Man United among four clubs given early sight of Man City's guilty verdict

Manchester United were among four Premier League clubs given advance notice of Manchester City’s guilty verdict on all counts of breaching the league’s financial rules, according to a report by The Telegraph.

United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur had each served City with legal notice ahead of a September 2024 deadline, reserving the right to pursue compensation if the Etihad club were found guilty. As a result, executives from those four clubs were required to sign non-disclosure agreements before being allowed to view the judgement — ahead of the remaining 15 Premier League shareholders.

The Telegraph adds that the Premier League declined to comment on the matter. While the early notification is unlikely to bar those clubs from future compensation claims, the report notes it may complicate the procedural path to pursuing them.

City were found guilty on all counts, which included failing to report accurate financial information across nine seasons from 2009, failing to provide full details of player remuneration in contracts between 2010-11 and 2015-16, and failing to co-operate with the Premier League’s investigation between 2018 and 2023.

The club have since appealed the decision and continue to deny any wrongdoing. In an open letter to supporters following the verdict, City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak insisted the club’s position had not shifted.

“While some people have been quick to reach their own conclusions, and there is so much noise swirling around us, nothing has changed,” Al Mubarak wrote. “We have faced challenges together before and have prevailed. There remain many who want to undermine the momentum of our club. We will not give them that opportunity.”

The full implications of the verdict — including the scale of any potential sporting sanctions and the outcome of compensation claims — remain to be determined as the appeals process continues.