Manchester City chairman met Andy Burnham ally to discuss UAE investment just days before Premier League charges

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak reportedly met with Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds on September 14 to discuss the UAE's investment in Britain. The pair met at Downing Street to discuss the two countries' relationship in defence, security, intelligence and trade, as part of Al Mubarak's role as CEO of Mubadala Investment Company, the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund, according to Bloomberg.

Just 11 days after the pair met, Manchester City were found guilty of breaking Premier League rules. On September 29, the Premier League confirmed City were guilty of artificially boosting their balance sheets by over £900million.

Stories Videos Your Say Andy Burnham recently came under fire for his handling of the situation, saying he would be "really concerned" if the Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG) had to sell City. Downing Street had to clarify the Prime Minister's position on a couple of occasions on Thursday.

"I do actually thank the City Football Group and the wider ownership for the money that they didn't just put into the Etihad [Stadium] and the campus around it but also into the city," the city's former Mayor initially said. Fans had been near-united in their fury after his intervention, with senior Government officials said to be uneasy, and the former FA chairman has warned of "political interference".

Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak met with Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds to discuss the UAE's investment in Britain LATEST SPORTS NEWS FA breaks silence on Man City case with warning over football's integrity Unai Emery claims 'many clubs' inflated their budgets as Man City appeal rocks Premier League Anthony Joshua sets record straight on Black Lives Matter speech ahead of seismic Tyson Fury fight No10 were forced to issue a statement, reading: "As the Prime Minister made clear, the initial judgment is serious and there can't be any suggestion that anyone is above the rules. He also stressed that it is an ongoing independent process.

It is essential that it is allowed to run its course and the outcome respected. If wrongdoing is established, those responsible should face the appropriate consequences.

The use of the word if" raised eyebrows, givenan independent commissionfound City guilty after a 42-day hearing that produced 7,000 pages of witness evidence following an eight-year investigation. The City chairman reportedly met with Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds |PA No10 then changed it to read "wherever wrongdoing is established".

Senior lawmakers and Foreign Office officials are reportedly concerned because the Prime Minister's remarks seem to contradict recent laws that prohibit politicians from influencing cases against football clubs. The former FA - and Manchester City - chairman David Bernstein also warned that this would prove the new Independent Football Regulator's biggest test ever.

"The regulator will never be faced with bigger issues than this. The Prime Minister came under fire for saying he would be 'really concerned' if the ADUG had to sell Manchester City I've been concerned all the way through that there's a danger of political interference, whether it be that City are just, I use the words, too big to fail, or there's a national interest involved."