Manchester City found guilty of 100-plus financial breaches as expulsion looms

City learned of verdict before summer spending spree

Manchester City were first informed during the summer that they had been found guilty of more than 100 breaches of the Premier League's financial rules — and that revelation came before the club embarked on a heavy spending spree in the transfer market, according to ESPN.

The independent commission's verdict was delivered earlier than previously understood, raising questions about the timing of City's recruitment. ESPN reports that City's deal this summer for Elliot Anderson was agreed before the club had knowledge that the independent panel had reached its verdict.

Expulsion now on the table

The ramifications could be seismic. The Telegraph reports that Manchester City could be expelled from the Premier League after their near-£1billion cheating scandal was laid bare.

The commission's findings included damning detail around disguised funding and what were described as 'dishonest' witnesses — key revelations that have left the club facing the most serious sanction in English football history. The question of what happens next, and who ultimately decides City's fate, now dominates the football agenda.