There is already mischievous chatter among some of those involved in Manchester United's 2017-18 season that they could be retrospectively declared as champions after Manchester City were charged with more than 100 alleged breaches of financial rules by the Premier League.
The Premier League announced City had been charged with 115 alleged breaches of regulations over 14 seasons from 2009-10 to the current campaign.
City have indicated they will appeal but if the charges are proven, the champions could be sanctioned with a points deduction or relegation.
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City secured the 2017-18 title with five games to spare and ended the season with 100 points while United finished runners-up on 81 points.
Some United figures who were part of the squad five seasons ago have discussed the possibility of obtaining a winner's medal should City be stripped of their first championship under Pep Guardiola.
Jose Mourinho, United's manager at the time, previously declared the second-place finish as "one of my biggest achievements" and had bemoaned City's £128.5million investment in full-backs Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy and Danilo in the summer of 2017.
On Monday, Mourinho posted five images of footballers' socks with holes cut into them on his Instagram page along with the caption, "Beautiful socks for the Beautiful Game… Approved by the football authorities". It has been suggested Mourinho was alluding to alleged holes in City's finances.
"When I listen, when I read - not much but sometimes I do - it is difficult to believe that we finished second," Mourinho said in August 2018, "because you are capable of making people that finish second look like they were relegated, and people who win nothing and finish below us look like serial winners.
"It is difficult for me to understand, to feel, to believe we finish second - which I keep saying, and it is sometimes difficult to believe.
"I won eight championships and three Premier Leagues but I keep feeling the second last season was one of my biggest achievements in the game."
United also came second in the Premier League under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2020-21 when they finished 12 points adrift of City, who regained the title from Liverpool.
In a statement released on Monday, City said: "Manchester City FC is surprised by the issuing of these alleged breaches of the Premier League Rules, particularly given the extensive engagement and vast amount of detailed materials that the EPL has been provided with.
"The club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent Commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position.
"As such we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all."
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