Man City told to brace for 40-point deduction if found guilty in FFP case but automatic relegation ruled out as potential punishment for Premier League champions

The reigning champions of England have at least 115 Financial Fair Play charges hanging over their head. A hearing into supposed monetary mismanagement has been completed, but no verdict has been delivered as yet.

It has been suggested that City could be stung with points penalties, transfer bans or demotion out of the top-flight – although their recruitment business at the start of 2025, while handing a new 10-year contract to star striker Erling Haaland, suggests that they will not be dropping into the EFL any time soon.

That is an opinion shared by Dr Rob Wilson, an economics professor at Sheffield Hallam University, with a leading expert in football finance telling Slingo of the long-running saga in Manchester: “I don't expect them to get relegated. I think there'll be a hefty points deduction, which I was guessing was going to be around 50, but that was when they were right at the top of the Premier League. I think somewhere between 20 and 40 would probably be where they end up landing and probably a transfer embargo in the summer, which might explain why the January activity has been like it is.

“I expect them to get penalised but it'll be a win for Man City and it'll be a win for the Premier League because it'll be the biggest points deduction they've ever had but it won't be enough to really destabilise the football club.”

Dr Wilson added: “A transfer embargo I think is almost a guarantee because they have to provide some level of sporting sanction which then would explain why they've suddenly gone into the market and are signing potentially four players.. Well definitely bringing three in I think, aren't they, potentially four so, yeah.

“The trend that the Premier League has gone with is to do it within the same season. That's why we had that big foray with Everton, because they had two points deductions in the same season based on the two different PSR accounting periods.”

City – who have made history with their record-breaking run of title triumphs - are currently sat fourth in the Premier League table. A hefty 40-point deduction would leave them on just one for the season and rooted to the foot of the division, 16 from safety with a little under half of the campaign still to play.