Manchester City’s controlled summer of buying and selling has turned them into the net spend kings of the 'big six' and led to one of the most fruitful transfer windows in the club’s history.
Not only did the champions land one of the best No 9s in world football, Erling Haaland, they also revamped the first team squad and made a handsome profit in excess of £50 million ($58.4m).
From the outside, the transfer activity at City might have appeared a little frenzied, yet nothing could be further from the truth.
The transfer brains trust comprising chairman Khaldoon Mubarak, manager Pep Guardiola, director of football Txiki Begiristain, chief football operations officer Omar Berrada, and City Football Group CEO Ferran Soriano, set about a surgical renewal of the first team squad. This included selling young players who were either not going to make Guardiola’s team sheet or had run out of patience in their attempt to do so.
The published sums for the purchases and sales are ball park figures with both buying and selling clubs notoriously coy about the fees and the size of add-ons included in any deal.
However, what is clear is that City - a club habitually criticised for buying success - made a big profit on transfers, which will not only help in their quest for self-sufficiency but also puts them in a strong position to attack the next few windows with confidence and certainty.
In the last two windows alone the Academy, run by Premier League winner Jason Wilcox, has produced £60m in profit. This summer City were the only side in the Premier League’s ‘big six’ with a negative net spend. They banked around £55m.
Far from their reputation for throwing cash around, City are the English top flight’s second lowest spenders in the last two seasons and only the 12th highest in the last five years - way behind the top three of Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea and even below Liverpool who are ninth.
City’s net spend in the past five seasons is £153m (an average of £30.6m). Over the same timeframe their neighbours at Old Trafford have spent an average of £105m.
Fourteen years of Sheikh Mansour’s ownership of City have all been about building carefully to the events of this summer and those kinds of figures. Winning and profit are a heady mix.
When Sheikh Mansour took over the club in 2008, there was heavy investment to make City one of the best clubs on the planet, on and off the pitch, but it was also stressed, through chairman Mubarak, that self-sustainability would eventually come and profits would be expected to become the norm.
City have been profitable now for several years - pandemic notwithstanding - but this summer has been the best of all. Despite spending in excess of £140m on new additions - if Julian Alvarez transfer is included in this summer’s business - they also moved out an astonishing 26 players (16 permanently and 10 on loan), most of them from the youth academy.
That number swells to an extraordinary 222 when taking into account all the other City Football Group clubs, of which Manchester City is the jewel in the crown.
Norwegian superstar Haaland was, of course, the headline signing, and was the first to be announced this summer for his £51m release clause from Borussia Dortmund.
Haaland, 22, had been on City’s scouting radar from the moment he played first-team football as a teenager in Norway in 2017. Guardiola wanted him in 2021 as the legendary Sergio Aguero came to the end of his time at the Etihad but Dortmund held firm and there was no buyout clause.
That led to a well-publicised pursuit of England captain Harry Kane, though that interest was ended by Tottenham's refusal to sell, and City won the league and came within 30 seconds of a second successive Champions League final without a recognised striker before the club turned to Haaland again.
City set about selling their football project to Haaland, with the player eventually pondering between La Liga and the Premier League.
Most of the talks were about how he would fit into Guardiola’s style of play. Begiristain was instrumental in pointing out to Haaland the quality of the supporting cast that would be playing alongside him and the striker had also done his homework.
In the end despite interest from Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester United, Haaland narrowed his choice to Real Madrid or City.
The transfer was done swiftly with Dortmund thanks to the buyout clause and Haaland - who was going to take his dad Alfie’s old No 15 - inherited the No 9 when Gabriel Jesus moved to Arsenal. City had two sets of kit on standby for his unveiling at the Etihad Stadium.
It is a move that has so far worked out spectacularly, with Haaland netting 12 goals in his first seven games for City, who face the striker's former club Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Jesus’ departure and that of England winger Raheem Sterling to Chelsea represented a perfect storm for the champions who were able to secure big money for two stars in the final year of their contracts.
With those two gone and Alvarez and Haaland in, there was an air of calm about the rest of the summer for City’s movers and shakers.
There was the satisfaction of bringing in six new players, giving Guardiola a third iteration of his squad and still making a profit.
England international Kalvin Phillips followed from Leeds United to augment the midfield after captain Fernandinho's emotional departure, Swiss defender Manuel Akanji arrived on deadline day from Dortmund for £15m, and the squad was further boosted by the arrivals of goalkeeper Stefan Ortega and left-back Sergio Gomez.
Of the others who left, several made their way to Southampton. Gavin Bazunu, Romeo Lavia, Samuel Edozie and Juan Larios all headed to the south coast for a combined cost in excess of £40m.
