Manchester City have been charged with breaking the Premier League's financial rules, and journalist Nick Harris has now reacted to a concerning update about the situation from Stefan Borson.

The Lowdown: City charged

Man City have been charged with breaching financial rules spanning from the 2009-10 season through to the 2017-18 campaign, with the case now being referred to an independent commission.

The club issued a statement after the charges were brought to light, in which they detailed that they were surprised by the issuing of the alleged breaches, and they welcome the review of the commission in order to close the matter for good.

The Latest: Harris reacts

In the wake of the news, Borson took to Twitter to relay just how problematic the situation could be for Man City, saying: "Alarmist or not, the sheer extent of the PL charges are at a level that IF found proven, must lead to relegation."

Responding to this update, Harris, who regularly covers FFP stories, revealed Borson's expertise in matters such as these, which means that his concern should be taken seriously.

The journalist said: "Stefan is a former financial adviser to Man City, a Man City fan, a former banker, current lawyer, CEO & general counsel to a PLC dealing with allegations of historic accounting issues. Also well across FFP issues. So this is an interesting view."

The Verdict: Massive issue for City

Man City's club statement appears to indicate that they believe the matter will be put to bed without them receiving any sanctions, but even if they do go unpunished, this news will have a knock-on effect.

There is not expected to be a resolution to the dispute any time soon, while the BBC's Simon Stone also points out that it will be expensive, which could impact on City's transfer business in the summer.

The Sky Blues will also find it hard to compete for some of the continent's top players if this cloud is hanging over them, with the club recently starting talks about Jude Bellingham, while Bukayo Saka has also been linked by journalist Dean Jones.

As of now, the main task for Pep Guardiola will be keeping his players focussed for the remainder of this season, with winning a first-ever Champions League trophy still a real possibility.