UAE football fans are beginning to adopt Manchester City as their club following the Abu Dhabi United takeover. Le Coq Sportif, City's kit manufacturer, is searching for distribution partners in the Middle East and the club's official website sold more than 300 replica shirts to customers in the UAE last week. Before the proposed takeover by the Abu Dhabi royal family, City were selling about 100 shirts a year.

"You look through sports shops here and it's only the top four clubs' shirts and international shirts that are on sale," Mark Lynch, chairman of the Dubai Manchester City Supporters' Club, told The Times. "Obviously, that might all change now."