Arsenal chief urges swift clarity over Manchester City charges
Arsenal chief executive Richard Garlick said on the eve of the new season that everyone in the Premier League wants clarity and a speedy resolution in the case against Manchester City, which features more than 100 alleged breaches of its financial rules. He added: "It has gone on for a while." "And I just hope that there is a solution very quickly," Garlick said.
An independent commission has not yet published a ruling despite the disciplinary hearing concluding more than a year and a half ago and City being first charged three and a half years ago, and the club has consistently denied any wrongdoing. The allegations against City include an alleged failure to provide accurate financial information, including details for player and manager payments, from 2009-10 to 2017-18; an alleged failure to comply with Uefa's financial fair play rules from 2013-14 to 2017-18; alleged breaches of the Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules from 2015-16 to 2017-18; and multiple charges of failing to co-operate with the league's investigation between December 2018 and February 2023.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters acknowledged the delay, saying: "I do accept it's taking longer than expected, and I understand that people want to find out as soon as possible what's going on, but I simply can't provide that." He described the case as "hugely complex" and added: "Our rules are very clear - we have to follow the process, and there's only one real clear route through, which is to allow that process to reach its natural conclusion." Officials at a number of other Premier League clubs have privately expressed frustration at the timescale, with one telling BBC Sport the league should be "actively seeking to put in place a better system" and concerns noted about rising costs after the league spent £45m on legal bills during the 2023–24 season.
Garlick's public comments are notable because senior figures at top clubs rarely speak openly about the matter; last year the former Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy described the case as having gone on "far too long". The ongoing uncertainty affects clubs who saw on-field margins shrink: Arsenal were Premier League runners-up to City in both 2023 and in 2024 when they were beaten by just two points.
Manchester City's summer recruitment and recent spending have intensified rival concerns: the club has spent £151m so far this summer, including a club-record £116m for England midfielder Elliot Anderson, and the article states City have spent almost £700m on new players since being charged in February 2023 while winning six major trophies in that period. Several rival clubs reportedly served legal notices on City in 2024—Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham—reserving the right to seek compensation if City are found guilty, with some estimating potential losses of more than £100m.
The legal context includes a recent ruling that Everton must pay Burnley £35m in compensation, cited here as an example of consequences when a breach of the Premier League's financial rules is found. Those developments have contributed to a wider debate within English football about the length, cost and transparency of regulatory disputes.
On club matters, Garlick discussed Arsenal's approach to squad management and finances, saying: "Every club now has adopted a player-trading model. The way in which football is and the fees involved, it makes sense for you to trade players and to generate revenues through those sales." He noted the new Squad Cost Ratio rules, saying: "The new rules mean clubs can spend 85% of their revenues on fees, wages and contracts but the number drops to 70% for clubs competing in Europe." He stated: "We are not actively looking at selling those homegrown players but if the right opportunity came up - right for them and the club - we'd obviously consider that," and added of individual talents: "Myles had a fantastic end to last season and has started this one really well. We're very, very happy with him." "Ethan has had a great pre-season as well and it's just a case of looking at what opportunities there are that will help both of those in terms of their career moving forward," Garlick said.
Garlick addressed Arsenal's transfer window activity, noting the club have signed Bruno Guimaraes but failed in approaches for Vinicius Jr and missed out on Morgan Rogers this summer, and said he remained open to further additions "that are going to improve the club." He added: "As you are competing for Premier League titles or Champions League trophies, you need to bring in a certain calibre of player. And I think that that pool of players is smaller now than maybe it was a few years ago." "We've got a really competitive squad and if the opportunity came again in the next couple of weeks for us to add a player that's going to improve Arsenal, then we will look at that," he said.
Garlick also expressed confidence about manager Mikel Arteta's future, saying: "Mikel wants to be at Arsenal, we want Mikel at Arsenal," and: "It's only a matter of time before we put that into a new contract. Everyone is confident and calm. We're just navigating a transfer window and I'm sure Mikel's contract will be resolved shortly." Garlick became Arsenal's chief executive in September 2025.
