Man City star to get 400% pay rise amid financial investigation

Suraj Radia

• Updated: 6 Feb 2023 20:01 GMT
• 2 min read

Manchester City are in line to give one of their top performers a 400% pay rise despite the club being charged by the Premier League for financial breaches.

City are accused of breaking rules on more than 100 occasions between the 2009/10 season and the 2017/18 campaign, with punishments ranging from a points deduction to a potential expulsion from the league.

However, City have admitted their ‘surprise’ at the charges and claim they will ‘welcome’ a review of the matter, although the news could damage their bid to close the gap on rivals Arsenal at the top of the league.

The club are still focused on matters on the pitch following their disappointing 1-0 loss to Tottenham and City are desperate to tie down academy graduate Rico Lewis to a new deal after his elevation to the starting line-up in recent weeks.

The 18-year-old has started six of the last seven league games under Pep Guardiola and is likely to continue featuring heavily in the first team after the departure of Joao Cancelo to Bayern Munich in January.

Lewis’ current deal expires in 2024 but the Daily Star report that City are looking to offer the full-back a five-year deal to take his wages from £5,000 a week to £25,000.

How will the financial breaches impact Man City?

City may look to accelerate contract talks with Lewis following their Premier League charge as they could soon be hit with significant sanctions both on and off the pitch.

A punishment could take some time to be finalised but, with the possible outcomes including a transfer ban, the club could opt to make significant contractual decisions before potentially being prevented from doing so.

PENDING: How City could be punished for their breaches

City have previously been investigated and charged by UEFA for financial irregularities, receiving a €10 million fine in 2020 following an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The club are unable to involve CAS this time, but they will be able to appeal any punishment to an independent commission.

With the investigation ongoing for more than four years, a final outcome may not be reached for many months, meaning City could be in limbo over their punishment heading into the conclusion of the Premier League season.