Pep Guardiola vows to open up on Man City's Premier League hearing when verdict is revealed - as champions make sponsorship rules challenge

Pep Guardiola has promised to open up on Manchester City’s historic hearing with the Premier League once a verdict is announced in the coming weeks. Guardiola revealed on Friday he is expecting a resolution within a month after defending City’s £175million January spend on four new signings. City — who deny more than 100 charges of financial impropriety spanning nine years until 2018 — have afforded their manager a much-needed refresh of the squad and are pressing ahead with a £300m redevelopment of the Etihad Stadium.

Relegation, points deductions and fines are potential punishments if the champions are found guilty by an independent panel. The hearing began in September. ‘In one month I think there will be a verdict and a sentence and after we will see my opinion of what’s happened so far,’ said Guardiola, while rejecting the idea the club splurged during last month’s window in the possible eventuality of a transfer embargo.

He said: ‘Still, at the end, every club can do whatever they want. My words will not convince people our attributes are just being in a wealthy position. In the last five years, we are the last team in the top six for net spend. Pep Guardiola has vowed to offer his opinions on the hearing when a verdict is delivered. Relegation, points deductions and fines are possible punishments if City are found guilty.

Guardiola denied their transfer activity, including signing Omar Marmoush, is linked to the case. ‘Even after what we have spent in this transfer window, we are away from Chelsea, (Manchester) United, Arsenal, Tottenham. Even from Liverpool. ‘The only reason why is we’ve sold a lot in the last seasons but with that I know (about perceptions of) this club, it is always “just about the money”.’.

Omar Marmoush (£59m), Abdukodir Khusanov (£33m) and Nico Gonzalez (£50m) have been added to City’s European squad ahead of next week’s Champions League play-off against Real Madrid, while the £29m teenager Vitor Reis is still waiting for his debut. Gonzalez is set to feature in the FA Cup at Leyton Orient on Saturday. Guardiola’s comments came on the day it emerged City have launched a fresh legal challenge to the Premier League’s rules on sponsorship deals.

Mail Sport understands lawyers for the club have informed the League they will seek an arbitration hearing over amendments made to associated party transaction (APT) regulations, which have already been at the centre of a long-running legal battle. City scored a victory over the competition when an arbitration panel found elements of rules on deals with parties linked to clubs were ‘unlawful’. However, the Premier League then swiftly made a number of amendments, which were voted through by a majority of their clubs.

Man City have challenged the Premier League's rules on sponsorship deals again. City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak pictured (left) next to club CEO Ferran Soriano in August. The original panel had found issue with the rules, not least because they did not subject shareholder loans, from parties with a stake in clubs such as owners, to the same fair market valuations as commercial deals. Some of City’s rivals, most notably Arsenal and Liverpool, benefitted significantly from such lending. The new rules say existing shareholder loans will effectively be set to one side and not be subject to such valuations, meaning those involved escape having to pay retrospective fees worth millions.