Walker backtracks on tattoo removal as Man City face points deduction, fine or expulsion

Kyle Walker has moved to quash speculation that he would remove his Manchester City tattoos, insisting via Instagram that he “never had any intention” of doing so — days after remarks he made on the subject were widely interpreted as leaving the door open.

The former City defender had been asked whether he would get rid of the ink, which includes the phrase “4 in a row” referencing the club’s four consecutive Premier League title wins, if the club’s guilty verdict on 114 financial charges was upheld. His initial response — “Well, I’m probably going to have to do that bit” — prompted a wave of headlines before Walker posted a clarification: “Just to clear up the misleading headlines today. I’ve never had any intention of removing my Manchester City tattoos.”

The episode comes as Manchester City’s appeal against the independent panel’s guilty verdict continues. The club was found to have committed all financial breaches brought forward by the Premier League, though City maintain they have done nothing wrong. Both an appeal hearing and a separate sanctions process are now under way.

Should the guilty verdict be upheld, three broad categories of punishment have emerged as possibilities. The most severe would be immediate expulsion from the Premier League and the EFL — a sanction that would require no obligation on the EFL’s part to accept City into its structure. A substantial financial penalty has also been floated, with former Arsenal defender Martin Keown suggesting on talkSPORT that a multi-million pound fine could be the outcome, though many observers consider that insufficient given the scale of the charges.

The third and currently most widely anticipated outcome is a significant points deduction. According to a report from the Daily Mail, the deduction could be structured to guarantee City’s relegation, with a second deduction applied to ensure they spend at least two seasons in the Championship rather than winning promotion at the first attempt.

The stripping of titles won during the period under scrutiny has been discussed but is widely considered unlikely. City’s appeal process means a final resolution on sanctions remains some way off.