Erling Haaland has already expressed his confidence in Manchester City's innocence amidst the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League, stating the club gave him "a good feeling". The striker signed a nine-and-a-half-year contract with City in January, while the club awaits the verdict of an independent panel following a 12-week hearing into allegations of serious financial mismanagement.
City have maintained its position that it has a "comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence" to prove its innocence since the Premier League brought charges over two years ago. However, there have been suggestions that the club could face a points deduction of up to 100 points if the most serious allegations are substantiated, as well as the possibility of being stripped of some of its eight Premier League titles and facing compensation claims from other clubs.
Despite these concerns, Haaland expressed no doubts about City's innocence when signing his long-term deal. When asked why he opted to commit to City with the charges still pending, Haaland said: "I have said about 300 times why I signed a nine-and-a-half year contract. I spoke to the club, got a good feeling, and agreed to it in the end. That's why."
The club has continued to operate as usual, with no get-out clauses included in player contracts or transfer negotiations. Haaland has demonstrated unshakeable faith in Manchester City's future, discarding the release clause from his previous deal along with a fresh signature on new terms in January.
He expressed his contentment by stating: "I am really happy to have signed my new contract and to be able to look forward to spending even more time at this great club."
Continuing his praise for the club he calls home, Haaland added: "Manchester City is a special club, full of fantastic people with amazing supporters and it's the type of environment that helps bring the best out of everybody. I also want to thank Pep, his coaching staff, my teammates and everyone at the club as they have all helped me so much in the past couple of years. They have made this such a special place to be and now I am City no matter what."
Guardiola, sharing this optimism, signed a new two-year deal with the champions earlier in this campaign. The panel's outcome is anticipated shortly with Guardiola mentioning on February 7: "In one month, I think there will be a verdict and a sentence, After that, we will see my opinion of what happened so far."