A new report has detailed the 'early-stage' settlement talks that were held between Manchester City and the Premier League prior to the publication of the top-flight's judgement on the Etihad Stadium club.
Assessing the first portion of Manchester City's 2026/27 seasonMore Videos
Manchester City supporters will be glad to know that the on-field agenda for the club resumes this weekend, as Enzo Maresca and his players return to Premier League action with a trip to face Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
It comes after a three-week international break that brought with it the long-awaited verdict from the Premier League on City's 115 charges, finding that the club had been guilty of the majority of such allegations revolving around financial rules.
An independent commission highlighted in particular that Manchester City had artificially inflated their commercial revenue figures through "sham" contracts, increasing such revenue by around £830 million.
In direct response, City have lodged a 'comprehensive appeal' in what they feel will clear their name through a body of 'irrefutable' evidence, while Enzo Maresca has insisted he has full trust and faith in the club on the matter, defiantly discussing the moment the club wins the appeal when faced by the media on Friday morning.
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca faced the press for the first time on Friday morning since the club were found guilty by an independent commission of breaching the Premier League's financial rules.cityxtra.co.ukEvery Word Enzo Maresca Said on Man City's Guilty Verdict Ahead of Liverpool Trip
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca faced the press for the first time on Friday morning since the club were found guilty by an independent commission of breaching the Premier League's financial rules.
But while competitive action on the field returns this weekend, lines of reporting surrounding the Manchester City case continue to emerge, this time surrounding a potential settlement between the club and the English top-flight.
Man City and Premier League's settlement talks revealed
Now, according to Bloomberg, Manchester City held 'early-stage settlement talks' with the Premier League prior to the publication of the club's guilty verdict findings from an independent commission.
It is however pointed out that the talks 'quickly fell apart', with Manchester City 'consistently proclaiming its innocence', while such a settlement would have focused on a 'sizeable financial payment' rather than relegation and stripping of titles.
Although, the report states that any settlement found between the two parties would have likely only decreased the size of the overall case, rather than resolving it entirely.
Representatives for Manchester City and the Premier League declined to comment on Bloomberg's findings.
What does this mean for Manchester City?
For now, it remains to be seen whether the collapse of such talks prior to the public release of a verdict ends any possibility of settlement discussions re-emerging in the future, if requested by either side.
However, with an appeal lodged and Manchester City's own statements from chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and chief executive officer Ferran Soriano, it seems to be clear that the club intend to clear their name entirely and remain confident in doing so.
With that being said, whilst that process remains ongoing, and should there be any further appeals or delays to a conclusion, pressure will only grow from other Premier League clubs demanding for a final answer and possibly punishments of Manchester City.
At present, the appeal process is expected to last 12 weeks and a verdict within 30 days of that process concluding. Despite those rules, one report recently quoted a senior source from a top-four rival of City in the Premier League, who stated, "That appeal will not be over in two months, trust me".