The English club has been found guilty of almost all charges related to the Premier League’s financial regulations.
Manchester City’s transfer market has been found guilty of 114 out of 115 charges related to the Premier League’s financial regulations, as reported on September 25, 2026, and the club is preparing an appeal. The future sanction is yet to be determined, but both Real Madrid and Barcelona are closely monitoring the possible impact on the squad.
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The ruling comes from an independent commission following allegations made in February 2023. The allegations span more than a decade of financial information, while the Premier League maintains that the process is confidential.
Manchester City: a sanction that awaits
The crucial point now is not the ruling, but the consequences of it. David Ornstein, journalist for The Athletic, explains that the commission still needs to determine appropriate measures, and Manchester City hope to appeal the decision.
Therefore, there is currently no points deduction, ban, specific fine, or officially communicated market restriction. Any sporting scenario beyond the current ruling will be a hypothesis pending clarification for the time being.
This moment comes after a summer of heavy investment. City signed Enzo Fernández for €145 million from Chelsea and further strengthened the squad with other costly deals, while Rodri went to Barcelona.
This context explains why a potential sanction could have implications for future planning. The club has put together a squad with long-term contracts and significant investment, so any financial constraints will need to be considered once the final decision is known.
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Real Madrid and Barcelona already know about several City goals
Real Madrid have maintained market links to players who are currently at Manchester City. Erling Haaland, 26, remains linked to the white club after AS reported in July that Madrid’s interest in the Norwegian striker persists. – The same goes for Barcelona, who Sporten.com have written several times about their interest in the Norwegian goal machine.
Another case is Josko Gvardiol, a 24-year-old defender. The Croatian was offered to Real Madrid in May and then extended with City until 2031 – eliminating one of the avenues that had emerged in the market.
Barcelona has also had direct links with Manchester City. Rodri, 30, left the English club this summer to sign with Barça until 2030, after the Catalan club made an offer close to €50 million, while City initially valued his departure at around €65 million.
The situation of Rayan Cherki belongs to another market moment: City chose the Frenchman after considering various options during the rebuilding of the squad and currently the attacking midfielder has 2 goals and 2 assists in his first three Premier League games.
Enzo Fernández completes the list of recent names linked to the market: the Argentine joined City from Chelsea for €145 million and signed until 2031 – so a potential sanction would first affect the club’s institutional and financial situation before automatically resulting in departures.
The next step will be to know the content of the sanction and – more importantly – when it will be final after the announced appeal. Until then, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona will continue to be part of a potential market where players from the English champions may only become truly available if the final measures change their schedule.
