The hearing against Man City over their 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules will take place next month, according to reports.
The club were charged in February 2023 over allegations that they had breached the league's Financial Fair Play rules from 2009 until 2018.
Premier League chief Richard Masters earlier this year revealed that a date had been set, though refused to detail a precise time when asked to do so by a government committee.
It had been expected that an independent commission would begin the hearing in November however the Times report that it will instead take place in mid-to-late September.
The hearing has been scheduled to last ten weeks, with the commission members expected to deliver their verdict at the start of 2025.
The hearing against Man City over their 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules will take place next month
City have launched separate legal action against the Premier League over financial rules
City strongly deny these charges and, back in June, launched legal action of their own against the Premier League over its financial rules.
The outlet report that the outcome for that legal case is set to be revealed in the next two weeks.
City bosses filed a 165-page legal document claiming they are the victims of ‘discrimination’ and that regulations approved by rivals they feel are aimed at curtailing their success are the ‘tyranny of the majority’.
City say the league’s Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules are unlawful and are seeking to have them thrown out. They are also claiming damages which some believe could run to tens of millions.
Under APT, introduced following the Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle in 2021, clubs are stopped from inflating sponsorship deals with firms who are linked to their owners. Instead, all deals have to be independently deemed as of ‘fair market value’ (FMV).
The report claims that there is a belief that City have achieved some successes in the arbitration hearing.
City - who have won four consecutive Premier League titles - could face huge fines and even relegation if they are found guilty if the 115 alleged breach of financial rules.
In response, City launched 'unprecedented legal action' against the Premier League
It will be heard in private as the Premier League rule regarding FFP breaches states that any ruling before an independent commission will be held in private and be strictly confidential.
It means that media outlets will learn no knowledge of the case until a final verdict is revealed by the Premier League.
Not all of the breaches are related to financial issues with 35 being down to their alleged failure to co-operate with the Premier League investigation from 2018 up until February 2023.
Meanwhile, last month, City were fined more than £2million by the Premier League for delaying kick off to matches.
In their title-winning match against West Ham last season, the start to the second half was delayed by two minutes and 46 seconds
The champions reached a sanction agreement with the league over 22 separate charges, all related to the past two seasons.
City were adjudged to have delayed the kick off to the second half of their final game of last term, victory over West Ham, by two minutes and 46 seconds on the day they clinched a fourth consecutive title.
The fines range from £10,000 to £200,000, the lowest for the first offence and the highest as a result of the West Ham fixture.
18 of the incidents relate to restarts after the break, with delaying that and kick off for one match - against Newcastle United last August.