Finance guru predicts 'Big double-digits' Man City points deduction after what PL did to Everton

Manchester City are on course to receive a large double-digit points deduction with previous Everton developments vital to proceedings.

The three-month-long hearing over 130 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules finished at London’s International Dispute Resolution Centre earlier this week.

The Times reported on 9 December that Man City could learn their fate as early as next month but experts in the field reckon an appeal could drag into next season.

According to football finance expert Kieran Maguire, Manchester City would not be forced into another league if they are deemed to be guilty of a substantial number of the charges against them.

However, Maguire claims that based on last season’s points deductions for Everton and Nottingham Forest for fewer charges, Pep Guardiola’s side could be punished so heavily that they are effectively forced into relegation to the Championship.

“It appears to be 130 charges. I think they managed to find some down the back of the sofa,” said Maguire on the latest episode of The Price of Football podcast [12 December].

“So there are more than 115 charges but, as we’ve said on more than one occasion, it’s broadly three things: artificially inflating income, artificially hiding costs and not co-operating with the Premier League investigation.”

Maguire added: “As far as the outcome is concerned if the Premier League is successful with all of the changes – or the vast majority of charges – this would have to be deemed to be a major breach of Premier League rules. It’s effectively fraud and that will come with very significant repercussions both financially – there would have to be a significant fine – and there would also be an on-pitch sanction. I think that would be a very significant points deduction.

“If we go back to the Nottingham Forest and Everton judgments, that was a fairly narrow remit in terms of the charges and that resulted in points deductions. But it’s also noticeable and the key thing I picked up from reading the Forest verdict was they specifically said in the commission, ‘this is a minor breach of rules but we’ll still give you a four-point deduction’.

“We are going to be talking double-digits. We are going to be talking big double-digits as well. Some people have said, ‘could this result in Manchester City being demoted to League Two?’. We saw Rangers being relegated three divisions in Scotland 12 years ago but that won’t be the case because Manchester City have not broken any of the EFL’s rules.

“It’s likely to be a points deduction rather than relegation but it could be a points deduction that’s so severe that it effectively guarantees relegation.”

Everton could say goodbye to Man City as relegation threatens

If Man City are found to be guilty of even a fraction of these charges, it’ll rock football to the core.

The Premier League will have no option other than to dish out an unprecedented punishment that’ll effectively kick the oil-rich club into a league that plays host to Plymouth and Oxford United.

Not only that, but there could also be other sanctions placed upon the Citizens. Is relegation from the Premier League enough of a punishment when they’re bound to just come straight back up? No, it’s not.

There’ll no doubt be discussions about stripping titles, transfer bans, monetary fines and more.

Everton should be pushing hard for Man City to be punished to the absolute max after their two separate points deductions last season.

Although the Blues got some points back through an appeal, it was still a fairly harsh penalty for a crime that pales in comparison to what Manchester City have been accused of.

In other Everton news, Friedkin has been tipped to hire this man at the club after a “bombshell announcement”.

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