Liverpool and the rest of the top flight teams will be waiting with interest for the verdict in the Premier League's case against Manchester City. But the wait is set to go on before that is made public.

In the meantime, Manchester City has signed Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt, Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens, Vitor Reis from Palmeiras, Juma Bah from Real Valladolid and Christian McFarlane from New York City FC this month. Between them, they cost more than $150 million.

That had led many to speculate that the outcome of City's charges case leveled by the Premier League could see minimal punishment. City is facing 115 charges over alleged breaches of Financial Fair Play regulations - allegations the club denies. After all, why else would Pep Guardiola be spending big? But soccer finance expert Dr. Dan Plumley has offered an explanation.

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"We're speculating still and I'll give my reasons for that," he told Liverpool.com on behalf of Bet Ideas, insisting that no conclusions should be drawn. "What's happened with Manchester City in this window, you could spin both ways.

"One is that they are spending because they are expecting a transfer embargo or a severe punishment. The other is they are spending because everything is going to be OK and it is business as usual."

Manchester City has not only spent big on transfers, either. It also announced a remarkable nine-and-a-half-year contract for Norwegian forward Erling Haaland, which is almost unheard of in soccer.

"The Haaland contract renewal as well, you can spin that both ways," Dr Plumley said. "Whichever road you drive down, you can end up with two very plausible answers. I wouldn't be reading too much into it.

"You can now see it in the current market. The league will still monitor it over five years for PSR — that loophole was closed when Chelsea started to do it. There is a financial benefit for City but it is more that his stock is high, he is young, and you are tying that player down. It is more about protecting the asset with Haaland.

"I'm sure there will be clauses in there — his salary will have to move with the times. The trend shows us that revenues go up at club level and wages have risen as well. But City are OK in terms of wages to turnover ratio, which UEFA monitor. It's more for the player in that regard, you would expect his wages to creep up if revenue continues to grow."