V Sports, Sawiris’ joint venture with American billionaire Wesley Edens, has had full control of Villa since 2019 and the holding firm is one of the league’s lesser known multi-club regimes, with a network that includes Portuguese club Vitoria SC and partnerships with teams in Spain, Egypt and Japan. In what could prove key to City’s lobbying hopes, the Egyptian billionaire is believed to enjoy a warm relationship with City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, which is only expected to grow closer as he spends more time in his new adopted working home.

Sawiris’ NNS Group joins a wave of global investors that have set up shop in the emirate. Dutch chemical producer OCI NV, where Sawiris is chairman, had already listed its joint fertiliser venture with Adnoc in the emirate in late 2021.

“I am delighted to announce our long-term commitment to the UAE and ADGM [Abu Dhabi Global Market], in particular,”  Sawiris said in December. “The importance of the UAE to the worldwide financial ecosystem makes NNS believe the transition of its key activities to the UAE will contribute to the further development and growth of its portfolio and core activities.”

Villa are not understood to be the undisclosed club in full support of City’s landmark arbitration hearing next week on spending controls. However, as Sawiris, the £5 billion businessman, settles in to his new working surroundings, his background and free-market sympathies make him a prime target as City pull every lever available to them.