Four Premier League giants move against Man City.. official letters that could cost 100m+ per club

Manchester City’s crisis did not end with the historic verdict. In fact, it may only be beginning, as some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs have quietly moved behind the scenes to prepare for a battle that could cost the former champions a fortune.

Official letters have reached the Etihad, and a legal plan drawn up almost two years ago for exactly this moment is now ready to be put into action, in a development that could open the door to a chain of cases nobody knows when will end.

The clubs in question are Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham. According to reports in England, the quartet have formally written to Manchester City to reserve their right to seek damages after the club was found guilty of 114 of 115 charges related to breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.

The four clubs had already lodged formal legal notices back in November 2024 to reserve their right to seek compensation if City were found guilty, a move driven by legal advice over the six-year statute of limitations under English law, so that their claims would not become time-barred.

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, each of the four clubs could seek more than £100 million for seasons in which they missed out on Champions League football or potentially silverware, while other estimates suggest total compensation could exceed £200 million in prize money, sponsorship bonuses and European revenue.

The independent commission found that Manchester City arranged “sham” contracts with commercial partners to inflate revenues and reduce costs by more than £900 million over nine years.

Rivals can lean on an important precedent after Burnley were awarded £35 million from Everton in a similar case this year. Simon Leaf of Three Points Law said: “The bar for bringing such claims is arguably much lower now in light of Burnley’s successful recent claim against Everton.”

Manchester United in particular hold a strong card, having finished second to City twice during the period covered by the charges between 2009 and 2018, while Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham could argue they finished lower than they deserved in several seasons.

The fallout may not stop with the clubs. Players could pursue claims for lost prize money and bonuses, while sponsors such as Puma, Revolut and Asahi might invoke anti-embarrassment clauses to terminate contracts. Paul Stothard of Norton Rose Fulbright warned the verdict would “open the floodgates to further legal challenges”.

Manchester City, for their part, maintain their innocence and are expected to appeal, while experts warn that the damages cases could take years to resolve in one of the most complex legal battles in the history of English football.