Successful legal actions against Manchester City, in the event the club is found guilty of Premier League financial rule breaches, could be worth more than £200m to clubs in compensation, according to sources with knowledge of the details.

A number of rivals are planning to pursue legal processes, amid the anticipation that City will be found guilty in almost all of the charges relating to their long-running Premier League case over alleged financial rules breaches . At least four clubs preserved their rights to claim compensation surrounding loss of earnings under Section W of the competitions rules.

Sources tell the Independent that those clubs are Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. All four have been contacted for comment, with United and Spurs declining to do so. This essentially locked in their “right to sue” before the statute of limitations passed.

While law firms have contacted other clubs who did not preserve rights, there is a belief that would not be possible due to the time passed, but the rules are not specific. Lawyers could make arguments based on the nature of the case, and that it is all one proceeding that started before the statute of limitations expired, but the entire issue is still seen as a grey area.

Numerous clubs have been in discussions with legal firms to see what they are eligible for.

Under the period covered by the investigation, as an example, Manchester United missed out on the 2011-12 and 2017-18 titles, with the same applying to Liverpool for 2013-14, with City qualifying for the Champions League every season from 2009-10 to 2017-18. However, the claims may not just be limited to those seasons and prospective loss of earnings but also "loss of chance" in subsequent campaigns.

The loss of commercial deals could also be considered.

The significant precedent in this is from Burnley’s claim against Everton in June of this year. An independent commission ruled that the Merseyside club had to pay £35.1m to Burnley after their 2021-22 beach of the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) was found to have given them a sporting advantage. Everton ended up staying up in 16th place on 39 points, with Burnley going down in 18th on 35 points.