This international break is not easy for Manchester City. On Friday, the English team was found guilty of almost all 115 charges relating to financial fair play. A bomb dropped by The Athletic and subsequently confirmed by other media. In the process, the residents of the Etihad Stadium gave their first impressions by speaking on SkySports. “The procedure initiated by the Premier League continues, with certain important elements remaining to be finalized, and is subject to strict confidentiality. As such, Manchester City FC’s position remains in line with the press release published by the club in February 2023. The club has scrupulously respected the procedure in force for eight years, based on the principle that the board and management of the Premier League would act as an independent, impartial and fair regulatory authority, free from any partisan influence. »
This weekend, Khaldoon Al-Mubarak, the president of Man City, published a letter to supporters, obviously very worried with this sword of Damocles over the club. “I have been part of this club for 18 years. I had the privilege of being with you at the Etihad, at Wembley and in Istanbul. This club means the world to me, and you have shown me and told me, over and over again, how much Manchester City means to you. This is why I am writing to you today (…) Following the information relayed by the media on Friday, many of you undoubtedly spent your evening answering questions and messages from your friends, family and colleagues. Me too. This is what I told my family: The Premier League process still has a long way to go, and our confidence and determination to prove the club’s innocence is just as strong as when this case began. »
Some Skyblues are already being closely monitored
Publicly, the Mancunians defend themselves tooth and nail and display a certain serenity. But this announcement did not go unnoticed. In addition to other Premier League members who want to shed light on this matter, or even demand sanctions, certain teams are considering taking advantage of the Cityzens’ possible misfortunes to make a few moves. This is what this Monday explains The Sun. The British publication, which consulted Spanish sources, indicates that Josko Gvardiol, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Elliot Anderson, Enzo Fernandez and Rayan Cherki are followed on the other side of the Pyrenees, notably by Real Madrid. A club which also ticked off the name of Erling Haaland. Unsurprisingly, the Norwegian should be the most sought-after City player in the event of sanctions.
The Cyborg dreams of playing for Real Madrid. A club that has followed him for a long time, but which preferred to focus on Kylian Mbappé two years ago. If Haaland were to be on the market, the Merengues would be in the race. Same thing for FC Barcelona. The Sun ensures that the Catalans are watching him closely, who want to get their hands on a top striker after the departure of Robert Lewandowski and the failure of the Julian Alvarez case. We are not there (yet) and officially, City have not received any sanctions. But behind the scenes, clubs have already identified the players to watch if the English were to have fewer points, or even be relegated to the lower division. If this were to happen, teams wishing to serve Manchester City would still have to pay transfer fees.
