Liverpool and rivals warned over cost of Manchester City 'civil war'

Premier League clubs, including , have that's risking chaos within the elite division.

has it on good authority that there’s an increasing number of clubs rallying behind to get the current Associated Party Transaction regulations deemed unlawful, especially after an independent tribunal adjudicated that the present system isn't in line with UK competition law.

Meanwhile, City is embroiled in another clash with the Premier League due to a whopping 115 charges of allegedly not providing true financial figures in a case that kicked off three weeks ago and is set to drag on for two more months at a minimum. Adding fuel to the fire, and felt the burn last season when they were penalised for not complying with Profit and Sustainability Rules, resulting in expensive legal showdowns.

On the matter, top sports attorney Simon Leaf, who's a partner at renowned global law firm Mischon de Reya, reckons that the world's wealthiest domestic football league could suffer financially when it comes down to hashing out future broadcasting and sponsorship contracts.

Leaf said: "If the Premier League is seen fighting constant legal battles with its member clubs then that does serious damage to the brand. This is a league that is seen as one of the country’s crown jewels.

"It is the envy of all the other leagues around the world. The damage might not happen overnight, but when the game is being played out in court rooms rather than on the pitch then it isn’t the kind of thing that sponsors and broadcasters will want a piece of.

"There will be damage to the brand that you can't put a number on at the moment. It is often said that there is no such thing as bad news - but ultimately when it comes to external sponsors, especially from overseas, looking at who they want to partner with there maybe more of a temptation now to perhaps go with La Liga rather than the Premier League. A civil war like this really isn't good for business. It brings the Premier League into disrepute."

The Premier League currently rakes in over £3.5 billion-a-year ($4.6 billion) from global TV rights. A new domestic deal with Sky and TNT worth £6.7 billion ($8.8 billion) over four years begins next season. That's £2 billion ($2.6 billion) more than what La Liga currently earns and nearly £3 billion ($3.9 billion) more than the Bundesliga.