Manchester City claim Premier League analysis of commercial income is ‘unfair’

The club and the Premier League are also preparing to lock horns in an era-defining legal hearing in November, with the winners of six of the past seven league titles accused of 115 breaches of financial fair play rules.

UNFAIR: Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Chairman of Manchester City, and Pep Guardiola pose for a photo with the Premier League title trophy. Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images.

Manchester City are claiming the Premier League has treated them unfairly in assessing their commercial income by relying on the analysis of a data company which also works for their rivals.

The Guardian has learned that the league’s scrutiny of the fair market value of City’s deals was undertaken by Nielsen Sports, a global data and media valuation firm that has contracts with several top-flight clubs.