CITY IN LEGAL THREAT

MANCHESTER CITY are ready to sue the boss of La Liga after he accused them of financial doping.

Javier Tebas (right) claimed City were using Spanish club Girona to blatantly flaunt financial rules.

He suggested City had loaned players below the market rate to Girona, which is part-owned by boss Pep Guardiola’s brother Pere. City have accused Tebas of being “ill-informed” and of peddling “pure fiction” and have consulted lawyers over the prospect of legal action against him. Five players have gone on loan to Girona, the club in which the City Football Group bought a 44 per cent stake. Tebas accused City of undervaluing Pablo Maffeo, Aleix Garcia, Marlos Moreno, Douglas Luiz and Olarenwaju Kayode to give themselves greater flexibility with the £73million budget imposed on them under La Liga rules. Tebas has called on UEFA to investigate City for alleged financial doping.