Manchester City target eye-watering ‘loss of sponsorship monies’ from the Premier League

The Premier League are expected to be at the centre of an eye-watering financial claim from Manchester City over ‘loss of sponsorship monies’, it has been claimed.

It was revealed by several media outlets in early June that Manchester City were due to face the Premier League in a legal battle over the organisation’s commercial legislation, in an arbitration hearing surrounding the legality of associated party transaction (APT) rules.

Such rules are understood to determine whether sponsorship deals within the Premier League’s group of clubs are financially ‘fair’, with the top-flight offering the remaining 19 members the opportunity to make witness statements as part of the case.

Upon being contacted by several media sources including BBC Sport for comment on the matter at the time, neither Manchester City nor the Premier League responded on the subject.

Fresh details have now emerged providing information on City’s depth of damages being claimed, after the club stated they are victims of “discrimination”, that the amended rules were approved by rivals to “stifle” their success on the pitch, and call it “a tyranny of the majority”.

According to the information of Manchester City insider ‘Tolmie’s Hairdoo’ on X, the Premier League champions’ potential claim for ‘loss of sponsorship monies’ against the Premier League themselves is understood to be in excess of £50 million.

It is explained that the monetary value also includes an uplift from lead sponsor Etihad Airways following the club’s historic UEFA Champions League win of 2023 as part of the Treble triumph that season.

Details surrounding Manchester City and their battle against the Premier League’s associated party transaction rules also coincides with the imminent hearing involving their 115 charges issued by the top-flight for alleged breached of financial rules.

Speaking during an interview at a Premier League launch event prior to the start of the new 2024/25 season, top-flight CEO Richard Masters said he now thinks “it is time now for the case to resolve itself”.

When further quizzed on whether he feels as though the case involving Manchester City casts a shadow over the league, he said, “It’s been going on for a number of years and I think it’s self-evident that the case needs to be heard and answered.”

Despite talk of a commencement date in mid to late September, Richard Masters was unable to confirm nor deny such a suggestion, whilst other reports have pointed towards a more specific start date of September 16.