Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak points
Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith
In September 2026, it was reported to the public that Manchester City had been found guilty of more than 100 breaches of the Premier League's financial rules. The Etihad club, however, knew about the verdict much sooner than that.
The Premier League are yet to announce an official statement confirming the ruling, but Man City have responded to media reports, insisting that they still maintain their innocence:
"The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality. As such Manchester City FC's position remains consistent with the club's statement of February 2023.
"The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis that the Premier League Board and Executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence."
It's expected that Man City will appeal, and it remains unclear what punishment they will face if the guilty verdict sticks.
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Man City Knew About Charges Before Spending Big This Summer
Enzo Fernandez
Action Images via Reuters
It's rather interesting to now learn that, as per ESPN, Man City have known about the news for months now. The report claims that the Cityzens were actually first informed that they had been found guilty of more than 100 breaches of the Premier League's financial rules in the summer.
The article then goes on to highlight how the English club immediately went on to spend 'heavily in the transfer market' despite the guilty verdict hanging over their heads. In total, Man City spent over £450m in the summer window.
ESPN claim that the record transfer to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116m was actually agreed before City had knowledge that the independent panel had reached its verdict. Even so, they went on to smash their own transfer record later on in the summer, spending a joint-British record £125m on bringing in Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea.
The club also spent notable fees on the likes of Ayyoub Bouaddi, Iliman Ndiaye, Allan, Mathys Detourbet, and 17-year-old Jeremy Monga.
Man City's Punishment Could Lead to Transfer Ban and Big Fines
Enzo Maresca
Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
There has been a great deal of talk about what sort of sanctions Man City may face. Points deductions and possible relegation are among the most popular possibilities, while there is also the notion that they could be stripped of past Premier League titles.
Adding to that, there is also a chance that they will face big financial penalties and possibly a transfer ban. Chelsea, for example, were handed a £10m fine and a suspended one-year first-team transfer ban after breaking Premier League rules.
With that in mind, it would not be unreasonable to think Man City deliberately spent big in the 2026 summer transfer window, knowing that their chances to splash the cash in future markets could be hindered or even completely blocked as a consequence of their own rule-breaking.
At the same time, it was also a summer of transition for Enzo Maresca's side, with key figures like Pep Guardiola, John Stones, Bernardo Silva and Rodri all leaving. As such, money was always going to be spent on a rebuild.