A former club CEO has revealed the connection between and their sponsor Etihad Airways floating a £4billion stake of the company.

The Premier League champions' connection with Etihad has come under scrutiny since the and Associated Party Rules (APT) have been at the heart of disagreements. These are the set of regulations that limit clubs increasing revenue through sponsorships deals with companies linked to their owners.

Some of these rules were recently made 'unenforceable' following a tribunal. Etihad, City's kit and stadium sponsor, are owned by the Abu Dhabi government, an extremely strong and wealthy backing.

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had reported that Eitihad Airways were set to float a stake of 20 per cent, worth potentially a staggering £4bn, in the Abu Dhabi stock exchange as soon as this month. This has undoubtedly caught the attention with - as clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham await an outcome.

But Keith Wyness, former CEO of , said there isn't much of a connection to be made here. He told : "I don't think the two events are connected in any way to be honest. The IPO won't have taken any external factor, such as a verdict in this 115 charges case, into account.

"I don't think there is a connection there."

Abu Dhabi's flagship airline record a whopping profit of £377m for 2024, the largest annual profit for the company to date. , Etihad's annual contributions to City are in the realm of £80m.

It is yet potential key moment that has swung away from City's Premier League rivals. are nine points ahead of men, whereas are just one point behind them. will be desperate to move closer and get a chance of pushing into the spots.