Manchester City
Sky Sport's German language outfit Sky Deutschland is reporting "all parties agree" in the long-rumoured transfer to bring Kevin de Bruyne to Manchester City.
The Wolfsburg playmaker, formerly of Chelsea, won the Bundesliga's player of the year award last term after a prolific season that saw him score 10 goals and assist on another 20 in 34 league matches. He provided another five goals and five assists as Wolfsburg reached the Europa League quarter-finals.
Read more: Aleksandar Kolarov's grit helps form backbone of elegant Manchester City, writes Richard Jolly
The reported figure for the transfer fee is €75 million (Dh312.7m), which would very nearly match Manchester United’s British record paid for Angel di Maria last season. The German report references “possible surcharges” that could make the deal another €5m richer. It would smash the Bundesliga’s record intake, the €41m Liverpool just paid Hoffenheim for Brazilian midfielder Roberto Firmino.
De Bruyne's agent later told Sky's English flagship that there "is no final agreement" yet but said "maybe there will be tomorrow".
Tottenham Hotspur
Club sporting director Rudy Voller has told Sky's German outlet that a deal between Bayer Leverkusen and Tottenham Hotspur for Korean international Son Heung-min is not finalised, but indicates Spurs are in position to sign the player.
“We will try to reach an agreement,” Voller said, “but only under our conditions”.
Son, 23, has played in the Bundesliga since 2010, first with Hamburg before his move to Leverkusen. The attacking winger came up through the FC Seoul youth ranks before the move to Germany. He has been a consistently productive force in midfield for Leverkusen, scoring 14 goals in the league and in Europe last season in 38 appearances and 10 in 31 league matches the previous year.
Also see: The National's Transfer Talk page
Spurs, according to Sky, are currently negotiating with Leverkusen around an £18 million (Dh102.5m) figure, but with Voller stressing “nothing is done”.
“There is a request and there are talks. But nothing is done.
“At this moment he is our player. I saw many medicals in this business where there was no deal afterwards.”
Premier League club Tottenham are seeking reinforcements after an inauspicious first three matches of the new season, leaving them 15th in the table.
Sevilla
Juventus striker Fernando Llorente is set to join Europa League winners Sevilla with teammate Mauricio Isla also on his way to the Spanish club, it was announced on Wednesday.
Juventus signed Llorente – scorer of seven goals in 24 appearances for Spain and a member of the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 winning sides – on a free transfer from Athletic Bilbao two years ago but the towering striker is now surplus to requirements in Turin and Juve have decided to cash in with Sevilla confirming the deal on Wednesday.
"Fernando Llorente is coming to Seville tonight with permission from his club, Juventus, to have a medical in the next few hours with Sevilla FC", said the La Liga side.
*Agence France-Presse
AS Roma
Serie A side AS Roma continued to shore up their defence on Wednesday with Paris Saint-Germain French international left-back Lucas Digne completing his loan move to the capital club.
After completing a medical, Digne, 22, signed with Roma in a one-year deal that will see capital club pay PSG €2.5m and could end up with the 22-year-old making the move permanent.
Key to the transfer was Roma coach Rudi Garcia, who while in charge of PSG's Ligue 1 rivals Lille handed Digne his first-team debut for the club in 2011.
Digne, who was a member of the France Under 20 side crowned world champions in 2013, told Roma TV: “I chose Roma because it’s a legendary club with a great history. I know that in this city and at this club there’s everything you need to succeed.”
*Agence France-Presse
AS Monaco & Paris Saint-Germain
French club AS Monaco confirmed on Wednesday that a loan deal has been reached with Real Madrid for Portuguese international defender Fabio Coentrao with Layvin Kurzawa moving to Paris Saint-Germain.
Coentrao, who has been capped 50 times, has spent four seasons at Real Madrid, where he failed to make an impression, having previously played for Benfica in Portugal for four years.
The 27-year-old will undergo his medical in Monaco on Thursday.
PSG coach Laurent Blanc confirmed Wednesday they were signing Kurzawa from Monaco as PSG left-back Lucas Digne completed his loan move to AS Roma.
“It’s a delicate case, a difficult case, concerning a former Monaco player who are one of Paris’s French rivals in the title race,” Blanc told France Bleu radio.
“Negotiations were difficult but I think we’re signing a very good player, a young player with interesting potential for PSG,” Blanc added of 22-year-old Kurzawa who has two caps for France.
*Agence France-Presse
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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.
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 1 (Martinez 18' pen)
Juventus 2 (Dybala 4', Higuain 80')
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.4-litre%20V8%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E470bhp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E637Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh375%2C900%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch automatic
Power: 169bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh54,500
On sale: now
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The Specs
Engine 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp (542bhp in GTS model)
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000 (Dh549,000 for GTS)
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
