Man City 115 charges: Stefan Borson drops ‘massive’ claim after Ornstein update
Manchester City have shown a “massive” sign of confidence in their 115 charges case after Erling Haaland has signed a new long-term contract with the club.
That is the view of former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson, who exclusively told Football Insider the Premier League champions appear to believe they will prevail in the case following the Norway international’s new deal.
Man City announced on 17 January Haaland has signed a new contract at the Etihad until 2034.
The 24-year-old joined Pep Guardiola’s side from Borussia Dortmund in 2022 after they triggered his £51million release clause.
The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported on 17 January any release clauses implemented in Haaland’s previous deal have now been removed after he signed one of the most lucrative sporting contracts ever.
The forward’s new deal comes as Man City wait to hear the verdict of their 115 charges case, where they are alleged to have breached the financial fair play (FFP) rules over a nine-year period between 2009 and 2018.
Man City believe they will prevail in 115 charges case
Borson suggested people can now take it as read the club have a high level of confidence about the outcome of the case.
He told Football Insider: “It is a massive sign of confidence that the worst of the potential implications of the 115 charges case will not come to pass.
“I think it would be very hard to construct a theory as to how this suggests otherwise. I think you take it as read now that the club believe that they will prevail in the 115 hearing.
“From the footballing side, I think it’s interesting that they are clearly making Haaland the centrepiece of the whole City global project.
“He will have ways of leaving, whether they are formal exit clauses or not. There used to be formal exit clauses in the previous contract, which allowed him to go for certain set fees.
“If you read David Ornstein’s piece, it suggests that those clauses have gone and have not directly been replaced with similar ones.
“It’s hard to know exactly what that contract looks like, but you should always assume that a player can get out of a contract if he wants to.
“Under Pep, City have always had an approach whereby if a player brings an offer that they perceive to be within their range of what they think that player is worth, then they will allow that player to leave.
“I think you read it as a high level of confidence in the 115 charges case and that he’s here for the long-term in terms of the overall project.”
In other news, Man City “plan to accept cut-price Jack Grealish January offer” – expert.
For more Man City news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.