Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan has been predicted by an expert on the United Arab Emirates to sell the club following the guilty verdict handed down last week. City were found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League for financial breaches.
Appeal lodged against verdict
City are maintaining their innocence and confirmed last week that they have submitted an appeal against the verdict, which was reached by an independent commission.
It remains to be seen what punishment could be handed to City if the appeal is unsuccessful, with potential outcomes ranging from points deductions, being stripped of past titles, a fine or even expulsion from the Premier League.
Expert predicts sale over 'embarrassment'
Sheikh Mansour has been the owner of City since 2008, and is also the deputy prime minister and vice president of the United Arab Emirates. Christopher M Davidson, author of Abu Dhabi: Oil & Beyond, believes City's owners will be "embarrassed" by the saga and could go on to sell the club if the appeal is unsuccessful.
"Once there's some time to digest this, my feeling would be that they would extricate themselves," he told The Athletic. "I think primarily it would be seen from a political and cultural aspect.
"The ruling family of Abu Dhabi would feel that they had been embarrassed and disgraced by this ruling, and the best way of moving forward would be to sell now to cut the losses, as it were, rather than allow this to be a festering, lingering problem where the ownership of their club would be forever tainted in England. I can't see any scenario where they would continue."
Chairman previously ruled out sale
It was only back in June that City's chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, stated that there was "no intention to sell" City. He added: "Manchester City and this group within the football world is a pinnacle and these sorts of jewels you don't sell."
City continue to deny any wrongdoing and claim to have "irrefutable evidence" that will prove their innocence.
"Manchester City Football Club can confirm that at 7pm on Thursday 1st October 2026 the Club lodged its comprehensive Appeal against the opinion of the Premier League Commission, in relation to the Premier League disciplinary matter," City's latest statement, released on Friday, read.
"The Club's firm position is that, on multiple grounds, the opinion contains clear material errors, of law, principle and fact and is unsafe.
"The Club is innocent of the accusations made by the Premier League and a comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence exists in support of all of its positions, relating to this case.
"We will continue to respect due process and are necessarily restricted in what we can say further until all proceedings are complete."
