Man City Avoids Transfer Ban After CAS Clears Club in Benjamin Garre Signing

The Court of Arbitration for Sport have cleared Manchester City of any wrongdoing over their signing of an Argentine youngster in 2016.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport have cleared Manchester City of any wrongdoing over their signing of an Argentine youngster in 2016.

The Citizens stood accused by Velez Sarsfield of 'flouting transfer rules' in the signing of attacking midfielder Benjamin Garre.

As reported by the Telegraph, the club will not face a two-window transfer embargo after CAS found nothing wrong with the club's activities that year, but Velez will now have the right to appeal the decision.

Their claim was that City acted 'unethically' by approaching their starlet when he was just 15 years of age and signing him just days after his 16th birthday.

The Telegraph's report reads: "Fifa had upheld City’s argument that Garre was free to join them after his 16th birthday because he holds an Italian passport but Velez alleged that Fifa rules only allow players under 18 to move between clubs in European countries.

"Velez also took Fifa to CAS after the world governing body rejected an initial complaint from the South American club in September 2016. City believed they had always acted within the rules and had also felt they were on strong ground given that Fifa ratified the transfer and CAS have now ruled in favour of the English club and Fifa."

The news will serve as a weight off the club's shoulders, especially since the complex nature of the case had been going on for some time - a decision was anticipated to be reached last July.