By Adegboyega Adeleye UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he would be “really concerned” if Manchester City’s owners decide to sell the club following its guilty verdict over Premier League financial rule breaches. According to the BBC, Burnham said he would be concerned to lose the City Football Group, praising its ownership since 2008 for its investment in Manchester.
The comments came after an independent commission found Manchester City guilty of the majority of the 115 charges brought against the club, a verdict City are expected to appeal. City continue to deny any wrongdoing and have until October 2 to submit an appeal. Burnham said the situation remained “contested by Manchester City” and stressed that it would be wrong for him to intervene while the disciplinary process is ongoing.
“I would be really concerned to lose them,” Burnham told the BBC’s political editor Chris Mason. “They’ve been such a huge partner in the building of modern Manchester and obviously the building of Manchester City into the global force that it is.” The comments come as the Independent Football Regulator, established by the UK government in 2025, said the case had raised “serious issues”.
The regulator has indicated that it could explore options, including whether to remove the owners’ licence to operate the club, once the disciplinary process has concluded. Among the independent panel’s findings were that Manchester City arranged “sham contracts” with commercial partners as part of a scheme to disguise more than £830 million in secret funding. The Premier League said City had “systematically broke Premier League Rules for nearly a decade”.
A sanctions hearing will determine the punishment, although the process could take months. City will also be able to appeal any sanction imposed. Possible punishments include a substantial fine, points deduction or expulsion from the Premier