There has been an interesting development relating to Manchester City and their guilty charges. The news, however, has left Premier League rivals in 'dismay'.

After an independent commission found Man City guilty of breaking the Premier League’s financial rules, the Etihad side are currently in the process of appealing the verdict. If they are unsuccessful, the sanctions could be significant.

There is much talk about the punishments City could face, including titles being stripped, owners being removed, points being deducted, and even potential relegations. For now, though, Enzo Maresca's men continue to compete as normal, having won all seven opening league games of the 2026/27 season.

Premier League Rivals ‘Fear Massive Problem' With Man City

Many will hope that the saga will be wrapped up as soon as possible, so that Man City can be dealt any punishment before the end of the current campaign. However, the latest news is that it could yet drag on and on.

A report from The Daily Telegraph claims Man City’s Premier League rivals ‘fear' things taking forever to be resolved. There is said to be ‘dismay’ at rival Premier League clubs as ‘City appear unwilling to agree a settlement that would bring the process to a conclusion during this campaign and end the uncertainty clouding England’s top flight’.

Adding to this, City are reportedly ‘ready to explore every avenue to challenge and overturn the verdict’, and a source for the outlet has revealed the rival clubs’ response. The source said:

“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.”

The Case Has Already Dragged on For Years

City's initial lack of co-operation in the matter is part of the reason why the club have been hit with as many as 115 charges in the first place. The independent Commission stated: "During the Premier League’s investigation, Manchester City committed multiple breaches of its duties of co-operation and utmost good faith towards the League (three of the four alleged breaches were upheld)."

The entire process has been extremely dragged out, with Man City charged by the Premier League back in 2023. The hearing concluded in December 2024, but then a verdict was not given until September 2026. It now appears as though the Etihad outfit will look to slow down the next stages as they fight to prove their innocence.

At the very least, David Kogan, head of the Independent Football Regulator, has claimed that the appeal process should be wrapped up within 12 weeks. He said: “The Premier League have said that they want to get this resolved within season and actually, of course, it’s not the Premier League, it’s an independent commission that’s going to hear this, made of three retired either judges or lawyers.

“My understanding is there is a prescribed process, which is 12 weeks, and so people are assuming this will actually be heard by the middle or the end of January. But as I say, it’s not our process, it’s that of the Premier League’s independent commission."

• February 2023 — Premier League charged Manchester City with 115 alleged financial rule breaches spanning 2009-2018.
• September 2024 — Independent commission began hearing the case privately in London.
• December 2024 — The 12-week hearing concluded, leaving the commission to deliberate. September 2026 — Premier League confirmed City guilty of all serious financial breach charges.
• October 2026 — City lodged a comprehensive appeal against the commission's guilty verdict.
• Early 2027 — Outcome of appeal should be delivered by the independent commission

While the appeal process should be sorted within 12 weeks, it's unclear what will happen next if Man City's guilt is confirmed. Indeed, there is currenlty no clear time frame for dishing out potential sanctions.