By Dr Dan Plumley

30th Jan, 2023 | 12:50pm

Finance guru: Man City to exploit FFP 'escape route' amid takeover latest

Man United could decide to take their foot off the gas on the Financial Fair Play investigation into Man City if new owners in the Middle East take them over.

That is the opinion of finance expert Dr Dan Plumley, who spoke exclusively to Football Insider about how new owners at Old Trafford and Anfield may tackle the investigation.

The Premier League has been investigating a possible Financial Fair Play breach at Man City since 2019, with no conclusion in sight.

Der Spiegel claimed the investigation is focused on illegal payments for underage players, inflated sponsorship deals and hidden salary payments made to a former manager.

However, the Daily Mail reported last Sunday (22 January) that the case could go cold if Man United and Liverpool – two clubs pushing the investigation – are taken over by new owners.

Both Premier League giants are currently looking for new investors after FSG and the Glazer family revealed that their clubs are up for sale.

Plumley believes that City could be handed a huge pressure relief in their investigation, but it depends on who takes the reins at Old Trafford and Anfield.

“You would think that they’d want to continue the investigation against Man City, but it depends where the investment is coming from,” Plumley told Football Insider.

“A new ownership group will want to find their feet.

“If the owners of Man United and Liverpool end up having a connection with the owners of Man City then the conversation may be different.

“For example, if Manchester United or Liverpool do end up in the hands of a Dubai or Qatar ownership group, Man City are owned by Abu Dhabi and that United Arab Emirates link could mean that the owners aren’t too interested in continuing the investigation.

“It could end up being an escape route for Man City.“

In other news, a £642million reveal at Man City has both Real Madrid and Barcelona ‘scrambling’