Premier League clubs want to see Manchester City expelled from the Premier League if their appeal against their guilty verdict fails.
Manchester United v Manchester City - Premier League 2026/27
Manchester City's rivals do not expect to see them in the Premier League next season (Image: Getty)
Premier League clubs are said to agree that Manchester City ought to be removed from the top flight next season should their appeal against their financial charges prove unsuccessful. City have been found guilty of breaching the Premier League's rules over a nine-year period. An independent commission ruled the club guilty of 114 of the 115 charges levelled against them, determining they had employed 'sham' contracts to conceal over £830million in funding. City have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and have lodged an appeal against the verdict. The potential sanctions City could face has sparked considerable debate.
Some argue City's alleged rule-breaking warrants expulsion from the Premier League, forcing them to rebuild from the non-league pyramid.
Others are understood to worry that ejecting City from the top flight could breathe new life into the European Super League.
City were the first club to formally withdraw from the European Super League in April 2021, following fierce opposition from supporters to the controversial proposals.
The Super League project did not vanish entirely, however, until UEFA confirmed in February that it had secured an 'agreement of principles for the well-being of European club football' with Real Madrid and the European Football Clubs group.
According to Sky Sports, Premier League clubs 'do not expect' City to remain in the top flight next season if their appeal fails. It has also been claimed that 'many believe' a points deduction would not be sufficient if it resulted in City spending just one season outside the Premier League.
The apparent consensus among rival clubs is that regulations must be enforced equally across all teams, irrespective of their stature or prominence.
Some clubs consequently believe it would be improper for City to face a sanction lasting merely one season for alleged violations spanning several years.
Manchester City v West Ham United - Premier League
Man City could be booted out of the Premier League (Image: Getty)
Removal from the Premier League represents one potential punishment, though it would require the backing of 15 clubs through a vote. Additional possible sanctions include restrictions on transfers, a points deduction or monetary fines.
Nevertheless, The Telegraph previously reported that certain clubs consider the Premier League stronger with City's participation and fear their exclusion could harm the competition's worldwide standing.
City, for their part, insist they possess 'irrefutable evidence' demonstrating the arrangements in question were legitimate and financed by the Abu Dhabi government rather than the club's owners, the Abu Dhabi United Group.
The Premier League allows state-owned bodies to sponsor clubs, an assertion that may feature in City's appeal as they attempt to establish that the Abu Dhabi United Group did not create fraudulent sponsorship deals.
Last Friday, City confirmed their appeal and released a statement saying: "The club's firm position is that, on multiple grounds, the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe.
"The club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case.
"We will continue to respect due process and are necessarily restricted in what we can say further until all proceedings are complete."