Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are among the clubs reportedly preserving or exploring claims for compensation following Manchester City's verdict in the Premier League financial case.
Several Premier League clubs are preparing potential legal action against Manchester City following reports that the club was found guilty of 114 of 115 alleged financial-rule breaches, opening a new chapter in one of English football's longest-running disputes.
According to The Independent, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have preserved their rights to pursue compensation connected to alleged losses arising from Manchester City's conduct during the period covered by the Premier League investigation.
Sources cited by the newspaper said successful claims could potentially be worth more than £200 million to some of the clubs involved. However, any such legal action would come only after Manchester City's own disciplinary and appeal processes have been completed.
The reported verdict itself has not yet resulted in a sporting punishment for City. The Premier League has declined to comment because the proceedings remain confidential, while Manchester City say the process is still ongoing and have indicated that they will maintain their existing position.
Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham preserve legal rights
The Independent reported that four clubs have taken steps to preserve their potential right to seek compensation from Manchester City.
Those clubs are Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
The report said Arsenal was the first of the four to preserve its position, followed by Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United. United and Tottenham declined to comment when contacted by the newspaper.
Other Premier League clubs have reportedly consulted lawyers about whether they could also pursue claims.
The issue is complicated by the time limits governing legal claims. Some clubs that did not formally preserve their rights may face difficulties because of the amount of time that has passed since the alleged losses occurred.
Lawyers could potentially argue that the Manchester City case represents one continuing proceeding that began before the relevant limitation period expired, but the legal position remains uncertain.
The Independent described the issue as a grey area, with clubs and their lawyers examining what claims may still be available.
Why rival clubs believe they may have suffered losses
The Premier League investigation covers alleged financial breaches dating across several seasons, particularly the period between 2009-10 and 2017-18.
During those years, Manchester City developed into one of the dominant clubs in English football.
That creates a potential basis for rival clubs to argue that they suffered financial losses if City's alleged rule breaches are ultimately upheld through the complete disciplinary and appeals process.
For example, Manchester United finished behind City during the 2011-12 season, when Sergio Agüero's famous stoppage-time goal against Queens Park Rangers delivered the title to City.
United also finished second during City's record-breaking 2017-18 campaign, when Pep Guardiola's team accumulated 100 points.
Liverpool's potential claim could include the 2013-14 season, when City won the Premier League ahead of Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool side.
The Independent reported that potential claims could extend beyond prize money and titles to matters such as European qualification, commercial income and other financial opportunities.
Importantly, these are potential claims being considered by clubs, not established amounts that Manchester City has been ordered to pay.
The Burnley-Everton case changed the picture
A major reason rival clubs are taking the possibility seriously is a recent legal dispute involving Burnley and Everton.
In June 2026, an independent commission ordered Everton to pay Burnley £35.1 million after finding that Everton's breach of the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules had contributed to a sporting advantage.
Burnley had been relegated at the end of the 2021-22 season, while Everton survived.
Burnley's argument was that Everton's financial-rule breach should have resulted in an earlier sporting punishment, which could have changed the relegation outcome. The commission accepted the principle that a club affected by another club's financial breach could seek compensation.
The case has therefore provided a significant precedent for clubs considering whether they suffered measurable losses because of another team's financial-rule violations.
The Manchester City situation is potentially much larger because the allegations cover multiple seasons and a far greater number of charges.
Claims could exceed £200 million
The potential scale of compensation is one of the most significant elements of the developing story.
Sources cited by The Independent said successful legal actions could potentially result in more than £200 million in compensation for some claimant clubs.
The eventual figure, however, would depend on the legal basis of each claim and the losses that could actually be established.
A club could potentially attempt to demonstrate that it lost prize money, European qualification revenue, commercial opportunities or other financial benefits because of Manchester City's alleged breaches.
Establishing such losses would not necessarily be straightforward.
A claimant would have to demonstrate a sufficient connection between the alleged financial-rule breach and the specific loss it says it suffered. That could involve examining league positions, qualification outcomes, prize distributions, commercial contracts and other financial records.
The claims could therefore become complicated legal proceedings of their own.
