Arsenal legend Martin Keown has said he has heard rumors that Manchester City's punishment from the Premier League for breaking financial rules will not be as bad as everyone thinks

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has claimed he has heard rumors that Manchester City's Premier League punishment for financial rule-breaking will not be as severe as everyone thinks.

During the recent international break, the biggest story in Premier League history unraveled after an independent commission found the eight-time champions guilty of 114 financial violations out of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League. The Premier League says City engaged in a decade-long scheme between the 2009-10 and 2017-2018 seasons to circumvent spending rules through "sham contracts" and inaccurate financial reporting, among other practices.

The club itself denies all wrongdoing and has officially lodged an appeal against the ruling, with a verdict expected in the coming months.

OPINION

If the guilty verdict is upheld, it seems unthinkable that City could be a Premier League team come next season, given the severity of the charges and the sheer number of them.

However, according to Keown, he has heard that the verdict could be rendered in the coming weeks, adding that it may not be as severe as everyone thinks.

Speaking on talkSPORT alongside Jim White and Simon Jordan, Keown said, "They're [Manchester City fans] resolute, they believe that they're right and their owners are giving them that firm message [that] irrefutable evidence will be revealed. So they're holding on to that.

He then added, "I'm hearing rumors that this will all be over in a number of weeks ... six weeks or so, we'll see what's going to happen. And it won't be nearly as bad as we think it might be, and maybe they get off with huge fines, and we return to the football pitch."

There have been various reports alongside Keown's claims regarding City's punishment.

A source told the Telegraph that, "The talk among clubs is that nobody can see it getting sorted out this season. That’s a massive problem because nobody is sure what they are playing for and whether or not the final positions will stand."

However, the Mail reports that City will most likely be relegated to the Championship and fined.

They could then be confined to the Championship for another season via a further deduction, although the EFL would have to hand out that sanction.

From a Liverpool perspective, the punishment could see the Reds be handed the titles from the seasons they finished second behind City if they are reallocated as part of the sanctions.

While the only title race finished second to City during the Premier League charges period was the 2013/14 season, it can be argued that City were only in a position to dominate the league due to the position that rule-breaking put them in.

That could see the Reds be handed the 2018/19 and 2021/22 Premier League titles.