A 50-point deduction would leave Maresca's side facing the Championship — and a fight to keep half the squad

Manchester City have been found guilty on 114 counts, and the prospect of expulsion from the Premier League is no longer a hypothetical. Keith Wyness, a former Premier League board member, told Football Insider he believes a 50-point deduction is certain for breaking financial rules over nearly a decade. That punishment would almost definitely plunge Enzo Maresca's side into relegation in 2026-27.

Relegation is one thing. Keeping a squad assembled for the Champions League is another entirely. Here are the five players most likely to be gone before the Championship fixtures even land.

Gianluigi Donnarumma

Italy's first-choice goalkeeper is 27, regarded as one of the best in the world, and arrived for just £26million in the summer of 2025. That fee looks like a typo now. If City drop, rivals will come knocking with offers that make a mockery of the original price, and Donnarumma will have no shortage of suitors. A goalkeeper of his standing does not play second-tier football.

Josko Gvardiol

The Croatian only recently signed a new deal until 2031, which should have settled things. It hasn't. Gvardiol was seriously considering a move during the summer before City convinced the 24-year-old to stay, with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid circling. He will be regretting that decision if the worst unfolds. A contract is a contract, but relegation clauses and unhappy defenders have a way of making them negotiable.

Enzo Fernandez

City only just signed him on a £125million deal from Chelsea, which tells you everything about how quickly he can burn bridges. Javier Pastore, his agent, would waste no time offering the Argentine to other clubs. An early exit beats a season in the Championship, and Pastore knows it.

Rayan Cherki

This one would sting. Cherki has been City's most creative player since Kevin De Bruyne's emotional exit. Giants across Europe were gutted when they missed out on his signature two summers ago. Relegation would hand them a second chance at a bargain price within months.

Erling Haaland

The record-breaking striker has admirers at Real Madrid and Barcelona. Some fans already believe he could seal his exit in the upcoming winter transfer window. That would be the gut-wrenching blow, the one that turns a bad season into a full rebuild.

City's on-pitch problems are only half the story. The other half is the queue forming at the door.