Manchester City expected to appeal
Before rival clubs can pursue their own claims, Manchester City's case is expected to go through an appeal process.
Reports from The Athletic and other outlets said an independent commission found City guilty on 114 of the 115 charges. Sky Sports reported that the process had moved toward the appeal stage.
The Premier League has not confirmed the reported verdict publicly.
Manchester City have also not accepted the findings as final.
The club said:
“The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed.”
City added that its position remained consistent with the statement it issued when the charges were brought in 2023.
The club has maintained its innocence throughout the case.
The expected appeal means the reported commission findings are not necessarily the final outcome.
No compensation has been awarded to rival clubs
Despite the reports of clubs preparing legal action, no Premier League club has currently been awarded compensation from Manchester City as a result of the 115-charge case.
There has also been no final decision ordering City to pay £200 million or any other amount to its competitors.
The reported £200 million figure relates to the potential value of claims being considered, according to sources cited by The Independent.
That distinction is important as the case moves forward.
The legal process surrounding Manchester City must first be concluded before rival clubs can determine the full extent of any claims.
What happens to Manchester City's titles?
The reported guilty verdict has also raised questions about the Premier League titles Manchester City won during the period covered by the allegations.
City won three Premier League titles during the principal period covered by the financial allegations: 2011-12, 2013-14 and 2017-18.
However, there has been no confirmed decision to strip Manchester City of any Premier League title.
Potential sanctions in the main disciplinary case are separate from any compensation claims that rival clubs might pursue.
Reports have suggested that a wide range of sporting and financial sanctions could potentially be considered, but no final punishment has been announced.
Sky Sports reported that the sanction decision had not yet been reached, while City are expected to appeal.
Why Manchester United could have a significant claim
Manchester United are particularly relevant to the potential compensation discussion because of their repeated competition with City during the period under investigation.
United lost the 2011-12 title to City on goal difference after finishing level on points.
The following season, United won the Premier League under Sir Alex Ferguson, but City subsequently established a period of sustained dominance.
United also finished second behind City during the 2017-18 campaign, when Guardiola's team became the first Premier League side to reach 100 points.
If a club attempts to claim financial compensation, however, it would need to establish the specific losses caused by the relevant breaches rather than simply point to a season in which City finished above them.
That could make the legal arguments considerably more complex than simply revisiting historical league tables.
Liverpool and Tottenham could also pursue claims
Liverpool's position is also notable because of the club's title race with City in 2013-14.
Liverpool finished second that season after City collected 86 points, with Liverpool on 84.
The two clubs subsequently became the defining rivals of the Premier League's next era, with Liverpool winning the title in 2019-20 and City winning multiple championships around it.
Tottenham's potential claim would similarly need to establish what specific financial loss the club suffered as a consequence of any proven breach.
The Independent reported that both Liverpool and Tottenham were among the clubs that had preserved their rights to potentially seek compensation.
The legal battle could extend for years
Manchester City's expected appeal means the dispute is unlikely to end with the publication of the commission's findings.
Only after the appeal process is completed would rival clubs be in a stronger position to pursue separate compensation claims based on the final findings.
This could result in several layers of legal proceedings: City's appeal against the Premier League findings, followed by potential club-versus-club claims and further appeals over any compensation awards.
The Burnley-Everton case demonstrates that such disputes can reach independent commissions and generate substantial financial awards.
Everton themselves appealed the Burnley ruling, showing that even when a club initially loses a compensation dispute, the matter may continue through further legal stages.
Premier League clubs now await the next stage
For Manchester City, the immediate priority is expected to be the appeal against the reported findings.
For rival clubs, the focus is on determining whether they have legally actionable losses and whether those losses can be connected to breaches that ultimately survive the appeal process.
The potential claims therefore remain prospective rather than concluded.
What is clear is that the reported 114 guilty findings have expanded the consequences of the Manchester City case beyond the club and the Premier League.
If the findings are ultimately upheld, rival clubs could seek compensation for financial opportunities they believe they lost during City's period of dominance.
The scale of those claims could make the next stage of the dispute almost as significant for English football as the original Premier League investigation.
For now, however, Manchester City's appeal process must come first.
