Now they want a Chinese club

MANCHESTER CITY are in the final stages of purchasing a club in China and adding a sixth team to their global portfolio. An announcement should be made by the end of the year, with the club in question believed to be in Chengdu. City already own Australia’s Melbourne City and Club Atletico Torque in Uruguay. They part-own New York City FC, La Liga’s Girona and Yokohama F Marinos in Japan. The Premier League champions have been criticised for moving players between clubs under the City Football Group umbrella. Club sources stress, however, that City are focused on building their brand and ‘expanding the development of grassroots football’ across the world. That was a key message when the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, travelled with club executives to open a second China office in Shenzhen two months ago. City had moved away from the Chinese market amid reservations about the growth of the country’s Super League. That makes it more likely they have looked towards the lower divisions now. One of three clubs in their target region, Chengdu Better City, changed their name from Chengdu Qbao last March. Former Levante head coach Jose Carlos Granero is in charge. Meanwhile, City captain Vincent Kompany has joined an initiative to galvanise fan interest in the Champions League. He appeared in a social media video before tomorrow’s match against Shakhtar Donetsk, saying: ‘Potentially the best nights of your life, the most meaningful moments of your career.’ City have priced tickets as cheaply as £20 for tomorrow’s game but thousands are still unsold.