The top sponsor of Chinese club Chongqing Dangdai Lifan has said he is "positive" over signing Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta for next season.
The 33-year-old Spain midfielder would be a major coup for the little-known Chinese Super League side and the latest in an influx of top-tier foreigners following record-shattering signings in recent years.
Gong Daxing, chairman of the club's title sponsor SWM, told state-run Xinhua news agency he was "positive on introducing Iniesta".
"Iniesta's arrival would be beneficial for Chongqing and a great bonus for our brand," Gong said.
PPTV, the online broadcaster who holds rights to Spain's Primera Liga in China cited "anonymous internal sources" from the club on Friday who said "it's already confirmed that Iniesta will sign up".
The club has yet to comment on the reports.
Iniesta was earlier linked with Tianjin Quanjian, although the Chinese Super League club declared the rumours "false" last month and threatened legal action.
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WATCH: Ernesto Valverde warns Barcelona not to underestimate Sevilla
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The Spanish midfielder came up through the youth system at Barca and has made over 400 appearances for the club. He was one of the stars of the Spanish team that won the 2010 World Cup, scoring the winning goal in the final.
He signed a "lifetime contract" with Barcelona in October, but has said before that his future may lie elsewhere.
"Before April 30 I have to make the decision whether I'm still in Barcelona or I'm going to China. I have to assess what is best for me and for the club," Iniesta said last month.
"It is a decision that I will communicate to the club first and then you will find out. I will make a decision before April 30.
Chongqing Lifan's chairman, Jiang Lizhang, is spearheading attempts to lure the player to China, Spanish sports newspaper Marca said Thursday.
Desports, a sports marketing agency owned by the Chinese billionare, has worked closely with Iniesta for years and the footballer has travelled to Chongqing for promotional events in the past.
"We have a close relationship. Iniesta is a very sincere person," Zhang said in an interview with Chinese news site Sports Face on Wednesday.
Zhang, 36, also owns Spanish football club Granada and owns stakes in Italian club Parma and US National Basketball Association franchise the Minnesota Timberwolves.
MEDIEVIL (1998)
Developer: SCE Studio Cambridge
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Console: PlayStation, PlayStation 4 and 5
Rating: 3.5/5
Specs
Engine: 2-litre
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 255hp
Torque: 273Nm
Price: Dh240,000
RESULTS
6.30pm UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Final Song, Christophe Soumillon (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer).
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m
Winner Almanaara, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner Grand Argentier, Brett Doyle, Doug Watson.
8.15pm Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Major Partnership, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.
8.50pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
Winner Universal Order, Richard Mullen, David Simcock.
Juvenile arthritis
Along with doctors, families and teachers can help pick up cases of arthritis in children.
Most types of childhood arthritis are known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis. JIA causes pain and inflammation in one or more joints for at least six weeks.
Dr Betina Rogalski said "The younger the child the more difficult it into pick up the symptoms. If the child is small, it may just be a bit grumpy or pull its leg a way or not feel like walking,” she said.
According to The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases in US, the most common symptoms of juvenile arthritis are joint swelling, pain, and stiffness that doesn’t go away. Usually it affects the knees, hands, and feet, and it’s worse in the morning or after a nap.
Limping in the morning because of a stiff knee, excessive clumsiness, having a high fever and skin rash are other symptoms. Children may also have swelling in lymph nodes in the neck and other parts of the body.
Arthritis in children can cause eye inflammation and growth problems and can cause bones and joints to grow unevenly.
In the UK, about 15,000 children and young people are affected by arthritis.
Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
SPECS
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder petrol (V Class); electric motor with 60kW or 90kW powerpack (EQV)
Power: 233hp (V Class, best option); 204hp (EQV, best option)
Torque: 350Nm (V Class, best option); TBA (EQV)
On sale: Mid-2024
Price: TBA
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre, twin-turbo V6
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 410hp
Torque: 495Nm
Price: starts from Dh495,000 (Dh610,000 for the F-Sport launch edition tested)
On sale: now
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
