Man City get reminder of pressing transfer priority

Another week, and Manchester City's 115 charges from the Premier League have again been thrown under the spotlight.

A fortnight ago, City made reference to the charges in the 'risks' section of their annual report, reiterating their initial stance that they welcome the chance to prove their innocence at an independent hearing. Last week, Everton were given a 10 point deduction for a separate financial breach of their own, with City's unrelated charges thrust back into the headlines.

None of these 'updates' have actually moved the story forward for City, and now, a report claims City's case will be heard next autumn, with a potential verdict in the summer of 2025 - just when Pep Guardiola's contract is set to expire.

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Both City and the Premier League declined to comment on the reports, meaning there has still not been any public progress made in the case since the charges. For City, they will carry on preparing their case off the pitch and looking to win every trophy available on it, including a fourth successive Premier League. Before the end of Guardiola's current deal, they have two more Champions League titles to compete for and two cracks at the Club World Cup.

To do that, they will continue to tempt the world's best players to boost Guardiola's squad and that of his potential successor. If the verdict doesn't come for another year or two, there may be a pressing priority to do business early should any restrictions or fines come down the line.

City's summer business saw 21-year-olds Josko Gvardiol and Jeremy Doku replace