Former Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea has reacted after Manchester City were found guilty of breaching financial rules.
On Friday, reports emerged that an independent commission had found City guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against them relating to alleged financial breaches between 2009 and 2018.
Manchester City are expected to appeal the decision, although they will reportedly wait until the punishment is announced before doing so.
The exact punishment is still unknown, with possible sanctions ranging from a financial penalty to points deductions, expulsion from the Premier League or even the removal of titles.
That last possibility caught the attention of De Gea, who could potentially benefit if any of City’s titles were stripped.
The Spaniard made 415 Premier League appearances for Manchester United and was named the club’s Player of the Year on four occasions. However, he won the Premier League just once during his time at Old Trafford, lifting the trophy in Sir Alex Ferguson’s final season in 2012/13.
Reacting to the City verdict on X, De Gea simply wrote:
“So…… Let’s talk. How many Premier League titles have I won then?”
If City’s titles were eventually removed, De Gea could potentially see his Premier League title tally rise from one to four.
United finished behind City in the Premier League three times during De Gea’s spell at the club.
In 2011/12, United missed out on the title on goal difference after Sergio Aguero’s famous last-minute winner against QPR.
City also finished above United in 2017/18, when Pep Guardiola’s side produced a record-breaking campaign and ended the season 19 points ahead of Mourinho’s team.
The same happened in 2020/21, with United finishing second, 14 points behind City.
De Gea isn’t the only former Premier League star who could potentially benefit from any changes to City’s title record. Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard is another name being mentioned, particularly because Liverpool finished just two points behind City in the 2013/14 title race.
Premier League clubs could take legal action
There was also another major development surrounding Manchester City’s case on Friday.
According to David Ornstein, several Premier League clubs are preparing possible legal action against City following the guilty verdict.
Ornstein reported that lawyers have already been instructed and that work on the potential claims had been ongoing before the verdict was delivered.
Some clubs could reportedly seek compensation if they believe City’s alleged rule breaches caused them financial losses, including missing out on Champions League qualification or sponsorship-related bonuses.
The possibility of several clubs joining together to pursue damages has also been raised.
However, City’s potential punishment and the outcome of any appeal remain to be determined.
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