The ‘trial of the century’ between Manchester City and the Premier League finally began at the International Dispute Resolution Centre in London on Monday.
It has been 18 months since the Premier League charged City with 115* alleged breaches of the league’s financial rules (*click here to find out about that asterisk), and any potential punishment has been a source of debate ever since.
There are plenty of serious pieces to read about City’s charges (which they deny) — but for a bit of fun (at least for other teams), we have taken a few leaps to look at what could happen in the highly unlikely scenario whereby City are expelled from the top flight and the rest of the Premier League move for their players.
To bring some order to a scenario that will never really come to pass, picks are made using a draft-style system, starting with the bottom of the league and ending with the top. The club propping up the table, Everton, get the first pick, second-bottom Southampton choose next, all the way through to Arsenal, second in the Premier League table, who get the 19th pick.
In some cases, particularly when choosing between players in similar positions, we have considered their worth in the transfer market and age. However, tactical fit and the club’s needs are prioritised.
So, let’s get into it…
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City vs the Premier League – explaining the 115* charges and how long the case will take
Unusually for a Sean Dyche team, Everton’s inability to keep the ball out of their net has been the most significant contributor to their poor results.
Still, scoring goals would help, and if you presented the Manchester City squad to Dyche and offered him any player, he would surely choose 24-year-old Haaland, who has scored nine goals from four league matches this season and is probably the best striker in the world.
2) Southampton – Rodri
Southampton have been their own worst enemy this season as they search for their first point since earning promotion from the Championship. Errors, including preventable goals conceded via set pieces and poorly executed attempts at playing from defence, have cost them.
Rodri, 28, would add steel and physicality to Russell Martin’s midfield. He is a world-class pivot from whom goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale and the defence could build their attacks.
Rodri, from Citizen to Saint (Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Wolves have faced a difficult start to the season, coming unstuck against Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle United in their first four matches. Gary O’Neil and his players pride themselves on a strong defence and solid midfield base but they have occasionally lacked a spark in attack, particularly in the absence of Pedro Neto, who departed for Chelsea in August.
Add De Bruyne to the mix, and you would expect Wolves’ fortunes in front of goal would improve significantly.
The start of Ipswich’s first Premier League campaign since 2001-02 could hardly have been more difficult as they faced Liverpool and Manchester City in successive weeks. Kieran McKenna’s side have done well to bounce back from those two losses, collecting successive draws against Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion, but they are still without a win.
Shoring up the defence is the first necessity for a club searching for Premier League survival, so taking Dias, one of the league’s best and most experienced central defenders, seems a sensible step for a side with some exciting attacking talent but limited top-flight pedigree.
Many observers expected Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze to leave after featuring for England at the European Championship but Crystal Palace did well to retain the core of their squad over the summer window. However, Oliver Glasner is still adapting his team to compensate for Michael Olise’s departure to Bayern Munich, with Palace still searching for their first win of the league season.
Foden, who often features for club and country at right wing, would fit seamlessly into Palace’s system. Who knows, maybe the reigning PFA Players’ Player of the Season could even elevate Palace into the European spots?
Guardiola’s Mr Versatile, who offers world-class quality in several positions, would suit Steve Cooper perfectly. Bernardo would likely play in attacking midfield at the King Power Stadium, allowing Wilfred Ndidi to move back into his more familiar defensive-midfield position. Silva also offers elite cover on either wing and further back as a No 8.
Bernardo Silva would be the cornerstone for Leicester (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Julen Lopetegui could be tempted to opt for youth with the seventh pick, but Gundogan’s quality and experience may be too much to pass up on.
This summer, Lopetegui signed Guido Rodriguez to play alongside Edson Alvarez at the base of his midfield but questions remain over West Ham’s ability to control matches. Gundogan, 33, is elite across a variety of midfield roles, bringing world-class pedigree to a club with big ambitions.
Tottenham seemingly secured their long-term No 9 by signing Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth this summer, and Son Heung-min is the club captain and an integral part of the team from the left wing. While Dejan Kulusevski and Brennan Johnson have shown their skill in spells at Spurs, Savinho, 20, could be the injection of quality at right wing to take them to the next level.
Fulham have a host of attacking talent and lack a natural left-winger. Alex Iwobi and Emile Smith-Rowe are capable from the left but have often produced their best form in central positions. Their former Arsenal team-mate, Reiss Nelson, is the most accomplished player on Fulham’s books at left wing, but he is only on loan until the end of the season.
