Manchester City could face UK government sanctions like Chelsea

The past month has seen the UK government laying down sanctions against Russian companies and oligarchs who are believed to have close ties with Russian president Vladimir Putin. Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich is one of the high profile individuals that has been affected, and now it seems Manchester City might soon face sanctions as well.

Abramovich was forced to give up control of the club and put Chelsea up for sale through an agreement with the UK Parliament. This is just one of the many sanctions that he is dealing with since being identified as a Putin ally, which he denies. Chelsea is now in limbo as the change of ownership is being sorted out, and according to Marca, Manchester City is facing the same fate.

The reigning Premier League champions are being drawn into the controversy after it was revealed that owner Sheikh Mansour has recently met with Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. This irks the UK government because of Assad's close ties with Putin.

"It is the UK's firm belief that - in the absence of a change in behaviour by the Syrian regime - strengthening ties undermines the prospect of a lasting and inclusive peace in Syria," the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said, as quoted by The Athletic.

While the Sheikh has not expressed direct support towards Putin's invasion of Ukraine, he is now under the watchful eye of the government. If any evidence is found that raises further concerns, City may end up in the same boat as Chelsea.

Apart from being put up for sale, Chelsea has been banned from entering the transfer market, which also prevents them from renewing the contracts of existing players whose deals expire at the end of the season. Not only that, their upcoming home matches will likely be played behind closed doors while the club is prohibited from taking a profit from ticket sales.