Man City confident they will WIN legal battle as Pep Guardiola given fresh assurances

Pep Guardiola was given fresh assurances that Manchester City will win their on-going legal battle with the Premier League before he signed the contract that will keep him at the Etihad until 2027.

The four-in-a-row champions have spent the last 10 weeks in front of an independent tribunal that was set up to rule on almost 130 allegations claiming they failed to provide accurate financial information and then failed to cooperate with an investigation into their conduct.

City insist they have all the evidence required to prove their innocence - and Guardiola opted to demonstrate his belief that his bosses are telling the truth by agreeing to take his reign in Manchester to 10 years and beyond.

Insiders at the club believe the new deal gives a strong indication that City are winning their legal fight. Guardiola insisted on Friday that he would honour his contract even if his club were found guilty and subsequently relegated.

"I said that six months ago. You have my interviews," he said. "I said when all the clubs accused us of doing something wrong and people say 'what happens if we are relegated?' I will be here.

"I don't know the position they are going to bring us, the Conference? [But] next year we will come up and come up and come back to the Premier League. I knew it then, I feel it now."

But the Catalan trusts chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and chief executive Ferran Soriano implicitly and expects the Blues to be cleared by the panel of High Court judges.

Image: UEFA via Getty Images) UEFA via Getty Images)

City have won six out of the last seven Premier League titles under Guardiola and two seasons ago became only the second English club to complete the Treble. But there have been signs in recent weeks that Guardiola’s squad is in need of a refresh.

City will arm new sporting director Hugo Viana with a significant transfer war-chest in the summer to give the manager the reinforcements he needs. It is hoped that Guardiola will then stay at the club to see his plans reach fruition.

Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Click here to read article