Newcastle United may benefit from Manchester City's alleged spending breach as the Premier League champions face a wide range of potential penalties in the near future. The Etihad outfit have been referred to an independent commission after being charged with numerous breaches of Premier League financial rules following a four-year investigation into their transfer dealings.
City have been referred over alleged breaches across nine different seasons beginning in 2009/10. Should the commission find the club guilty they could face a potential range of sanctions, including a potential points deduction, transfer embargo or even expulsion from the top flight.
Pep Guardiola's side are only a mere five points above Newcastle in the league table and any of the aforementioned punishments would significantly benefit Eddie Howe's side - who are beginning to upset the apple cart.
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In 2020 City received a two-year ban from European competitions overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas), after Uefa had ruled that City committed "serious breaches" of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations between 2012 and 2016. City have continued to vehemently deny any breaches of financial rules after a 2018 leak in German publication Der Spiegel.
In a statement on Monday, the Premier League said: “In accordance with Premier League Rule W.82.1, the Premier League confirms that it has today referred a number of alleged breaches of the Premier League Rules by Manchester City Football Club (Club) to a Commission under Premier League Rule W.3.4."
It continued: “The Premier League said in a statement: Commissions are independent of the Premier League and member clubs. The members of the commission will be appointed by the independent Chair of the Premier League Judicial Panel, in accordance with Premier League Rules W.19, W.20 and W.26.
“The proceedings before the Commission will, in accordance with Premier League Rule W.82, be confidential and heard in private. Under Premier League Rule W.82.2, the Commission’s final award will be published on the Premier League’s website.”
City issued a statement which read: "Manchester City FC is surprised by the issuing of these alleged breaches of the Premier League rules, particularly given the extensive engagement and vast amount of detailed materials that the EPL has been provided with.
"The club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position. As such we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all."
Guardiola recently called Newcastle 'contenders' after their fine start to the Premier League season under Howe. The Magpies may now have an opportunity to leapfrog the top flight giants following this recent development.
“Look now, Newcastle is another part of this, is already there [fighting for the Premier League title / top four places]," Guardiola said earlier this season. I saw them last weekend against Tottenham. I see the physicality we faced, we played them [Newcastle United] in the third game of the season.
“Imagine this team [Newcastle United] with one game a week, with [no] European competition? Phewww, they are a contender, a contender to be there. The manager is Eddie [Howe] and you know how good he is."
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