The saga over Manchester City's 115 charges has opened up a long stream of unanswered questions.
Official confirmation that City have been found guilty of 114 of those charges has not yet been provided by the Premier League, but there has been no denial of the reporting from either party.
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak instead released a statement, which read: "The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the club's innocence is just as strong as when this began."
Appeal and sanctions
An appeal from City is expected. Until that is concluded, no final decisions on sanctions can be made, whether that be a fine, points deduction, or even expulsion from the Premier League.
There is the issue of compensation, too. Not just from those who finished second in title races to City but those who missed out on European football during the period of the alleged financial breaches.
Uncertainty will not be in short supply in the City dressing room. If the more extreme sanctions are handed out, it would not be a surprise if players quickly considered their futures at the club.
Haaland's situation
Erling Haaland's situation will be one that clubs across Europe will be keeping an eye on. The striker signed a new long-term deal at City last year, committing his future through to 2034.
City have been particularly protective of their striker, even threatening legal action after Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme promised to sign him in the summer if elected.
Riquelme, who lost the election to Florentino Perez, claimed: "He has a release clause and would like to join Real Madrid. If I become president, he will play for Real Madrid."
He unveiled a Real shirt with Haaland's name on it, leading to City releasing a statement. It read: "The stories which have emerged from Spain regarding the future of Erling Haaland are untrue. There is no chance of this happening and there is no contractual clause to enable it. We are considering legal action for the use of our player image in this context."
Arsenal interest
Recent reports have suggested that Haaland - along with all Man City players - does not have a relegation clause included in his contract. However, if they do get hit with a big enough points deduction, City could face relegation to the Championship.
In that situation, Real and Barcelona would both be expected to be interested in bringing Haaland to Spain. Barcelona are in the market for a striker after failing to bring Julian Alvarez to the club following the departure of Robert Lewandowski.
If Haaland's preference was to stay in England, Arsenal could emerge as an unlikely destination for a striker that has battled with them for Premier League titles over the last four seasons. It is no secret that Arsenal tried to sign a marquee forward in the summer. Pursuits for Alvarez and Vinicius Jr were unsuccessful, but the Gunners remain keen to strengthen in attack.
However, there is currently no indication that Arsenal have made contact with Haaland's representatives or view a potential move as a realistic possibility.
The unprecedented scale of the charges facing City, and the verdict against them at this stage before any appeal, will be forcing those inside the club to consider uncomfortable possibilities. Josko Gvardiol, Elliot Anderson, Enzo Fernandez, Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki are among those likely to be in demand if City are hit with a punishment that takes them out of European football or even the Premier League.
