Four Premier League giants have lodged legal notices for the right to seek compensation if Manchester City are found guilty of their 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules, according to reports.
Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have all registered possible compensation claims before a potential statute of limitations deadline last week, The Times have said.
It is claimed that lawyers have advised the clubs to register the potential claims now because of the 1980 Limitation Act’s six-year period for legal claims for breaches of contract.
German website Der Spiegel first published the Football Leaks documents which brought the allegations against City - among a host of other accusations that have rocked football - at the beginning of November 2018.
Should City be found guilty, the clubs are expected to claim for loss of earnings.
An independent commission continues to hear City's case and if found guilty of a host of the 115 charges it has been claimed they could end up being kicked out of the Premier League.
City’s alleged rule breaches include not providing accurate financial information for nine separate seasons beginning 2009, including the full pay details of former head coach Roberto Mancini and players.
City, whose legal team is being led by Lord Pannick, insist they have not breached any rules and head coach Pep Guardiola has said on the record that had the club's hierarchy lied to him over their innocence he would walk away.
A verdict is not expected until near the end of this season and there may be scope for further appeals. The reigning Premier League champions sit five points behind Liverpool in the table entering the final international break of 2024.
City have lost four consecutive games in all competitions - a first in Guardiola's management career - and have struggled without injured midfielder Rodri.
"When we did the treble, we even called it the dark January,” he said. “We had a tough period. But it is what it is.
"What matters is how you bounce back from these moments. That's why our team has won so much because in moments of difficulty, the characters come up and we stay together.
"We don't find people to kill, we find people to bring into the cause and fight together. That's what we need to do once aga
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