A group of Premier League clubs are pushing for Manchester City to face both retrospective and forward-looking penalties following the independent commission's verdict that found City guilty of all financial rule breaches between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons, BBC Sport has learned.

City have lodged an appeal against the findings, but among a significant number of top-flight club executives there is a firm consensus: if that appeal fails, any sanctions must both address the period in which City broke the rules and constrain their future power.

Title stripping on the table

One senior club source told BBC Sport that City should be stripped of the titles won during the period they were found guilty of wrongdoing. Crucially, the source said there was "no great rush" to redistribute those honours — clubs would prefer to see trophies declared vacant rather than reassigned.

The source warned that allowing City to retain the eight major Premier League trophies won during that period would permanently damage the league's credibility.

However, opinion across Premier League boardrooms is not uniform. BBC Sport has previously reported that several clubs have little appetite for title-stripping, underlining the range of views on what constitutes a fitting punishment for the eight-time champions.

Points deduction — but spread over seasons

At least four Premier League clubs believe a single-season points deduction resulting in relegation to the Championship would be an insufficient response given the gravity of City's offences. A one-off demotion, executives fear, would amount to little more than a "bump in the road" given City's financial resources and their capacity to return to the top flight quickly.

To counteract that, a number of Premier League figures believe any points deduction should be distributed across multiple seasons. Transfer bans spanning several windows are also seen as a meaningful tool to slow City's potential return to full strength.

A tariff-based compensation system

One idea gaining attention among club executives involves a "tariff-based system" — recalculating City's past league positions as if the financial breaches had not occurred, then requiring City to compensate rival clubs financially based on the difference between where those clubs actually finished and where they would have finished.

One club source said there was genuine "merit" in exploring such an approach.

Clubs feel left in the dark

Several clubs expressed frustration at being kept in the dark about the appeal process and the timeline for any sanctions hearing. Sources acknowledged, however, that there was also "empathy" and "understanding" for the Premier League's difficult position given the legal complexity of the situation.

One source also said it would be "bizarre, almost obtuse" to allow City to operate in the January transfer window while the sanctions process remains unresolved.

Eyes turn to Anfield

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca is set to address his squad collectively when players return from international duty on Thursday, ahead of City's Premier League trip to Liverpool on Sunday.

The match at Anfield will be City's first since the commission's verdict became public. Merseyside Police confirmed it has received queries about the fixture and stated it would have "an appropriate policing operation in place on the day." Sources at Liverpool told BBC Sport it is "business as usual," with no additional measures beyond the standard pre-match coordination with supporters and authorities.