Several Premier League clubs are now preparing legal action against Manchester City after reports on Friday indicated that the Blues have been found guilty on 114 of their alleged 115 Premier League financial rule breaches, according to a new report.
Could Rayan Cherki's future at Man City be in doubt if the club are found guilty of breaching Premier League financial rules?
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The final verdict from the independent commission will bring to a head a case that had been building for over three-and-a-half years since City were first referred for alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations across the period between 2009 and 2018.
The panel's finding on 114 of the 115 counts represents the most consequential legal ruling in the history of English football, and its immediate aftermath has seen rival clubs move to establish what remedies may be available to them.
Sanctions have not yet been decided, and City have indicated they intend to contest the verdict - drawing on the precedent of their successful 2020 Court of Arbitration for Sport challenge against a two-year UEFA Champions League ban and fine.
The clubs most directly affected by City's dominance across the relevant nine-year window are those who finished below them in the Premier League and missed out on title wins, Champions League qualification and the revenue that follows from both.
Manchester United were among the first clubs to move in this direction, having held internal evulations of possible financial losses incurred during the period, including missed league titles and Champions League campaigns. Their position is now part of a broader coordinated response beginning to take shape across the division.
The reaction from within the game on Friday was significant. Former City midfielder Rodri, speaking at a Spain press conference in London ahead of Saturday's UEFA Nations League fixture against England at Wembley, backed his former club's innocence and pointed to the 2020 UEFA episode as evidence of the club's capacity to overturn adverse findings.
Tottenham's Andy Robertson, speaking at a Scotland press conference ahead of a UEFA Nations League tie against Slovenia, has further argued that the City players themselves should not be held accountable for the alleged institutional conduct at the club.
Scotland captain Andrew Robertson has said Manchester City's players should not be held responsible for the club's legal situation, following reports that the independent commission found City guilty on 114 of their alleged 115 financial rule breaches.cityxtra.co.ukAndy Robertson Defends Man City Players Following 114 Charges Guilty Verdict Revelation
Scotland captain Andrew Robertson has said Manchester City's players should not be held responsible for the club's legal situation, following reports that the independent commission found City guilty on 114 of their alleged 115 financial rule breaches.
Report: Clubs Mobilised Lawyers Ahead of Verdict, Now Talking to Each Other About Claims
As reported by The Athletic, several Premier League clubs mobilised leading lawyers some time before Friday's verdict to establish what they may be eligible to claim, and a number of those clubs are now in active discussions with one another about their options.
The coordination between rival clubs suggests that any legal challenge against City will not be pursued in isolation - a development that increases the collective weight of what City's legal team will be required to address alongside the sanctions process and their own appeal.
The financial stakes across a nine-year period in which City won multiple Premier League titles are considerable. Clubs that finished as runners-up or missed out on Champions League places during the relevant window would each have their own quantifiable case for losses - both in terms of prize money and the commercial value associated with European competition.
The precise basis on which individual clubs might pursue claims will depend in large part on the nature of the sanctions the independent commission ultimately imposes, and whether any element of those sanctions involves the redistribution of points or titles from the period in question.
Where do Man City Stand on Reports About a Verdict?
City, for their part, remain confident that they will prevail when the full process - sanctions, appeal, and any subsequent legal proceedings - runs its course.
The club's internal position, as reported by Telegraph Sport, is that senior figures are calm about the current stage of the case, and that the single charge the panel did not prove - said to be among the most serious of the 115 allegations they faced - will carry significant weight as proceedings continue. Sources have indicated the full resolution of the case may still take up to two to three years.
The scale of potential litigation now facing the club means that Friday's verdict, significant as it was, may prove to be one of the earlier stages of a much longer legal battle.
Whether the clubs now in discussions choose to pursue their claims through the courts, through the Premier League's own governance structures, or through some combination of both will become clearer as the sanctions phase gets underway.
Premier League action resumes after the international break, with City leading the table after five wins from five in the 2026/27 season under Enzo Maresca.
The next legal development will be the sanctions hearing before the independent commission, with the club's appeal process and any civil action from rival clubs to follow in the months and years ahead.