Manchester’s City’s football factory is working at full capacity.
The production line of top talent envisaged when the Premier League champions revolutionised their youth academy back in 2013/14 is whirring away to the benefit of manager Pep Guardiola.
It has taken eight years of diligence, hard work, trial and error, and investment but the dividends are now there for all to see with almost £50 million ($60m) already added to the balance sheet this summer with the promise of more to come.
When City were purchased in 2008 by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed through the Abu Dhabi United Group, he set out his vision for the future pledging to bring success on the field and to nurture young talent.
The plan was based on youth development and sustainability, to educate talented young footballers on and off the pitch and to do so in a facility supported by the best coaches and coaching programmes.
When, after some years of research, the board - led by chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak - decided to spend upwards of £160m on a new infrastructure in the heart of East Manchester, it was with off-seasons like 2022 in mind.
They dreamt of summers in which some young players would be promoted to the first team setup and others sold on to pay for international star names.
Putting the men’s and women’s senior teams on the same campus as the juniors was part of a long-term vision to make City not just successful but also financially sustainable.
The facility, across the road from the Etihad Stadium and built on reclaimed land, was named the City Football Academy (CFA). It houses all the club’s playing and coaching staff, the vast majority of the office workers, and is home to the City Football Group’s (CFG) global headquarters.
Two-thirds of the 17 pitches available on the site are primarily used for youth football, so there will be major satisfaction in the corridors of power in Manchester and Abu Dhabi when the returns for this transfer window are finally totted up.
Phil Foden, with four Premier League titles before his 22nd birthday and a World Cup stage with England in Qatar beckoning, has long been the poster boy for the CFA. Cole Palmer, another local product, is set to join him in regular action this season.
Central defender Luke Mbete, striker Liam Delap - fresh back from winning the U19 Euros with England - and James McAtee may also get the chance to show what they can do at first team level, although loan deals are not out of the question.
The impact of the academy, led by Premier League winner Jason Wilcox, will certainly be felt on the pitch but is also now writ large on the accounts.
Big-money incoming deals totalling more than £100m for Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez, and Kalvin Phillips have been paid for in no small part by sales of young players who were on the fringes of breaking through under Guardiola but haven’t quite made the big leap.
City have so far sold Darko Gyabi (Leeds), Pedro Porro (Sporting Lisbon), Gavin Bazunu and Romeo Lavia (both Southampton), Ko Itakura (Borussia Monchengladbach), and CJ Egan-Riley (Burnley).
In excess of £45m has been raised by those sales and there is the prospect of more to come, with Samuel Edozie expected to move to Germany for up to £10m while interest is high in Aro Muric and Iker Pozo.
Others such as Tommy Doyle (Sheffield United) and Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Burnley) are out on loan as they bid to further their experience.
City have cleverly inserted buy-back clauses in the majority of sales should any of their starlets go one to make a mark at the top level and at the same time the club have cleared a pathway for the next crop of talented youngsters who have swept all before them in the terms of age group Premier League titles for the last two seasons.
This summer also builds on the last two or three windows when significant money was made from the sales of Rabi Matondo (Schalke 04), Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund, now Manchester United), Lukas Nmecha (Wolfsburg) and Jeremie Frimpong (Celtic, now Bayer Leverkusen).
The increase in business highlights a growing trend in English football with teams below the current Premier League big six, as well as European sides, eyeing potential and backing themselves to improve talented young players who they know would have had the best possible grounding on and off the pitch.
It also illustrates how difficult it is to be a regular member of Guardiola’s first team squad with some seeing the route as nearly impossible and therefore passing up on signing extended deals in the hope they get high level, first team football elsewhere.
Those who do make it, however, can count on Guardiola’s support and admiration.
Manchester City player ratings 2021/22
“The academy has many good players, not just one or two,” he said. “All of them are incredibly well-educated people. Thanks to their families, too.
“We have talented players. We can count on them absolutely. Some of them train with the first team every single day. They don’t make bad faces; they don’t make you feel uncomfortable in your decisions.
“They just have the desire to be something in world football. With their skills and desire. I am so proud to be manager of this club.
“As a manager I can enjoy it. I can use them. Without the incredible effort of many people in the academy it would not be possible.”
A handful of youngsters are expected to travel on the champions’ pre-season tour. They return for training on July 11 before jetting out to the USA on July 16 where City will play Club America on July 21 (in Texas) and Bayern Munich on July 24 (in Green Bay).
City will then face FA Cup winners Liverpool in the Community Shield, the traditional English season curtain raiser on July 30.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
RESULT
Valencia 3
Kevin Gameiro 21', 51'
Ferran Torres 67'
Atlanta 4
Josip Llicic 3' (P), 43' (P), 71', 82'
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
ARM%20IPO%20DETAILS
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BMW%20M4%20Competition
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Company%20profile
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
World%20Food%20Day%20
%3Cp%3ECelebrated%20on%20October%2016%2C%20to%20coincide%20with%20the%20founding%20date%20of%20the%20United%20Nations%20Food%20and%20Agriculture%20Organisation%2C%20World%20Food%20Day%20aims%20to%20tackle%20issues%20such%20as%20hunger%2C%20food%20security%2C%20food%20waste%20and%20the%20environmental%20impact%20of%20food%20production.%20%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Company%C2%A0profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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Turning%20waste%20into%20fuel
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Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi
Director: Kangana Ranaut, Krish Jagarlamudi
Producer: Zee Studios, Kamal Jain
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
