British media reports on 07 June 2016 state that Manchester United have agreed to sign Eric Bailly from Villarreal for a fee of about 30 million GBP (38.4 million euros). EPA/JUANJO MARTIN
British media reports on 07 June 2016 state that Manchester United have agreed to sign Eric Bailly from Villarreal for a fee of about 30 million GBP (38.4 million euros). EPA/JUANJO MARTIN
British media reports on 07 June 2016 state that Manchester United have agreed to sign Eric Bailly from Villarreal for a fee of about 30 million GBP (38.4 million euros). EPA/JUANJO MARTIN
British media reports on 07 June 2016 state that Manchester United have agreed to sign Eric Bailly from Villarreal for a fee of about 30 million GBP (38.4 million euros). EPA/JUANJO MARTIN

Transfer talk: Eric Bailly — not Zlatan Ibrahimovic — set to be Jose Mourinho’s first signing at Man United


  • English
  • Arabic

London // Jose Mourinho's first signing for Manchester United looks set to be highly-rated young Ivory Coast international defender Eric Bailly and not veteran Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic according to British media reports.

The 22-year-old Villarreal defender -- who scored one of the penalties in the penalty shootout which saw Ivory Coast win the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations -- will cost United a reported 30million pounds (38.4million euros, $43.7million).

Related: Manchester United? Zlatan Ibrahimovic announcement on his future club: 'It's going to be the bomb'

Read also: PSG's Marquinhos not thinking about reported Barcelona move while at Copa America

Bailly, who moved to Spain aged just 17 when he joined Villarreal’s rivals Espanyol, impressed last season as his side conceded just 35 goals in 38 league matches and also reached the Europa League semi-finals.

Bailly -- who cost Villarreal just £4.4million when he joined from Espanyol last year -- will have to work on his discipline on the pitch as he was booked 10 times last term and sent off once.

Ibrahimovic has been linked with a move to United -- having left French champions Paris Saint Germain at the end of the season just finished -- as he enjoyed a good relationship with Mourinho at Italian side Inter Milan.

However, the 34-year-old -- presently in training with the Swedish squad for Euro 2016 -- has toyed with questioners who have asked him if he was joining United.

TOTTENHAM

Tottenham have been granted permission to speak to AZ Alkmaar striker Vincent Janssen. Janssen is one of Europe’s most exciting young forwards, having scored 27 goals in 34 matches in the Eredivisie last season.

A transfer fee is yet to be agreed between the clubs, but AZ have allowed the 21-year-old to hold talks with Spurs and he arrived in London on Tuesday.

Several teams have expressed an interest in Janssen, who already has five caps for Holland, but Mauricio Pochettino’s side are the first he has spoken to this summer.

AZ are believed to want around £12million for their top goalscorer, a fee unlikely to deter Spurs, although negotiations are ongoing around additional performance-related payments.

Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE

Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport

Easter%20Sunday
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Jay%20Chandrasekhar%3Cbr%3EStars%3A%20Jo%20Koy%2C%20Tia%20Carrere%2C%20Brandon%20Wardell%2C%20Lydia%20Gaston%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What is Reform?

Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.

It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.

Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.

After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.

Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.

The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.

THE BIO

Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist

Age: 78

Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”

Hobbies: his work  - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”

Other hobbies: football

Favorite football club: Al Ain Sports Club

 

Financial considerations before buying a property

Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.

“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says. 

Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.

Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier. 

WHAT%20MACRO%20FACTORS%20ARE%20IMPACTING%20META%20TECH%20MARKETS%3F
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Looming%20global%20slowdown%20and%20recession%20in%20key%20economies%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Russia-Ukraine%20war%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Interest%20rate%20hikes%20and%20the%20rising%20cost%20of%20debt%20servicing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Oil%20price%20volatility%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Persisting%20inflationary%20pressures%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Exchange%20rate%20fluctuations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shortage%20of%20labour%2Fskills%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20A%20resurgence%20of%20Covid%3F%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Last 10 NBA champions

2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA

Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi

Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser

Rating: 4.5/5