Manchester City have quietly drawn a line under their fight with the Premier League over the Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules, choosing to settle instead of pressing on with arbitration. The deal, confirmed on Monday, September 8, 2025, means City now accept the rules in their current form as valid and binding.
It’s a significant step because the case was scheduled to head toward trial later this year. Instead, both sides agreed to end the proceedings and, in a rare show of restraint, promised not to make further public statements on the matter.
The dispute had dragged on for well over a year. City were adamant that the Premier League’s restrictions on commercial deals with companies tied to club ownership were discriminatory, especially in the way they treated shareholder loans. But their challenge had already suffered a setback back in October 2024, when a panel ruled parts of the old framework unlawful but upheld the right of the league to regulate. That decision led to revised rules, which City still resisted until now.
Manchester City made a statement addressing the issue on their official website. They wrote:
The Premier League and Manchester City FC have reached a settlement in relation to the arbitration commenced by the club earlier this year concerning the Premier League’s Associated Party Transaction (APT) Rules and as a result the parties have agreed to terminate the proceedings. This settlement brings an end to the dispute between the parties regarding the APT Rules. As part of the settlement, Manchester City accepts that the current APT Rules are valid and binding. It has been agreed that neither the Premier League nor the club will be making any further comment about the matter.
While the settlement closes this chapter, it does not touch the bigger storm still hanging over the Etihad. Softfootball understands that City are facing over 100 separate charges of alleged breaches of financial regulations. The club continues to deny those accusations, and that separate case remains unresolved.
There may, however, be an immediate upside. The agreement could allow City to revisit a long-term sponsorship deal with Etihad Airways, which was previously blocked because it didn’t meet the Premier League’s fair market value test.
Off the boardroom and the courthouse, Manchester City have to contend with John Stones’ injury during the international break with England.
The truce removes a distraction for both sides. For the league, it secures stability in its rulebook. For City, it clears the decks though the far more serious charges still wait in the background.
