The Premier League found Manchester City guilty of 114 financial violations involving illegal spending of $1 billion.
Manchester City is currently facing the fallout of an independent commission’s 40-page report, which found the club guilty of almost every charge thrown its way. The investigation, which spanned more than 1,000 days, focused on breaches occurring between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. Ryan O’Hanlon, an ESPN.com staff writer and author of Net Gains: Inside the Beautiful Game's Analytics Revolution,
notes that the announcement of these 114 violations led to a realization that the Premier League is not actually fair.
The €1 Billion Net Spend Gap
The scale of City’s financial commitment during the period in question dwarfs its peers. De Bruyne spent a decade at the Etihad, winning the Champions League and six titles while recording 177 assists and 108 goals. At the time of his arrival, some pundits were skeptical; Sky Sports legend Paul Merson stated on an episode of Soccer Saturday, I just don't see £50million for this player.
While other giants spent heavily, City’s inability to recoup funds created a unique financial footprint. The club is the only one in world football to record a net spend exceeding €1 billion. In contrast, Chelsea also spent over €1 billion under former owner Roman Abramovich, who sought to improve the club’s standing in European football before current financial rules were in place.
| Club | Total Spend (2009-18) | Net Spend |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester City | €1.44 billion | Over €1 billion |
Manchester United also spent over €1 billion during this window, ranking fourth in Europe behind City, Chelsea, and Barcelona.
Brentford Operates with the League's Smallest Payroll
When analyzing the cost of success, a stark divide appears between the league’s elite spenders and the most efficient operators. O’Hanlon observes that, with the exception of Leicester City’s 2015-16 run, the Premier League winner is consistently one of the league’s wealthiest teams.
Brentford is noted for its efficiency. Despite Brentford having the league’s smallest estimated payroll at €62.9 million, the average among the “Big Six” is 56% for revenue put back into wages.
Chief Executive of the Premier League, Richard Masters: “The core decision establishes the facts of what happened at Manchester City during this period. It details how the club systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade.“It also vindicates the Premier…
- Bournemouth: €1.7 million per point.
Other clubs have seen varying levels of efficiency. Both Leicester City and Everton are listed at €2.6 million per point. Leicester City’s history includes a magical run in 2015-16 when they won the Premier League. Tottenham Hotspur, spending €3.4 million per point, sits just behind Liverpool in overall spending, having closed the gap primarily through transfer fees rather than their wage bill.
Wasteful Spending at Manchester United
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Manchester United represents the league’s peak of inefficiency, spending €5.3 million per point. This wastefulness persists despite the club spending over €1 billion between 2009 and 2018. Other high-cost signings in the league’s history include Fernando Torres, who moved to Chelsea in January 2011 for a then-British record fee, as well as Tiemoué Bakayoko, N’Golo Kante, Michy Batshuayi, Alvaro Morata, and Diego Costa, all of whom cost €35m or more.
The club has cycled through six different managers during this period. With Michael Carrick now looking like he’s on his last legs, the club faces further instability as it searches for a seventh manager to correct its trajectory.
Manchester City Intends to Appeal Potential League Sanctions
Manchester City has until Friday, Oct. 2, to lodge an appeal, which the club intends to do. The Premier League handbook allows for various punishments, ranging from fines to total expulsion. Because the handbook permits such other penalty as it shall think fit
, the league has the flexibility to create an unprecedented sanction to match the 114 violations.
Potential outcomes discussed by analysts include a massive points deduction based on the precedent of Nottingham Forest, which lost four points in March 2024 for a single breach. Applying that math to 114 violations would result in a 456-point deduction, potentially spread over eight seasons.
Other speculated penalties include a transfer ban lasting until 2043, which would prevent signings like Elliot Anderson. Some have suggested a veterans Masters League
where teams that lost to City—such as Tony Pulis’s 2011 Stoke City FA Cup final team—could replay matches using the original lineups. Other ideas include a Reverse Trophy Parade,
a mandate that fans remain forward-facing without bouncing to eliminate the “Poznan,” or an NFL-style Draft Day where City’s current players are distributed to other clubs.
The stripping of titles won during the period of deceit is also a possibility. City has won six of the last nine Premier League titles, a legacy now under scrutiny following the commission’s findings.
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