'Unlimited cash!' - Donald Trump delivers verdict on Man City owner Sheikh Mansour at Gaza peace summit

World leaders had gathered to discuss how to transform the newly brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas into a long-term peace deal, but it was Trump’s off-the-cuff remark on Sheikh Mansour that stood out. As Mansour posed for photographs with the US President, Trump couldn’t resist delivering a classic one-liner that echoed across the press room. With his trademark grin, Trump quipped: “A lot of cash, unlimited cash... And he’s a good man, too!” 

While football fans know Sheikh Mansour as the man who turned Manchester City into a footballing superpower, his role on the world stage is far more complex. Through the Abu Dhabi United Group, Mansour holds senior posts in the UAE Central Bank, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), and Mubadala Investment Company; a vast empire linking energy, finance, and sport.

When Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group purchased City for £210 million, few could have predicted what followed. Under his reign, City have claimed eight Premier League titles, the 2023 Champions League, three FA Cups, six League Cups. The blue half of Manchester has gone from underdog to powerhouse, challenging the global elite season after season, all while redefining the economics of modern football. Now, Mansour’s name carries equal weight in the corridors of global diplomacy as it does in the boardrooms of the Premier League.

Even as he rubbed shoulders with presidents in Cairo, Mansour’s empire continues to expand at home in Manchester. City’s ambitious £300 million Etihad Stadium expansion, already approved by Manchester Council, promises to elevate the club’s fan experience to unprecedented heights. The redevelopment will boost the stadium’s capacity to nearly 62,000, add a 400-bed hotel, a new TV studio, a roof walk attraction, and a 3,000-capacity fan zone, turning the Etihad into a 24/7 entertainment hub rather than just a matchday venue. Officials estimate the project will create 3,000 jobs, including 1,795 permanent roles, and inject £70 million annually into the Greater Manchester economy.

However, not everything in the City empire is running smoothly. The club remains under scrutiny over 115 alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules, spanning from 2009 to 2018, accusations that City vehemently deny. An independent hearing took place between September and December 2024, and insiders now claim the verdict could drop any week. Reports from Premier League boardrooms suggest senior executives are bracing themselves for the outcome, with whispers of a “decision imminent.” City, for their part, have reportedly grown “numb to the speculation,” maintaining that they have done nothing wrong. If found guilty, the consequences could be seismic, ranging from hefty fines to potential points deductions or even relegation, though such an outcome remains speculative. However, City and the Premier League have already reached a separate settlement over rules governing Associated Party Transactions (APT), essentially, how clubs value sponsorship deals linked to their owners.

While legal teams and accountants wrestle off the pitch, Pep Guardiola’s men are quietly restoring order on it. After a rocky start to the 2025-26 campaign, marked by back-to-back defeats against Tottenham and Brighton, City have bounced back with a seven-game unbeaten streak in all competitions. They’ve picked up four wins from seven league matches, including a commanding 3-0 demolition of Manchester United, and collected four points from their opening Champions League fixtures against Napoli and Monaco. Their next test comes against Everton on October 18, followed by a European clash with Villarreal on October 21. Momentum is returning and with it, the unmistakable air of dominance that has defined Guardiola’s reign.