A football finance expert has given their verdict on the Associated Party Transaction (APT) case involving Manchester City and the Premier League.
At the start of 2023, it was revealed that the Premier League has charged Man City as they are accused of breaching more than 100 financial fair play rules.
If found guilty, Pep Guardiola‘s side could be given a huge fine, points deduction or transfer ban, while the most severe potential punishment would result in them being expelled from the Premier League.
A further spanner was thrown into the works earlier this year as Man City launched an unprecedented legal battle against the Premier League as they campaign for the removal of APT rules.
If Man City are successful, it would dramatically alter their FFP case as most of their charges would become redundant.
City’s APT case has already been heard, while the FFP hearing is expected to get underway later this year.
A decision on the APT case has not yet been revealed and ex-Everton and Aston Villa CEO Keith Wyness recently revealed his “gut feeling” on this situation.
“Like everyone else, I was keen to see the handbook come out – I used to get it religiously every year,” Wyness said.
READ: Man City stars reassigned after FFP ‘expulsion’: Foden to Chelsea as CB gets ‘dream’ Liverpool move
“I still look at it in detail every year. That may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I still find it interesting.
“But the intriguing thing about the Associated Party Transactions rules is that there has been no change. That is likely to mean that a decision simply hasn’t been reached.
“If the Premier League has won this case, then that could also explain the lack of change in rules.
“There may also be an agreement to keep the decision confidential until the other Man City case is heard later this year.
“There are all sorts of exciting conspiracy theories, but my gut feeling is that a decision just hasn’t quite been reached yet.”
A new ‘significant update’ has since been provided by Football Insider courtesy of ex-City financial advisor Stefan Borson. He claims his former club are yet to be given a “decision” after their APT hearing.
“My information when it came out was that there hadn’t been a decision,” Borson told Football Insider.
MORE MAN CITY COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Man City FFP: The ‘maximum’ time it will take before APT verdict amid ‘agenda’ warning
👉 Pep Guardiola speaks out on Chelsea style as Enzo Maresca pinpoints ‘good thing’ in Man City thumping
👉 Man City: Report claims three players are ‘unhappy under Guardiola’; one star ‘remains biggest issue’
“We will have to see how it pans out. They can change the rules at any time.
“I think they ran out of time for the publication of this season’s handbook as it was.
“Ideally, they would have wanted the result of that hearing before they had to publish this season’s handbook. But clearly, with only three weeks to go until the season starts, they needed to get it out.
“There were very few changes in there overall, so there are no changes at all to the rules related to disciplinary or arbitration.
“The only thing we know is that, as of last week, they hadn’t had a decision.”