The transfer window closed late Friday amid a flurry of late activity that saw England wingers Raheem Sterling and Jadon Sancho secure loan deals with rival Premier League clubs and Ivan Toney move to Saudi Arabia.
Sterling switched Chelsea blue for Arsenal red after being frozen out of manager Enzo Maresca's first-team plans while Sancho effectively replaced his England teammate at Stamford Bridge after being told he did not figure in Manchester United's plans.
Brentford accepted a £40 million bid for striker Toney who underwent a medical in London Friday and will travel to Saudi Arabia over the weekend to be presented as Al Ahli's newest recruit. The Saudi Pro League transfer window closes on Monday.
Toney, 28, has been the fulcrum of Brentford's attack during their three-year stay in the Premier League, scoring 36 times in the English top flight.
He served an eight-month ban last season after being found guilty of 232 breaches of betting rules.
"I'm happy he has an opportunity to try something new in his life and career," Brentford coach Thomas Frank said of Toney's transfer.
"We thank him for so many magic moments and wish him all the best for his next chapter. Ivan leaves as a Brentford legend."
Sterling was told by new Chelsea boss Maresca that he had no place in the squad and Arsenal swooped in to sign him with manager Mikel Arteta an admirer having worked with the winger at Manchester City during his spell as assistant coach.
"Looking at everything, I'm just like, 'This is a perfect fit for me', and I'm super-happy that we got it over the line," the BBC quoted Sterling as saying after completing a season-long loan move.
Chelsea's attempts to sign Napoli striker Victor Osimhen fell through.
Saudi club Al Ahli had also been interested in the Nigerian, reportedly agreeing a £67.3m with the Italian club, but instead signed Toney.
Sancho had been at odds with United boss Erik ten Hag and despite being an €85 million recruit, the Old Trafford club saw fit to let him go on loan a second time after his spell with former club Borussia Dortmund last season.
There were a number of other comings and going at Arsenal on what proved to be a busy transfer deadline day.
Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale made a permanent switch to Southampton for an initial fee of £18 million, which forced the North London club to sign Neto on loan from Bournemouth as cover for first-choice David Raya.
Meanwhile, Eddie Nketiah became the latest academy player to leave Arsenal as he moved to Crystal Palace for a fee that could eventually rise to £30 million. Reiss Nelson joined Fulham on loan.
Palace also signed centre-back Maxence Lacroix while Matt Turner arrives for a season-long loan. Wolverhampton Wanderers had three incoming transfers on deadline day: goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, midfielder Andre and winger Carlos Forbs.
Chelsea allowed Armando Broja to join Everton on a season-long loan with an option to make the move permanent in 2025.
Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay ended a 22-year stay at United, a club he joined when he was five years old, to make the switch to Serie A side Napoli for €30.5 million. The Italian club also signed his Scotland teammate Billy Gilmour from Brighton & Hove Albion.
McTominay's departure allowed United to sign their primary target Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain on a five-year deal in a deal worth €50 million.
AC Milan added to their attacking options by snapping up Roma striker Tammy Abraham on a season's loan.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
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
Coming 2 America
Directed by: Craig Brewer
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones
3/5 stars
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LAST-16 FIXTURES
Sunday, January 20
3pm: Jordan v Vietnam at Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
6pm: Thailand v China at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: Iran v Oman at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Monday, January 21
3pm: Japan v Saudi Arabia at Sharjah Stadium
6pm: Australia v Uzbekistan at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: UAE v Kyrgyzstan at Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tuesday, January 22
5pm: South Korea v Bahrain at Rashid Stadium, Dubai
8pm: Qatar v Iraq at Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
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.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Naga
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Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km
Price: from Dh547,600
On sale: now
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
57%20Seconds
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The five pillars of Islam
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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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
