Man City given two-year ban from signing academy players

Britain Soccer Football - Manchester City Training - City Football Academy, Manchester - 14/3/17 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, Raheem Sterling, Leroy Sane and Kelechi Iheanacho during training Action Images via Reuters / Jason Cairnduff Livepic

(Reuters) - Manchester City have been banned from signing academy players for an initial 12 months and fined 300,000 pounds for breaching rules governing youth transfers, the Premier League said on Friday.

The club were given a two-year ban, the second year of which was suspended for three years, the league said. While it is in force they will be unable to sign any academy players who have been registered with other Premier League or English Football League clubs.