In the early hours of September 30, Beijing Time (BST), the Premier League officially announced that Manchester City had been charged with over a hundred rule breaches. English media outlet The Mirror published an extensive column analyzing why Manchester City has the confidence to not include relegation clauses in player contracts, even knowing they might face sanctions for rule violations.

The article states that despite facing the threat of a "Premier League earthquake case," Manchester City has continued to spend heavily in the transfer market recently to refresh their squad. However, Manchester City's top stars have no relegation clauses in their contracts.

In January 2025, Erling Haaland signed a record nine-and-a-half-year contract with Manchester City, keeping him at the club until his 34th birthday. At that time, the main question clearly referred to the 115 charges. When asked whether there was a release clause in his new contract if Manchester City were found guilty, the Norwegian striker answered: "No."

Manchester City has secured their most valuable asset – arguably the most lethal striker in the world – for nearly a decade, covering the peak years of his career, and he is only 26 years old.

Now, all top clubs around the world are monitoring Haaland's next move, ready to act immediately if he suddenly becomes available for transfer. The same applies to many other superstars in Manchester City's squad who have helped the team achieve brilliant success in recent years.

However, if the worst-case scenario occurs and Manchester City is found guilty and relegated from the Premier League as punishment, Haaland is not the only player whose contract lacks a release clause.

Other star players who joined in the last three transfer windows also have no release clauses in their contracts – between July 2024 and September 2025, Manchester City's net spending exceeded £300 million.

But this raises the question: everyone knows that day of reckoning will come, so how did Manchester City manage to negotiate these player contracts?

Allegations of Premier League financial rule violations were formally submitted in February 2023, but this has not stopped the team from continuing to achieve success, nor has it hindered their ability to attract top players during this period.

Cherki, Donnarumma, Semenyo, and Guéhi all joined between 2024 and 2025, and this summer, the team spent £450 million to completely overhaul their midfield, bringing in Enzo, Rodrigo Hernández, Buonanotte, and Ndiaye.

Among them, Argentine midfielder Enzo was singularly focused on joining Manchester City. He not only informed Chelsea of his desire to leave but also explicitly stated that Manchester City should be his next destination.

Rodrigo Hernández had to choose directly between Manchester City and Manchester United, ultimately selecting Manchester City. The situation for other players is similar. Guéhi could have chosen any destination if he had waited until summer to become a free agent, but he chose Manchester City in January. Semenyo likely also knew that Arsenal would probably make another offer if he waited patiently.

Looking at this massive squad overhaul, Manchester City has completely transformed the team. The goalkeeper position (Ederson replaced by Donnarumma), defense, and midfield are all new, with veterans like De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva departing, and new players like Rodrigo Hernández and Enzo arriving.

This clearly goes beyond normal squad rebuilding. It must include contingency plans in case the team is ultimately found guilty, facing not only relegation but also transfer bans. However, Manchester City does not view it this way; after all, the squad depth currently available to the team is very strong.

Yet the key factor in convincing these players to sign contracts is not relegation clauses, but the team's commitment to honoring all bonuses, add-ons, and performance-related payments. These bonuses are typically easy to earn. They will honor these contracts. The contracts will be legally binding, and this depends on good agents to ensure their clients are protected.

Another overlooked factor is the strength of Manchester City's own conviction: they are very confident that the club will ultimately be able to prove their innocence. Within the club, there has always been genuine belief that they have sufficient evidence to respond to and refute the allegations. This conviction remains unshaken, regardless of outside perception. In communications with players, agents, and families, there has never been the slightest doubt in the words, hearts, or minds of Manchester City's leadership. This is highly persuasive.

Ultimately, players may not even need relegation clauses. If the harshest punishment truly comes, regardless of who owns the club, the team will not be able to afford the massive wage bills of a Championship-level club, let alone a League One side.

The genuine affection that stars like Haaland have for this club should not be underestimated, and the same applies to other players. But it would be naive to think that players would not try to leave to play in the Champions League and compete for the most prestigious trophies. Manchester City will likely be forced to let them go; that is how football works.

However, this storm, which has lasted for years, has never truly affected Manchester City's ambition to attract and recruit top players, and their determination to remain at the top, no matter what happens.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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