Southampton also took former City head of Academy recruitment Joe Shields, which may partially explain the glut of moves. City have, wisely, inserted buy-back clauses in the transfers.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Profile of RentSher
Started: October 2015 in India, November 2016 in UAE
Founders: Harsh Dhand; Vaibhav and Purvashi Doshi
Based: Bangalore, India and Dubai, UAE
Sector: Online rental marketplace
Size: 40 employees
Investment: $2 million
Checks continue
A High Court judge issued an interim order on Friday suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.
Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review of the minister's unilateral action this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
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
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
Predictions
Predicted winners for final round of games before play-offs:
- Friday: Delhi v Chennai - Chennai
- Saturday: Rajasthan v Bangalore - Bangalore
- Saturday: Hyderabad v Kolkata - Hyderabad
- Sunday: Delhi v Mumbai - Mumbai
- Sunday - Chennai v Punjab - Chennai
Final top-four (who will make play-offs): Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bangalore
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
Rating: 3/5
UAE release: January 31
Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge – Rally schedule:
Saturday: Super Special Spectator Stage – Yas Marina Circuit – start 3.30pm.
Sunday: Yas Marina Circuit Stage 1 (276.01km)
Monday: Nissan Stage 2 (287.92km)
Tuesday: Al Ain Water Stage 3 (281.38km)
Wednesday: ADNOC Stage 4 (244.49km)
Thursday: Abu Dhabi Aviation Stage 5 (218.57km) Finish: Yas Marina Circuit – 4.30pm.
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
More from Janine di Giovanni
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
INDIA SQUADS
India squad for third Test against Sri Lanka
Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Vijay Shankar
India squad for ODI series against Sri Lanka
Rohit Sharma (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
How it works
1) The liquid nanoclay is a mixture of water and clay that aims to convert desert land to fertile ground
2) Instead of water draining straight through the sand, it apparently helps the soil retain water
3) One application is said to last five years
4) The cost of treatment per hectare (2.4 acres) of desert varies from $7,000 to $10,000 per hectare
Ten10 Cricket League
Venue and schedule Sharjah Cricket Stadium, December 14 to 17
Teams
Maratha Arabians Leading player: Virender Sehwag; Top picks: Mohammed Amir, Imad Wasim; UAE players: Shaiman Anwar, Zahoor Khan
Bengal Lions Leading player: Sarfraz Ahmed; Top picks: Sunil Narine, Mustafizur Rahman; UAE players: Mohammed Naveed, Rameez Shahzad
Kerala Kings Leading player: Eoin Morgan; Top picks: Kieron Pollard, Sohail Tanvir; UAE players: Rohan Mustafa, Imran Haider
Pakhtoons Leading player: Shahid Afridi; Top picks: Fakhar Zaman, Tamim Iqbal; UAE players: Amjad Javed, Saqlain Haider
Punjabi Legends Leading player: Shoaib Malik; Top picks: Hasan Ali, Chris Jordan; UAE players: Ghulam Shabber, Shareef Asadullah
Team Sri Lanka Cricket Will be made up of Colombo players who won island’s domestic limited-overs competition
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Bookshops: A Reader's History by Jorge Carrión (translated from the Spanish by Peter Bush),
Biblioasis
Sri Lanka's T20I squad
Thisara Perera (captain), Dilshan Munaweera, Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Ashan Priyanjan, Mahela Udawatte, Dasun Shanaka, Sachith Pathirana, Vikum Sanjaya, Lahiru Gamage, Seekkuge Prasanna, Vishwa Fernando, Isuru Udana, Jeffrey Vandersay and Chathuranga de Silva.
The specs: 2018 Audi Q5/SQ5
Price, base: Dh183,900 / Dh249,000
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder / 3.0L, turbocharged V6
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic / Eight-speed automatic
Power: 252hp @ 5,000rpm / 354hp @ 5,400rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,600rpm / 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy: combined 7.2L / 100km / 8.3L / 100km
The%20Last%20White%20Man
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The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
Day 2, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Dinesh Chandimal has inherited a challenging job, after being made Sri Lanka’s Test captain. He responded in perfect fashion, with an easy-natured century against Pakistan. He brought up three figures with a majestic cover drive, which he just stood and admired.
Stat of the day – 33 It took 33 balls for Dilruwan Perera to get off the mark. His time on zero was eventful enough. The Sri Lankan No 7 was given out LBW twice, but managed to have both decisions overturned on review. The TV replays showed both times that he had inside edged the ball onto his pad.
The verdict In the two previous times these two sides have met in Abu Dhabi, the Tests have been drawn. The docile nature of proceedings so far makes that the likely outcome again this time, but both sides will be harbouring thoughts that they can force their way into a winning position.
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.
Tori Amos
Native Invader
Decca
