Stefan Borson
Tue 25 March 2025 15:19, UK
Manchester City and Manchester United could soon be at the centre of a legal storm after age-fraud allegations have emerged.
The Manchester giants, like most of the Premier League clubs, have signed several young stars from overseas in recent years.
The Telegraph reported on 19 March Man City and Man United are facing questions over a potential age-fraud scandal involving some of their foreign-born academy players.
The newspaper said evidence has emerged casting doubt on the ages of six footballers who have moved to the UK in the past several years, with three of them representing England at youth level.
It has obtained photographs that are alleged to indicate each of the six had played in much older age groups in their home countries than the age they are purported to be at the time.
Former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider the allegation appears to be the players have misled the system rather than the clubs committing any wrongdoing.
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FIFA’s regulations prevent teams from signing overseas players under 18 unless their parents or legal guardians have relocated for non-footballing reasons.
Man City
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Man City and Man United players facing ‘significant’ issue
Borson insisted it will be a “significant” issue if the players turn out to be older than Man City and Man United believed they were when they signed them.
He told Football Insider: “As far as I’m aware, the allegation is more about the players misleading the system as opposed to the clubs misleading the Premier League and everybody else.
“In many ways, I think my reading of it is that it’s the clubs are potential victims of effectively age fraud by the individuals. I think in that case, the question will then be about what precautions and processes the clubs went into.
“But you would think that, for the most part, there won’t be serious repercussions for the clubs beyond the fact that they will have players who they may have paid for, supported and will have invested very substantial amounts of money in developing their careers that they then may discover are effectively not who or what they thought they were.
“That will be a significant issue. It has happened before, so we know this is not new. There are quite a few examples of this over the years.
“But I think this is not something that can be easily fixed either. Some of the methodologies that they’re talking about, I don’t think necessarily guarantee anything either.
“We will just have to see, but I wouldn’t think that this is the sort of thing that ends up in a charge for City or United for an allegation of wrongdoing.
“I don’t think that’s the story from what I’ve seen.”
Man United
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Man City and Man United race to sign Adam Wharton
Football Insider revealed on 14 March Crystal Palace are not under pressure to sell Adam Wharton in the summer transfer window.
Man City and Man United are racing to sign Wharton, while Liverpool and Real Madrid are also among the sides linked with the 21-year-old.
Appearances (Starts) 17 (12)
Minutes Played 981
Goals 0
Assists 1
Yellow Cards 1
Wharton’s Crystal Palace stats in the 2024-25 campaign (all competitions)
The midfielder has impressed for Palace since making the move from Blackburn Rovers in a £22million deal in February 2024.
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