Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed that the club expects to receive a verdict next month regarding the 115 charges of alleged Premier League financial rule breaches. The case, which was heard by an independent commission between September and December, could potentially result in severe penalties including points deduction or relegation if the club is found guilty.
The Premier League champions, who strongly deny all charges, have been under intense scrutiny. Guardiola, who recently extended his contract until 2027, had previously claimed that City's critics wanted the club "wiped from the face of the Earth." While no official timeline had been announced, the decision was widely anticipated to arrive in early 2025.
The revelation came as Guardiola addressed questions about City's substantial £180m winter transfer window spending. The club made several significant acquisitions, including Uzbekistan defender Abdoukodir Khusanov from Lens for £33.6m, Brazilian teenager Vitor Reis from Palmeiras for £29.6m, Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt for £63m, and Spanish Under-21 midfielder Nico Gonzales from Porto for £50m.
This spending spree represents the second-largest outlay in Premier League history for a mid-season window, surpassed only by Chelsea's £275m expenditure in 2023. Notably, City's winter spending exceeded the combined total of all other Premier League clubs during the same period.
Defending the club's transfer activities, Guardiola emphasized that City's spending was made possible by their profitable operations over the past three seasons, including significant player sales such as Cole Palmer to Chelsea and Liam Delap to Ipswich, which generated £57.5m. "My words will not convince people," Guardiola stated, addressing critics who focus on the club's spending. "I know with this club it is always 'just about the money'. But in the past five years, we are the last among the top six for net spend. Even after what we have spent in this transfer window, we are away from Chelsea, (Manchester) United, Arsenal, Tottenham. Even from Liverpool. The only reason why is we sell a lot in the last seasons."
The timing of these developments is particularly significant as City currently sits fifth in the league table, 15 points behind leaders Liverpool, marking a notable struggle compared to their performance in previous seasons.
