The £116m transfer Man Utd will feel should never have happened

Manchester United are watching from the sidelines as Manchester City’s day of reckoning finally arrives, as the Premier League have found them guilty on all charges. This leaves plenty of delight, but there are some valid frustrations.

After nearly 20 years, Manchester City have been found guilty by the Premier League of their 115 charges by the league and an independent commission. With £900m+ worth of financial inconsistencies signalling how serious this situation is for City. But Manchester United won’t mind at all.

Manchester United were denied at least two Premier League titles by City, worth hundreds of millions in compensation. This assumes that new investigations are not launched into their post-2018 activity. But while it all comes out now, there is a massively frustrating factor about the timing.

This is because it meant United missed out on signing Elliot Anderson in the summer, with City pushing the fee out of Ineos’ range and offering the player an inconceivable financial package to sign. City reportedly knew about the guilty verdict before the summer transfer window, signing Anderson anyway, which wouldn’t have happened if the league had declared it publicly.

dancoombs 16h So it is emerging that City knew about their guilty verdict back in the summer, prompting them to spend £350m on new players. This can’t be right? Would Elliot Anderson be a United player now if City were given a transfer ban at the time? 1 Reply Report

Elliot Anderson to Manchester City shouldn’t have happened

You have to wonder what Elliot Anderson is thinking right now.

He signed for his ‘dream club’ – at least it has been made out that way – in the summer for £116m, only to now be at a club with the largest cheating allegations in the history of the sport, stuck there on a long-term deal, and his reputation will have taken a hit.

However, it is hard not to feel for him; the transfer should never have happened. City insisted innocence and pleaded they had done nothing wrong when they would have known if they had all along: the league, their fans, Pep Guardiola, the players, and those independently investigating were all told not to worry. Anderson is no different, as he must have signed to join under false pretences, told he has nothing to worry about.

If City were found guilty, why were they given a heads up to go and spend £300m plus of midfield talent for Enzo Maresca? City has spent roughly £900m in the past four transfer windows, which suggests they were spending in anticipation of a ruling in this nature. But it is a failure of the sport that they were able to sign players with guilty charges pending, no doubt telling the players they had no reason to worry, only they did.

stephenjholmes1 7h They managed to get the decision 6 months prior to it being made public, and so spend 350 million on players before being found out. More cheating! 1 Reply Report

City face serious punishment now, which could see their owners ousted, huge points deductions over several years, transfer bans, and far more. This could absolutely cripple the institution of Manchester City, with the owners leaving the club worse than they found it and potentially low in the footballing pyramid, with an image they will never recover from.

The good news for City is that all these players who definitely didn’t just sign for money will now potentially get to play down a division or several. In reality, they will probably face contract disputes, players could look to rip up their deals if they feel the club was dishonest, and Anderson would be one well within his rights.

City must have known they were guilty, considering all the evidence the Premier League have and how strong the accusations are, yet they must not have disclosed it to their signings. The £116m transfer shouldn’t have happened, and Anderson should actually be at United right now, alongside Kobbie Mainoo, adding intense running and legs to the midfield.

Anderson for closer to £80m with Carlos Baleba and Youri Tielemans would be a brilliant midfield. If City hadn’t cost United titles and trophies through the years, the spending might not be a problem, as that has almost certainly hit United financially.