Manchester City's owners are reportedly on the verge of completing a takeover at Brazilian club Bahia – just days after City were charged with 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules.
News broke on Monday that City had been referred to an independent commission after a four-year investigation into the English champions' dealings between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons.
But the company which owns City, the UAE-funded City Football Group (CFG), appear to be pressing on with business as normal.
According to the Mirror, CFG will buy a 90% stake in Bahia – who won promotion back to Brazil's top flight last year – to make them the 11th club in their global portfolio.
That portfolio features from Europe, Asia, Australia, and North and South America – including Girona of LaLiga, Troyes of Ligue 1 and MLS outfit New York City. CFG also list Bolivian giants Bolivar as a 'partner club'.
Experts have said that it may be years before we know whether City are guilty as charged or not, but potential punishments range from fines to relegation. They could also be stripped of their 2011/12, 2013/14 and 2017/18 Premier League titles.
Pep Guardiola has been furiously on the defensive since the charges, claiming that City have "already been condemned" by the Premier League's other 19 clubs – and citing the European ban City received in 2020 for alleged UEFA Financial Fair Play (FFP) breaches which was later overturned on appeal.
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