DUBAI // Diego Maradona has dismissed reports linking Al Wasl with a move for Nicolas Anelka, the Chelsea striker.
Earlier this week, media reports in Britain claimed Maradona has made Anelka a top target after learning that the 32-year-old French striker is unlikely to sign a new contract with Chelsea when his current deal ends next summer.
"I am really surprised to hear this," said Maradona. "We don't have anything to do with Anelka. Of course, I wish that he would come and play for us at Al Wasl, but knowing the wages he gets at Chelsea, I don't think it is ever going to be possible.
"I also believe he is a pillar of the Chelsea team and I don't think they will allow him to leave."
Maradona, however, will be shopping for an Asian player to complete his foreign quartet after releasing the Omani defender Mohammed Al Shaibah.
The Argentine legend is expected to bring in a striker as Wasl seem a bit thin for attacking options. The club were reportedly in negotiations with the naturalised Qatari Sebastian Soria, but talks broke down because of Qatar Sports Club's reluctance.
The decision to release Al Shaibah came not just because of the 4-3 defeat at Al Jazira, but also because of his frequent absence on international duty with Oman. The defender has been turning out for both the senior national team and his country's Olympic side, and has spent little time training with Maradona.
Given the player's hectic schedule, Maradona was often forced to exempt Al Shaibah from training to give him some recovery time.
The player, however, could still remain a fixture in the Pro League as Baniyas have shown an interest in him.
The Abu Dhabi club and Al Shaibah are reportedly close to inking a deal, which would complete Baniyas' foreign quartet. He would join compatriot Fawzi Basheer, Frenchman David Trezeguet and Andre Senghor of Senegal.
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How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
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- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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Hunger and Fury: The Crisis of Democracy in the Balkans
Jasmin Mujanović, Hurst Publishers
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 1 (Gundogan 56')
Shakhtar Donetsk 1 (Solomon 69')
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The currency conundrum
Russ Mould, investment director at online trading platform AJ Bell, says almost every major currency has challenges right now. “The US has a huge budget deficit, the euro faces political friction and poor growth, sterling is bogged down by Brexit, China’s renminbi is hit by debt fears while slowing Chinese growth is hurting commodity exporters like Australia and Canada.”
Most countries now actively want a weak currency to make their exports more competitive. “China seems happy to let the renminbi drift lower, the Swiss are still running quantitative easing at full tilt and central bankers everywhere are actively talking down their currencies or offering only limited support," says Mr Mould.
This is a race to the bottom, and everybody wants to be a winner.
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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
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