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According to reports, Manchester City’s FFP situation could spark a ‘drastic change’ to boost the chances of a Manchester United takeover.
The footballing world is awaiting a ruling on how Man City will be punished after they were found guilty of breaching the Premier League’s FFP regulations.
Despite insisting on their innocence, Man City have been found guilty on 114 of 115 charges for their alleged wrongdoing between 2009 and 2018, and they now face severe sanctions.
Man City have appealed, but their potential punishments include a huge fine, a transfer ban, a points deduction, expulsion and/or being stripped of their Premier League titles.
Other potential knock-on effects include a mass player exodus, rival clubs suing them and/or their owners being forced out.
So the sanctions could send shockwaves around the footballing world, and journalist Miguel Delaney has now detailed for The Independent ‘how the Man City case could spark a drastic change in English football’.
It is said that ‘the current calculation is that at least eight [Premier League] clubs – over a third of the league – are either officially or unofficially up for sale in some form’, and ‘this major shift could bring a solution to one of English football’s major problems’ even with Man City’s FFP case.
Delaney explains that the current issue is that the ‘market has changed’ and there are ‘so few buyers’, though the current ‘stagnation’ could lead to a ‘reset’.
It has been speculated this week that Man Utd are ‘for sale’ at a set price, so they are among the clubs that could be impacted.
Regarding Man City, they are described as a ‘looming story’ that will inevitably have an impact on the market.
The report explains:
‘A lot of people are waiting to see how that case concludes, especially since it could see the Abu Dhabi ownership sell up, too. No matter what happens, the very nature of the City story is viewed as inevitably bringing some kind of reset.
‘Even in the most basic terms, a usually locked-in Champions League place may be opened, and that for a few years. Financial projections can be altered. Should City unexpectedly prove successful in their appeal, though, they’re back in the centre of all of this and potentially emboldened. Many prospective ownerships and investors want to see how this lands before acting.’
It is also said that ‘another layer’ is if there is a ‘forced sale’ at Man City, with it noted that there would then be ‘a much bigger discussion about state or state-linked ownership’ and ‘if such purchases are restricted, it does change the market’ with the ‘overall ceiling lowered’.