Manchester City: Premier League punishes club with academy transfer ban

MANCHESTER City have been banned from signing academy players for two years and fined £300,000 after breaching Premier League transfer rules.

Part of the ban – from 30 June 2018 – will only come into effect if the club reoffends in the next three years.

City were found to have approached the family of two young players who were registered with other clubs.

The ban applies to any player who has been registered with a Premier League or EFL club in the previous 18 months.

It follows a similar sanction for Liverpool, who in April were punished over a separate illegal approach.

Liverpool’s punishment related to their approach to a 12-year-old academy player at Stoke City in September last year.

An investigation by the Premier League found the Reds spoke to the youngster and his family before they should have, and also paid for him and some of his family to attend a game at Anfield.

Liverpool also offered to pay the player’s school fees, which were being paid by Stoke at the time, and this was a breach of newly introduced regulations which state a benefit can only be offered if it is applicable to all youngsters across the club’s academy, which was not the case.

It was reported in April that the Premier League was examining three signings by City’s academy, including an 11-year-old Everton midfielder and a 15-year-old from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Premier League rules ban inducements from clubs to encourage a move.

City have declined to comment on the matter.

 

SOURCE: BBC SPORT