Doku, 22, is a natural left-sider and one of the most electric wingers in the Premier League.
10) Bournemouth – Ederson
Bournemouth found themselves in the awkward position of having to play their No 2 goalkeeper, Mark Travers, at the weekend as loanee Kepa Arrizabalaga was ineligible to play against Chelsea, his parent club. Ederson would be a significant upgrade for Andoni Iraola in goal.
If you need a reminder about just how good the 31-year-old is with his feet, watch his assist for Haaland’s second goal in City’s 2-1 win over Brentford on Saturday.
Ederson is one of City’s biggest assets (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
City fans, look away: one of Guardiola’s most important players in the title run-in last season is a perfect fit for Manchester United.
Gvardiol, 22, offers elite cover and competition for Luke Shaw at left-back, who has struggled to stay fit for United in recent seasons. He is also an international-quality centre-back, providing further competition at the heart of defence for Erik ten Hag.
There’s little Thomas Frank appreciates more than a versatile defender, and Ake, 29, is experienced and accomplished in several positions across the back line. He is a natural centre-back and can play as a duo in a four-man defence and the left and central defender in a three-man setup.
Adding Ake’s quality in and out of possession is a no-brainer for Brentford.
If we have learned anything about Chelsea under Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, it’s that we should expect the unexpected. With several high-profile names on the board (who they might usually be attracted to), Chelsea’s co-sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart might be prompted into taking City’s backup goalkeeper Ortega to solve their longstanding issues between the sticks.
Ortega, 31, was excellent for City in Ederson’s absence last season, proving he would not look out of place as a starter for a top Premier League club. Some players still on the board would fetch a higher transfer fee, but evidence suggests he could be the player to most improve Chelsea’s fortunes on the pitch.
The ideal player to address Forest’s lack of numbers in defensive midfield. The 30-year-old, a four-time Champions League winner and Premier League champion would bring a midfield quality and pedigree not seen since… Roy Keane?
Kovacic has the quality to improve almost any team (Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images)
15) Brighton & Hove Albion – John Stones
With Fabian Hurzeler’s attractive style of play already earning him plaudits in the Premier League, Stones’ quality when playing out from defence appears a perfect match. He would seamlessly slot into the left or right centre-back slots, with Jan Paul van Hecke and Lewis Dunk capable partners for the 30-year-old.
Given Unai Emery’s issues finding injury cover for Matty Cash at right-back, it makes sense that Villa should look to their crisis position for reinforcements. Kyle Walker had an impressive spell at Villa Park on loan from Tottenham in 2011, but he is 34 and has fallen out of favour at the Etihad.
Lewis, the player who supplanted Walker in Guardiola’s plans, might not be a perfect fit for Emery’s style but, at just 19, he is already a seasoned operator in the Premier League and Champions League and has the potential to be among the best players in the world in his position.
It’s pretty simple. If not convinced by Virgil van Dijk’s partners in central defence, then take one of several top-class options from a club that just happens to be giving them away.
Arne Slot’s decision to start Jarell Quansah in Liverpool’s opening league match against Ipswich indicated a lack of faith in Ibrahima Konate, but when he then replaced Quansah for Konate at half-time of that match, it pointed to doubts in both of them. Akanji, 29, would come into the starting XI and immediately improve Slot’s defence.
18) Newcastle United – Oscar Bobb
Eddie Howe has plenty of talented left-wingers at his disposal, including Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes (see his curling effort in the 2-1 win over Wolves on Sunday), but Newcastle are short of proven quality from the right. Bobb, 21, who is unlikely to return to action until the end of the year after fracturing a bone in his leg in pre-season, would be the perfect candidate for Howe to build the future of Newcastle’s right-sided attack around.
Once fit, Bobb would solve Newcastle’s right-wing problems (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
While Arsenal squeezed through against Tottenham at the weekend off the back of a solid defensive display, adding Grealish, 29, to the midfield core would provide much-needed natural cover for Odegaard. He would also push Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard and new loan recruit Raheem Sterling for starting minutes from the left wing.
Undrafted: Scott Carson, Joshua Wilson-Esbrand, Walker, Matheus Nunes, James McAtee.
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How could Manchester City be punished if they lose 115 charges case?
(Top photo: Erling Haaland by Michael Regan via Getty Images)
