We should reportedly hear Manchester City’s potential punishment for their Premier League financial breaches by the end of January.

Man City’s fate will be decided by an independent panel, but it seems there could be pressure from other top flight clubs for a really severe sanction.

According to the Guardian, City’s rivals feel that simply relegating the club to the Championship would be insufficient punishment considering the seriousness of the breaches.

These clubs won’t have any official say over what happens to City, but one imagines their influence could at least have some significance as they push for City to be out of the Premier League for multiple seasons.

Why so long until we learn Man City’s punishment?

With this case having dragged on for so long already, it’s far from ideal that football fans everywhere will continue to have to wait a few months more to learn what’s going to happen to City.

MCFC will likely appeal the current verdict, and that appeal needs to be submitted by this Friday.

After that, there is a deadline of 12 weeks for the hearing, and a further 30 days on top of that to deliver a judgement.

It is clearly a lengthy process and City have already done their best to kick the can further down the road, which might well be a tactic they employ again.

City continue to insist that they are innocent and have also been backed by former manager Pep Guardiola.

Releasing a statement on social media yesterday, Guardiola said: “I want every single @ManCity fan to know I am here; more than ever. I am, always have been, always will, be behind my club, my owner, my chairman, Ferran, the players, staff, Enzo and you, our unique supporters. Let me be clear: we will get through this together. I love you all.”