Manchester City were supposed to be unstoppable last season.

It was widely expected that Pep Guardiola's arrival would usher in a new era at the club, especially after the big-money signings of players like John Stones and Ilkay Gundogan.

Despite all that, a title bid never really materialised.

The club are evidently determined to put that right - you guessed it - by spending even more.

Guardiola took no time at all to snap up Bernardo Silva and Ederson. That's just the start too, as the Mirror report they've opened talks with Tottenham over Kyle Walker.

In theory, City doing their business early should be an exciting statement of intent.

However, it's being suggested that they may be buying all these players while they still can, before that right's taken away from them.

The Telegraph have it that the club are facing a transfer ban relating to the signing of a 16-year-old.

What are City accused of?

Argentine club Velez Sarsfield have accused City of acting unethically by making their initial approach for Benjamin Garré when he was still 15 and then officially signing him aged 16.

FIFA have already rejected a complaint from Velez, but they have now appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), who will meet on Monday to discuss the case.

Txiki Begiristain, City's director of football, is alleged to have written to Velez in June last year to confirm that the starlet and his parents had agreed to a move a fortnight before he turned 16.

The transfer embargos affecting Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in the past few years have all been to do with signing underage players.

It's thought City had plans in place to sign as many as six new players, but that could be scuppered depending on the decision of the panel.

As interesting as it would be to see Guardiola have to work with the players he's already got at his disposal, a ban would be a huge dent in their hopes for next season.