‘We’re at £200million’ – Finance expert insists transfer spree proves Man City will win legal case

Manchester City will win their legal case over alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play – their lavish winter spending spree shows that.

That’s the view of finance expert Stefan Borson, who has had his say on the Citizens’ £175m business in 2025 as they await the outcome of the Premier League’s 115 charges over them.

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Amongst the charges are allegations that City broke spending rules by failing to provide accurate information across a nine-year spell between 2009 and 2018.

They also claim that the Etihad outfit subverted UEFA FFP rules.

The financial charges hearing finished in December, with the club now awaiting a decision which is expected in spring, most likely in March.

As they await the outcome, City forked out over £175m on four first-team players to address their inconsistent form in their quest to secure a top four spot.

Nico Gonzalez was brought in on deadline day from Porto for £50m, while Omar Marmoush was signed in a deal rising to £63m from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Meanwhile in a bid to solve their leaky defence, Abdukodir Khusanov was nabbed from Lens for £33m, with £30m then being sent to land Vitor Reis from Palmeiras.

Borson discussed City’s spree on talkSPORT’s transfer show alongside presenter Jim White and Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony.

He said: “By the time you add in agents fees, we’re at £200million and of course we know that’s come towards the end of the 115 [charges] case.

“That to me, along with the stadium rebuild, suggests a level of confidence.”

Erling Haaland meanwhile recently penned a record long-term contract extension – keeping him for a further nine years – with many believing his renewal was also a sign of confidence in the club’s future.

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To which Borson remarked: “It seems to be simple business logic.

“If you’re sat in a boardroom and you have serious concerns about the outcome of any litigation or any uncertainty, and that apply also to promotion and relegation.

“If you have uncertainty within the boardroom, especially of this sort of scale, then you would be cautious if you were nervous about the outcome.

“Because a consequence of that case going against them is that they will have to slash the wage bill very quickly and there is going to have to be a fire sale of footballers.

“There seems to be no way you can go and get within a championship-type Financial Fair Play regime.

“To me, you have to think of it as a business.

“But as owners and as a business, I would have thought that if they had severe doubts about the case, they would have been more cautious.”

MacAntony added that the club will have ‘the best lawyers in the world’, having ‘dragged this out for a long time’.

Before stating: “They’re trying to exhaust the people at the table… I think a deal will get done eventually and they’ll write a big cheque.

“I don’t think any of that stops Man City ploughing forward as one of the biggest clubs in the world, whether it’s expanding the stadium or bringing in new players.”

Borson then said: “I think it’s pretty clear if you’re signing a player for £80m, they’re on a substantial wage and we know that City have made no attempts to bring down their wage bill from last year. Their wage bill was £412m last year.”

City’s heavy spend during the January window contributed to a Premier League total of £403m – the third biggest on record for a winter window.

Chelsea’s 2023 spend of £270m holds the record as the largest winter splurge.

Unsurprisingly, City were the biggest spenders across Europe – and were the only Premier League team to spend at least £50m.