Manchester United will give debuts to a posse of new players, including Radamel Falcao, when they attempt to kickstart their flatlining Premier League season against Queens Park Rangers on Sunday.
Falcao was the headline acquisition of United’s £150 million (Dh896.1m) close-season splurge and is expected to get his first run-out at Old Trafford following his loan move from Monaco.
Fellow new signings Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind and Luke Shaw are also in line to make their debuts, the latter having overcome a hamstring problem, while record-signing Angel di Maria will make his first home appearance.
United’s need for reinforcements was emphasised by a disappointing start to the season in which they failed to record a win in their first three league games and were bundled out of the League Cup by third-tier MK Dons.
With players such as Robin van Persie, Juan Mata and captain Wayne Rooney also at his disposal, manager Louis van Gaal now faces a challenge to accommodate all of his star names in his preferred 3-4-1-2 formation.
But he says that the competition for places at Old Trafford is a dilemma that every manager would like to have.
“For a coach, it is always easy because he can decide,” the Dutchman told his weekly press conference on Friday.
“He decides always what he sees. I don’t have any worries about that because I have done that already, for more than 25 years.
“You always want to buy the best players for the positions. I think we have done very good in the transfer window. Despite not being in the Champions League, the players are coming to United.
“We have to produce results, and have to start that on Sunday against QPR.”
While Van Gaal has declared 19-year-old left-back Shaw “fit enough to play, but not to start”, he will definitely be without Phil Jones.
The versatile defender tore his hamstring on international duty with England in Switzerland and will be out for up to a month.
United also remain without Chris Smalling, Michael Carrick, Marouane Fellaini and Ashley Young, as well as youth-team graduates James Wilson, Sam Johnstone, Reece James and Jesse Lingard.
But right-back Rafael da Silva and close-season signing Ander Herrera are available again after overcoming injuries.
There will also be novelty in the QPR ranks, with new signings Sandro, Niko Kranjcar and Eduardo Vargas all in contention to make their debuts.
Like United, Harry Redknapp’s side are without a win after three matches, but with three draws to their name, the West London club go into the game a point above their opponents.
The match will be particularly poignant for QPR centre-back Rio Ferdinand, who moved to Loftus Road on a free transfer in July after a trophy-laden 12-year spell at United.
Asked how he felt about his return to the scene of some of his greatest triumphs, the 35-year-old told the BBC: “Emotional, really.
“I had great years there. I had some really good times there. I never got a chance to say bye when I left, which was unfortunate, so it’ll be a nice opportunity to say bye to a lot of the people who supported me.”
Falcao arrives in England with a fearsome reputation, having scored 200 goals in 305 games during his club career, but Redknapp does not believe Ferdinand will be unduly worried by the prospect of facing the Colombian.
“He is a fantastic footballer and facing Falcao will be seen as a challenge; nothing to be frightened of,” Redknapp told The Sun.
QPR midfielder Joey Barton will undergo a late fitness test prior to the game after sustaining a hamstring strain.
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Match info
Newcastle United 1
Joselu (11')
Tottenham Hotspur 2
Vertonghen (8'), Alli (18')
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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