The Times reports Man City owners received 10-year first-refusal property deal

City’s owners were given a 10-year right of first refusal over certain council-owned land in Manchester, according to a new investigation by The Times.

The newspaper reports that Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), owned by Sheikh Mansour, was involved in the arrangement through Manchester Life, its property partnership with Manchester City Council.

According to The Times investigation, the agreement was signed in 2015 and gave Manchester Life first refusal on council land earmarked for residential development in Ancoats and New Islington. The arrangement expired in 2025.

The Times details Manchester Life agreement

The Times reports that the agreement meant Manchester Life was given the first opportunity to acquire certain council-owned sites before they were offered more widely.

A major north-west developer quoted by the newspaper described the arrangement as a “sweetheart deal” and claimed it gave ADUG treatment that wasn’t available to other developers.

Those are allegations made by a developer and reported by The Times. They are not findings or conclusions reached by ReadManCity.

Manchester City Council defended the partnership in its response to the newspaper. According to The Times, the council pointed to the regeneration delivered through Manchester Life and said the arrangements had generated strong financial returns from its land.

Manchester Life says the partnership has delivered more than 1,500 homes as part of a £1.25bn regeneration programme, alongside the restoration of two historic mills and the creation of commercial space.

It also says Manchester City Council contributed land on commercial terms and received above-market financial returns, including £3m in overage payments.

The report comes days after an independent commission found Manchester City guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League.

However, The Times does not report that the Manchester Life property arrangement formed part of those Premier League charges, and there is no basis for presenting the two matters as connected.

City have lodged an appeal against the commission’s findings and continue to reject the allegations against them.

The development reported today is therefore specifically about The Times’ examination of the relationship between ADUG and Manchester City Council and the terms under which Manchester Life operated, rather than a new development in City’s Premier League case.

LIVE! Premier League 2026 / 27 News, Transfers, Updates & Viral Moments