Several Premier League clubs are consulting lawyers following widespread expectations that Manchester City will be found guilty of hundreds of breaches of financial regulations, sources have told ESPN FC.

The anticipated verdict has prompted clubs across England's top division to prepare their legal positions ahead of any formal announcement regarding the outcome of the lengthy disciplinary process against Manchester City.

Manchester City face 115 charges of financial rule violations, covering a period spanning more than a decade. The case — one of the most significant in English football history — has been heard by an independent commission over several years.

With a guilty finding now widely expected among those inside the game, Premier League clubs are understood to be taking professional legal counsel to assess what the ruling could mean for the competition and for their own financial standing within it.