Manchester United dragged into Man City legal case against Premier League

Manchester United have been dragged into legal action Man City are taking against the Premier League over ‘discrimination’, a report claims.

The Times reports that the Blues have put together a 165-page legal document in an attempt to throw out the league’s ‘unlawful’ Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules. The report states that City are seeking damages.

The two organisations are already set for a game-defining hearing later this year over the 115 rule breaches that City have been accused of by the Premier League. And it is claimed that top-flight clubs are concerned that success in this case could strengthen City’s hand for that hearing. They deny all 115 charges.

City are claimed to have argued that the APT rules – introduced in 2021 in the wake of the Newcastle United takeover – are against competition law, as well as being discriminatory to clubs with ties to the Gulf region and clubs that are based outside of London. As well as looking to end the rules, the club are also said to be seeking damages for money they have not been able to make since the ‘unlawful’ rules were brought in.

The two-week hearing starting on Monday will have ramifications across the Premier League and ups the stakes between City and the league before the pair battle it out in their charges hearing later this year. The most serious allegations the Blues are defending themselves against in that matter relate to whether or not they provided genuine details of sponsorship deals.

The hearing into their 115 alleged breaches is believed to be going ahead in the autumn. It has been alleged that City concealed payments made by their owner Sheikh Mansour through third parties and disguised them as sponsorship revenue, which in itself was inflated.

The report in The Times also claims that City blame the Premier League for not regulating spending when clubs such as United were more dominant, arguing they have been prevented from monetising their brand in the way United did.

APT rules were tightened in February this year. It is believed 12 clubs voted for it, six against and two abstained. How United voted is unknown.

“Following a full review of the existing associated party transactions rules and fair market value assessment protocols, clubs agreed to a series of amendments to further enhance the efficiency and accuracy of the system,” the league said in a statement.

The Premier League and City have both been approached for comment.