Samir Nasri's arrival at Manchester City yesterday pushed Shaun Wright-Phillips further down the pecking order at Etihad Stadium, but the winger is prepared to see out the final year of his contract with the club and move on a free transfer next summer unless one of four interested Premier League clubs match his wages.
The England international has held talks with Wigan Athletic, Bolton Wanderers and Stoke City, but a deal has yet to be struck as the offer does not match the reported basic salary of between £60,000 (Dh360,900) and £70,000 he earns at City. Queens Park Rangers have also joined the race to sign the 29 year old.
Despite staking his claim for a place with two goals on the club's tour of America, Wright-Phillips is resigned to leaving the Abu Dhabi-owned club, where he has spent 10 years of his career, and has not ruled out a move abroad but, in the autumn of his career, he is not willing to alter his salary expectations and would be content to play a peripheral role at City before leaving at the end of the season.
With Uefa's Financial Fair Play regulations looming, City would prefer Wright-Phillips left on a permanent basis so they receive a transfer fee and remove his wages from their soaring wage bill but they may be forced to subsidise his wages, as they did when Craig Bellamy moved to Cardiff City on loan last season, to facilitate the move.
Nasri signed a four year deal after leaving Arsenal for a reported £24 million, and the France international could make his debut on Sunday against Tottenham Hotspur.
Nasri scored 15 goals in all competitions last season and will wear the No 19 shirt for his new club.
Gareth Barry, has hailed Nasri as a "fantastic player" whose arrival at City will help them win trophies.
Roberto Mancini already has a wealth of options available to him but Barry knows they still have to improve to build on last season's FA Cup success and challenge for silverware on a regular basis.
"It's great. If you are going to win trophies you need fantastic players and he is another of them," Barry said of Nasri, who posed for photographs and signed autographs for City fans outside of Etihad Stadium yesterday.
"Anyone of that quality who comes into our squad is going to help us."
Barry added: "I've not known anything like it before - maybe you could talk about the England squad, where it's full of great players and you find it tough to get your place. It's going to be one of those seasons at club level now.
"We just hope we can go far in all competitions. We might have to be patient sometimes if you're asked to miss out on certain games. We all realise we're not going to be able to play every game."
Mancini, meanwhile, has said that the midfielder Daniele De Rossi would be "absolutely perfect" for City. De Rossi is under contract with Roma for one more year but the Italian club announced earlier this week they were hopeful of agreeing an extension in the next few days.
Mancini acknowledges there is a good chance the 28 year old will remain at the Stadio Olimpico but has made no secret of his admiration for the player, saying he would still like to sign another midfielder despite the arrival of Nasri.
"I need something else in midfield because we have limited options," Mancini told The Sun.
"I have Barry, De Jong, Milner and Toure - but if you consider the number of games in the league, the Champions League and the FA Cup that is not enough.
"Daniele De Rossi would be absolutely perfect for this team and I rate him as one of the best midfielders in the world.
"But I also have the suspicion that he will stay in Rome his entire career, just like Francesco Totti has done."
MATCH INFO
Kolkata Knight Riders 245/6 (20 ovs)
Kings XI Punjab 214/8 (20 ovs)
Kolkata won by 31 runs
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
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
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDate%20started%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMay%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHusam%20Aboul%20Hosn%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDIFC%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%20%E2%80%94%20Innovation%20Hub%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EEmployees%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eeight%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-seed%20funding%20raised%20from%20family%20and%20friends%20earlier%20this%20year%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
more from Janine di Giovanni
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
