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As Manchester City gear up to challenge the guilty verdict issued against them for serious financial violations, reports indicate that Manchester United and other Premier League clubs are looking to compound their troubles.
Friday's announcement confirmed that City had been found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges brought against them, covering financial misconduct between 2009 and 2018 and persistent failure to cooperate with investigators. Potential penalties could include any combination of fines, points deductions, and, in the most extreme scenario, expulsion from the top flight.
No penalties have been imposed as yet, with City reportedly preparing to lodge an appeal, but they now face a new complication as The Athletic reports that cross-city rivals United are examining the impact of City's behavior on their own financial standing.
Operating on the assumption that City's achievements during the nine-year period in question were gained through unfair means, United are assessing the extent to which their own finances suffered as a result of City's actions.
Among the key moments United are considering is the 2011–12 Premier League title race, which was decided in City's favor by a last-gasp goal from Sergio Agüero on the season's final day. Goal difference also cost United a Champions League spot to City in 2015–16.
The 2020–21 campaign, which falls outside the period of alleged misconduct but is seen as carrying the residual effects of earlier wrongdoing, saw United finish as runners-up to City in the title race.
What Can Man Utd Expect From Man City's Case?
If City's guilty verdict is upheld, rival clubs could be entitled to pursue compensation claims against them.
While this type of action has no precedent at the top level of the Premier League, a comparable situation unfolded in the relegation battle in recent seasons involving Everton's breaches of Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR) across the three-year periods ending in 2021–22 and 2022–23.
Burnley, who were relegated in 2021–22 after finishing four points adrift of Everton, pursued compensation for the financial damage caused by their drop and, in June, were awarded £35 million ($46 million) in damages and interest. Everton have since appealed the decision.
There are clear parallels between Burnley's case and any potential claims United or other Premier League clubs might bring against City, though they would need to demonstrate a tangible negative impact on their own operations.
With City's appeal expected to trigger another drawn-out legal process, United are unlikely to take formal action for some time, but club officials are said to be working quietly in the background to position themselves ahead of any definitive guilty ruling against City.