Manchester City's Premier League punishment expected before season end

Manchester City's punishment for breaching Premier League rules should be handed down before the end of this season, senior football figures have told BBC Sport.

The Premier League said on Tuesday that City had been found guilty of all charges relating to breaches of its financial regulations between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons.

They included artificially inflating revenue by more than £900m through "sham" sponsorship deals.

City have repeatedly denied guilt and signalled an intent to lodge an appeal by the end of this week.

There have been fears that the process, which has taken three years since City were charged, could be drawn out for much longer.

However, senior figures within football have told BBC Sport they see no reason why the case cannot be concluded by the end of this season.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, one club official said: "It benefits everyone for this to be resolved as quickly as possible."

When asked if they believed it would be, they said: "Instinctively yes, but it has to be done right.

We can all see what the risks are if it's not. But those risks have been there throughout the process, as they've won the league multiple times during it."