Dominoes falling into place over infamous City charges

A decision is finally expected soon in the Manchester City case, writes Miguel Delaney, with the recent settlement in the APT case possibly foreshadowing the end of the saga

- Miguel Delaney

Across the Premier League, senior figures are now bracing themselves, amid growing murmurs that the Manchester City decision is expected “this month”.

Many everyday employees at the club are understood to have become inured to the prospect, since it's been hanging over them for so long - far longer than expected.

It says much that people in the game have started to refer to the collapse of the Chinese espionage trial, and wonder whether there will be government involvement given the geopolitical dimensions through the club's Abu Dhabi ownership.

And yet for all that “115” - or “129/130”, as it's become known in football circles - has been seen as an existential moment for modern English football because of the height of its stakes, there is now a belief that its actual impact could be significantly lessened in terms of regulatory effect - if not necessarily sensational headlines.

That is due to the parallel associated party transaction (APT) case, which finally ended in a settlement between City and the Premier League.

Such a sentiment may come as a surprise given how muted the reaction to that announcement was in early September, particularly in contrast to the cacophony of noise the case had previously created. There was certainly no information war, as had been seen with previous developments in the story, including the initial rules being declared unlawful exactly a year ago. The feeling was that the settlement just represented a lull before “the big one”, or potentially a badly needed entente. The release of identical statements pointed to the latter, amid a sense that many are fatigued by constant battle, and a will to “draw a line under brand-damaging litigation”.