Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has hinted the club may be pursuing Real Madrid's Spain defender Sergio Ramos and could also sign a "surprise" striker.
There has been media speculation in recent weeks that the 29-year-old Ramos, who has two years left on his Real contract, could join United as part of a swap deal, with his Spain teammate and goalkeeper David de Gea, 24, going the other way.
United have also been linked with a bid for Barcelona's Spain forward Pedro and Bayern Munich's Germany forward Thomas Muller as Van Gaal looks to revitalise the squad after a 2014/15 campaign that saw the club finish fourth in the Premier League.
Pedro, 27, no longer commands a regular spot in Barca’s starting line-up following the arrival of Uruguay striker Luis Suarez, while the 25-year-old Muller is said to be unhappy with Bayern coach Pep Guardiola’s working methods.
“I cannot talk about these rumours,” Van Gaal said when asked about Ramos at a news conference on the club’s North American tour.
“I have said in a lot of press conferences that it’s a process,” added the Dutchman. “Maybe Mr Ramos is in the process ... you never know.”
Van Gaal said the club could buy a striker but cautioned that it was not a player that had been written about in the media.
“You have to wait and see,” he told reporters. “The transfer period is open until Sept 1 so we have to wait.”
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Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
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Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
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Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
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Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
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The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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Kanguva
The Specs
Price, base Dh379,000
Engine 2.9-litre, twin-turbo V6
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 503bhp
Torque 443Nm
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