Manchester City could face severe punishments if their appeal against financial rule breaches fails, and Liverpool could be ready to benefit from any resulting player exodus. The Premier League has confirmed City were found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges they faced, covering a nine-season period between 2009 and 2018. The commission ruled that City used "sham" sponsorship deals and illicit payments to conceal over £900million in owner funding, misstating accounts to artificially inflate revenues.
Appeal and potential sanctions
City maintain their innocence and have formally lodged an appeal, claiming the verdict contained "material errors of law and fact." If the tribunal upholds the ruling, potential sanctions could range from points deductions and transfer bans to outright expulsion from the Premier League. Should City be heavily penalised and forced into a squad fire sale, or see stars demand exits, clubs across Europe would be on alert.
Three City stars Liverpool could target
In this hypothetical scenario, Liverpool could be transformed by a trio of City players. Antoine Semenyo, revitalised by Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth, could reunite with the Liverpool boss. Semenyo scored 31 goals in 99 appearances under Iraola before joining City in January 2026, and could operate off the right as a replacement for Mohamed Salah.
Josko Gvardiol could also be a target, with Milos Kerkez's performances at left-back questioned this campaign. Gvardiol has scored 14 times in all competitions since joining City from RB Leipzig in 2023, and ranks in the top 10 per cent of full-backs or centre-backs in Europe for total touches per match this term. The 24-year-old could slot in at left-back or cover at left-centre-half, and a reunion with Dominik Szoboszlai is possible.
Marc Guehi is another option, with Virgil van Dijk now 35 and nearing the end of his career. Liverpool were close to signing Guehi in the summer of 2025 before Crystal Palace pulled the plug, and he joined City in January. Capable of playing as a left-sided centre-half, Guehi could partner Van Dijk and later shift over to the left once the skipper departs.
A potential Liverpool dream XI if City are forced to sell would be: Alisson; Frimpong, Guehi, Van Dijk, Gvardiol; Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Semenyo, Wirtz, Barcola; Isak.
