, the scrutiny from rival fans and staff alike.
The ongoing delay has now stretched beyond the Pep Guardiola era, as Italian coach Enzo Maresca prepares for his first Premier League game in charge of the club this weekend against Marco Rose's AFC Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium.
Maresca himself has already had opportunity to discuss the matter upon joining the club, facing a line of questioning concerning the charges in his very first press conference as Manchester City manager earlier this summer.
Responding to whether the club had handed him any further assurances with regards to their innocence, Maresca said, “The only thing I can say is three years ago, the Treble season, I was here and it was the same words about this. In three years, it’s still the same.
"Nothing has happened. I don’t have anything to say because it’s something that's there. But again, the only thing I can say is the way the organisation is working shows how serious they are, how good they are, bringing titles and more things."
The 46-year-old also admitted that he personally has "no" concerns personally over the matter, in what appears to be a further show of confidence in club officials and their long-standing position.