Premier League clubs could consider the “nuclear option” of expelling City if the club loses its appeal against the independent commission’s financial verdict and then refuses to accept its punishment, according to a report.

City have appealed after being found guilty on all but one of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League. The club continues to strongly deny wrongdoing and is challenging both the findings and any sanction imposed.

Man City expulsion described as ‘nuclear option’

The Athletic reports there is growing concern among Premier League executives over how long the dispute could continue, with the uncertainty surrounding City’s position potentially stretching into next year.

An unnamed former commercial executive at a leading Premier League club claimed there would come a point where other clubs could push for City’s expulsion if an unsuccessful appeal was followed by further resistance to punishment. “There’s a mood among enough clubs to press that button if it’s needed,” the executive said, describing it as the “nuclear option” available to the league.

That remains a hypothetical scenario rather than an immediate threat to City. Their appeal is not expected to conclude until early 2027 and there has been no suggestion that Premier League clubs are currently preparing an expulsion vote, with several stages still required before such a possibility could arise.

City’s position has not changed since the commission delivered its verdict. The club insists it is innocent and believes the findings contain material errors, meaning the appeal process will now determine whether the original decisions stand before attention turns to what follows.

There is also concern about what a prolonged dispute could mean for the Premier League itself. Scott Moore of Brand Finance argued that the bigger risk is not losing City but damaging the perception that the competition is fair, with uncertainty potentially becoming more harmful the longer the case remains unresolved.

City’s appeal is therefore the crucial next step. Until that process is completed, talk of expulsion remains a possible future course raised by figures within the game rather than a punishment currently facing the club.

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Gary Gowers is a sports journalist and the editor of Read Everton, where he leads daily coverage of Everton news, transfers and analysis. He also writes about Manchester City for Read Man City and motorsport for Read Motorsport. A former accountant, he became a freelance writer in 2011 and has written for BBC Sport and Metro.