Arsenal chief executive Richard Garlick has added his voice to growing frustration across the Premier League over the unresolved case against Manchester City, saying “everyone” wants clarity and a swift resolution to a saga that has now run for three and a half years.
Still no ruling
An independent commission has yet to publish its verdict on more than 100 alleged breaches of financial rules by City, despite the disciplinary hearing concluding over a year and a half ago. City have consistently denied any wrongdoing since being charged in February 2023.
Asked whether the delay was frustrating for Arsenal, Garlick told BBC Sport: “It has gone on for a while. Everybody — the league and the teams — would want the clarity around what’s going to happen next. But it’s not something that I can control. It’s not something that I can speculate on. And I just hope that there is a solution very quickly.”
His comments echo those of Premier League chief executive Richard Masters, who admitted the process was “taking longer than expected” but said the league had no choice but to let an independent process, which he described as “hugely complex,” run its course.
BBC Sport reports that officials at several other Premier League clubs have privately voiced similar frustrations in recent days, with one suggesting the league should be “actively seeking to put in place a better system” for faster resolutions, and another pointing to the mounting legal costs — the league spent £45m on legal bills during the 2023–24 season alone on disputes over its financial regulations.
What City are accused of
The charges centre on three main areas: alleged failure to provide accurate financial information — including details of player and manager payments — between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons; alleged breaches of UEFA’s financial fair play rules from 2013-14 to 2017-18; and alleged breaches of the Premier League’s own profitability and sustainability rules from 2015-16 to 2017-18. City also face separate charges of failing to co-operate with the Premier League’s investigation between December 2018 and February 2023.
Why rivals are watching closely
Arsenal finished as Premier League runners-up to City in both 2023 and 2024, missing out by just two points in the latter. Along with Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham, the club reportedly served legal notices on City in 2024 reserving the right to seek compensation should the club be found guilty — with some estimates of potential losses running above £100m.
That possibility gained weight in June, when Everton were ordered to pay Burnley £35m in compensation over the impact of a separate breach of the Premier League’s financial rules.
BBC Sport’s analysis notes that while Garlick’s comments reflect how much of English football feels about the case, it remains rare for a senior figure at a top club to speak publicly on the matter — the only previous notable exception being former Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, who said last year the process had gone on for “far too long.” The frustration is compounded by City’s continued spending: the club has committed £151m so far this transfer window, including a club-record £116m for England midfielder Elliot Anderson, and has spent almost £700m on new players — while winning six major trophies — since being charged.
Arsenal’s transfer business
Garlick also addressed Arsenal’s own squad planning, insisting the club is not actively looking to sell homegrown academy products Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, both 19, despite reported interest from rival clubs. He said the club would “consider” the right opportunity for both player and club, noting that homegrown sales allow clubs to book pure profit — a useful lever as the Premier League introduces its new Squad Cost Ratio rules, which cap spending on fees, wages and contracts at 85% of revenue for domestic clubs and 70% for those in European competition.
“Every club now has adopted a player-trading model,” Garlick said. “I won’t say it’s a necessity, but it’s only a matter of good housekeeping that you do look at those opportunities when they arise.”
On the club’s wider transfer window — which has included the signing of Bruno Guimaraes alongside missed pursuits of Vinicius Jr and Morgan Rogers — Garlick said he remained hopeful of further additions that would improve the squad, adding that the pool of top-calibre players available has shrunk in recent years.
He also expressed confidence that manager Mikel Arteta, who enters the final 12 months of his contract, would soon sign a new deal: “Mikel wants to be at Arsenal, we want Mikel at Arsenal. It’s only a matter of time before we put that into a new contract.”
Based on reporting by Dan Roan, BBC Sport.
