Manchester City avoided a transfer ban because they admitted breaking Fifa regulations related to the signing of U18 foreign players.

Chelsea were hit with a two-window suspension on registering new signings after breaching the same rules.

However, City avoided such a punishment and were instead fined £315,000 after ‘accepting its responsibility’.

‘Generally speaking, Fifa’s judicial bodies handle all cases on an individual basis as circumstances differ from case to case,’ a Fifa spokesman told the Daily Mirror.

In its decision on Manchester City, Fifa’s Disciplinary Committee took into consideration all specific circumstances of the case as well as the club’s cooperation in clarifying the relevant facts.

‘It is important to stress that the specific circumstances of this case differ from previous cases involving breaches relating to the international transfer and registration of players under the age of 18.

‘Please note that in line with article 50 (8) of the Fifa Disciplinary Code (2019 version), at any time prior to the meeting set up to decide the case by the relevant judicial body, a party may accept responsibility and request the Fifa judicial bodies to impose a specific sanction. The Fifa judicial bodies may decide on the basis of such request or render a decision which it considers appropriate in the context of this Code.’