Premier League officials have been instructed to disclose electronic communications, including texts, emails, and WhatsApp messages, that mention Manchester City.

This development comes ahead of the hearing into the 115 charges that the club is facing, which is scheduled to take place in November. According to The Times, the Premier League chief executive, Richard Masters, and his predecessor, Richard Scudamore, are among those who have been asked to hand over messages dating back to 2009 that pertain to Manchester City.

The charges against Manchester City involve allegations of concealing payments through third parties by disguising them as sponsorship revenue. The club has denied any wrongdoing and has launched legal action against the Premier League, challenging the legality of the Associated Party Transaction (APT) rules. These rules, introduced after the Saudi-led takeover of Newcastle in 2021, aim to prevent clubs from inflating sponsorship deals with companies linked to their owners.

Manchester City faces 115 charges related to breaches of financial regulations dating back to 2009 and extending through to 2018. The hearing on these charges is expected to last six weeks and will be kept strictly confidential. If found guilty, the club could face significant fines or even relegation.

Separately, a two-week hearing on Manchester City’s legal action against the Premier League is set to commence on Monday.

Premier League officials, including Richard Masters and Richard Scudamore, must hand over all communications mentioning Manchester City.

Messages from Masters’ predecessor, Richard Scudamore, are also part of the disclosure.

Manchester City will learn their fate regarding the 115 alleged breaches of financial rules after a hearing in November.

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Premier League officials, including Richard Masters, are said to have been instructed to disclose texts and emails mentioning Manchester City ahead of the November hearing into the 115 charges against the club.