Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour could consider selling the club if the Premier League’s guilty verdict over its financial charges is upheld on appeal, according to Middle East analyst Christopher M. Davidson.

Davidson, an expert on the United Arab Emirates and author of Abu Dhabi: Oil & Beyond, said an unsuccessful appeal could leave Abu Dhabi’s ruling family with a difficult decision over its continued ownership of the Premier League champions.

The development comes after an independent commission found Manchester City guilty of serious breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules covering a nine-season period from 2009/10 to 2017/18.

The verdict relates to the long-running case involving 115 charges brought against the club by the Premier League. City were accused of failing to provide accurate financial information and breaching regulations relating to sponsorship revenue, player and manager payments, as well as UEFA and Premier League financial rules.

According to the commission’s findings, City had arranged what it described as “sham” contracts with commercial partners to artificially inflate the club’s revenues and reduce its costs.

The commission also found the club guilty of three of four groups of alleged failures to cooperate with the Premier League’s investigation.

Manchester City have consistently denied wrongdoing and have appealed the verdict, arguing that the commission’s findings contain significant errors of law, principle and fact.

Speaking to The Athletic, Davidson said an unsuccessful appeal could change the position of City’s Abu Dhabi ownership.

“Once there’s some time to digest this, my feeling would be that they would extricate themselves,” he said.

Davidson argued that the implications could extend beyond football, suggesting that the Abu Dhabi ruling family could view the verdict as damaging to its reputation in England.

“I think primarily it would be seen from a political and cultural aspect. The ruling family of Abu Dhabi would feel that they had been embarrassed and disgraced by this ruling, and the best way of moving forward would be to sell now to cut the losses,” he said.

He added that he could not see a scenario in which the ownership would continue if the guilty verdict was upheld on appeal.

However, Davidson’s assessment is at odds with previous comments from City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, who said in June that there was “no intention to sell” Manchester City.

Al Mubarak described Manchester City and the wider City Football Group as valuable assets that the owners had no plans to dispose of.

“Manchester City and this group within the football world is a pinnacle and these sorts of jewels you don’t sell,” he said.

The contrast between the chairman’s position and Davidson’s prediction highlights the uncertainty surrounding the club as it challenges the commission’s findings.

For Manchester City, the appeal remains central to the next stage of the 115-charge case, which has cast a long shadow over the club since the Premier League formally brought the allegations.

While the potential sale of the club remains speculative, a failed appeal could have significant implications for City’s ownership, reputation and future relationship with the Premier League.