Norwegian’s near decade-long contract on £500,000 a week could backfire spectacularly if champions are punished

Erling Haaland’s bumper nine-and-a-half-year record new contract with Manchester City is a certifiable coup for the champions and a life-changing deal for the 24-year-old that provokes several intriguing questions.

The thorniest is what occurs if City are relegated should the club be found guilty of the more than 100 charges brought by the Premier League. The champions deny all the allegations but if they are unsuccessful then, depending on the severity of the verdict, one potential tariff is demotion.