Stoke City outlined plans to build on last season's 13th-place Premier League finish and FA Cup final appearance by making a joint bid in the region of £16 million (Dh93.6m) for the Birmingham City pair of Scott Dann and Cameron Jerome.
Sources close to Birmingham - who were relegated from the top flight last season - have confirmed that "serious conversations" have taken place between the two clubs regarding a possible deal for Dann, a centre-back and Jerome, a striker.
But no fee has been agreed for the duo and "negotiations are continuing".
Birmingham are determined to make sure they receive the best possible price for Dann, 24, who is regarded as one of the best young centre-backs in the country.
He made the move from Coventry City to St Andrew's two summers ago and formed an impressive partnership with Roger Johnson, who has also been linked with several clubs.
Dann's absence during the second half of last season with a hamstring injury suffered in the Carling Cup semi-final against West Ham United was a key reason for Birmingham losing their Premier League status.
If he leaves, it will be another major player departing Birmingham with last season's leading scorer Craig Gardner poised to move to Sunderland.
Jerome was linked with a move to Stoke during the January transfer window but no deal materialised. He has been with Birmingham for five years since moving from Cardiff and was their top scorer in 2009/10 with 11 Premier League goals.
Tony Pulis, the Stoke manager, is looking to bolster his squad after his team qualified for the Europa League next season following their FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City.
Dann would provide competition to Stoke's highly rated centre-back pairing of Robert Huth and Ryan Shawcross while Jerome is a stereotype Pulis forward - tall, powerful and quick, suited to benefit from their direct style of play and crosses from Matthew Etherington and Jermaine Pennant.
Elsewhere, David de Gea confirmed yesterday that he has been in contact with Manchester United as the goalkeeper's protracted move from Atletico Madrid draws closer.
De Gea was in Manchester on Monday for a medical, with a deal reported to be worth around £18m for the player expected to be completed soon.
The 20 year old wrote on his Twitter account: "I have been invited by Man U to see the club and the city with my family and to be given an offer."
De Gea - a European Championship winner with Spain's Under 21s on Saturday - is the man chosen to fill the void left by Edwin van der Sar's retirement.
He would be the third new arrival at Old Trafford this summer following the signings of Phil Jones and Ashley Young earlier this month, and is set to push United manager Sir Alex Ferguson's spending in June to around £50m.
Ferguson revealed a month ago United had been working on a deal to sign De Gea for "quite a while" and although the youngster denied at the time an agreement had been finalised, the completion of his transfer now appears to be imminent.
* Agencies
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What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
SPECS
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SPECS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The Byblos iftar in numbers
29 or 30 days – the number of iftar services held during the holy month
50 staff members required to prepare an iftar
200 to 350 the number of people served iftar nightly
160 litres of the traditional Ramadan drink, jalab, is served in total
500 litres of soup is served during the holy month
200 kilograms of meat is used for various dishes
350 kilograms of onion is used in dishes
5 minutes – the average time that staff have to eat
Company%20Profile
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Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
Dubai Rugby Sevens
November 30-December 2, at The Sevens, Dubai
Gulf Under 19
Pool A – Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jumeirah College Tigers, Dubai English Speaking School 1, Gems World Academy
Pool B – British School Al Khubairat, Bahrain Colts, Jumeirah College Lions, Dubai English Speaking School 2
Pool C - Dubai College A, Dubai Sharks, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Al Yasmina
Pool D – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Deira International School
Company%20Profile
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.