The last hope: what is Manchester City's argument to save their fate in the Premier League case?

The club submits its appeal today: so what will it say?

Manchester City are preparing to appeal against the decision of the independent commission that concluded the club had breached the Premier League's financial rules, after it found City had concealed funding worth £830.69 million from the owners and presented it as sponsorship revenue.

Sources at Britain's "Sky Sports" network say City will argue in their appeal that the additional funding linked to sponsorship contracts between 2009 and 2018 came from the Abu Dhabi government, not from the club's owners.

City's lawyers made this argument during the 2024 hearings. The independent commission rejected it.

In its ruling, the commission branded this account an explanation "concocted by the club long after the events in an attempt to conceal the reality of the disguised funding scheme".

Newton Investment and Development LLC, owned by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, holds the majority of Manchester City's shares.

Sheikh Mansour is a member of Abu Dhabi's ruling family and serves as Vice President of the United Arab Emirates and Deputy Prime Minister.

City continue to deny any wrongdoing. They intend to lodge their appeal before today's deadline, this Friday, hoping to overturn the independent commission's decision and prove their case on the source of the funding.