Arsenal, Liverpool, United and Spurs eye £200m compensation if Man City found guilty of 115 charges

Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are preparing to pursue legal action against Manchester City that could yield more than £200m in combined compensation, according to sources with knowledge of the details, amid widespread reports that City are set to be found guilty of almost all of the 115 Premier League charges relating to alleged financial rule breaches.

All four clubs preserved their rights to claim compensation for loss of earnings under Section W of Premier League rules before the statute of limitations passed, effectively locking in their ability to sue. United and Spurs declined to comment when contacted; Arsenal and Liverpool had not responded at the time of publication.

Other clubs have been approached by law firms exploring whether they too could bring claims, though that avenue is considered legally uncertain given the time elapsed. Lawyers could argue the entire case constitutes one proceeding that began before the statute of limitations expired, but the issue remains a grey area.

The potential claims are rooted in the period covered by the Premier League investigation. Manchester United missed out on the title in 2011-12 and 2017-18, Liverpool were denied in 2013-14, and City qualified for the Champions League every season from 2009-10 to 2017-18. Sources indicate claims may extend beyond those specific seasons to include “loss of chance” in subsequent campaigns, as well as lost commercial revenue.

The clearest legal precedent comes from Burnley’s successful claim against Everton. In June of this year, an independent commission ordered Everton to pay Burnley £35.1m after ruling that the Merseyside club’s breach of Premier League Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) in 2021-22 had delivered a sporting advantage. Everton survived relegation that season in 16th place on 39 points, while Burnley were relegated in 18th on 35 points.

Sources familiar with the processes say that any successful action against City could be worth over £200m to individual claimant clubs, a figure that would dwarf the Burnley-Everton settlement and set a landmark precedent for financial accountability in English football. No verdict in the City case has been officially confirmed.