What relegation threat? Man City’s transfer plans hint at FFP confidence – with Premier League champions facing questions from targets such as Omar Marmoush & Vitor Reis

Having been stung with at least 115 Financial Fair Play charges in February 2023, following an investigation into supposed misconduct between 2009 and 2018, the reigning Premier League champions are waiting to discover their fate.

An independent hearing into their case reached a conclusion in December 2024, with the panel now considering its verdict. Various punishments for City, ranging from points deductions to demotion out of the top-flight, have been speculated on.

City have, however, always maintained their innocence and would appear to have few fears regarding the supposed threat to their standing among English football’s elite as they are linked with the likes of Eintracht Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush and Palmeiras’ teenage defender Vitor Reis.

Stefan Borson, a former financial advisor at City, has told Football Insider of why the Blues look 'confident': “January is a difficult market, but City have got huge PSR capacity, so that’s not an issue. They have clearly got some issues on the field, so you can understand that they would want to remedy that. I think it demonstrates a level of confidence about the 115 charges and the potential impact of those. I don’t think it’s definitive, but it’s a signal that they are confident.

“It’s a signal that the message they are giving to potential signings is positive because I don’t think it’s possible that any player coming in at this stage would not be asking about the situation. You would think that they are giving reassurance to agents and to players. But ultimately, they are signing players because they are short on the field.”

City resisted any urge to spend big last summer, but are aware of the need to start freshening up their ranks after enduring uncharacteristic struggles for consistency in 2024-25. They are currently sat sixth in the Premier League table, 12 points adrift of leaders Liverpool.