As a boy growing up in Catalonia, scouted and then nurtured from a young age by Barcelona, Adam Aznou would sometimes scroll through his mobile phone before matches in search of visual stimulus.
For a period, clips of Neymar were his preferred inspiration. He would seek out the Brazilian’s special tricks, his moments of skill in one-on-one duels, as prompts so Aznou could head out on to the pitch confident and with the courage to take the game to opponents.
Aznou was barely into his teens when he started to witness, at close range, some exceptional, Neymar-style swagger, being performed by a friend and teammate who was even younger than he was. That was Lamine Yamal.
Aznou and Lamine were schoolboys with similar backgrounds – born in Catalonia into Moroccan families – who coincided at Barca’s La Masia academy. When their respective professional ambitions took them along different fast-tracks to launch their senior careers, they remained friends.
With idols like Neymar, a celebrated prodigy well before he joined Barca and later Paris Saint-Germain, and peers like Lamine, the current Barca superstar, a degree of impatience in plotting the upwards trajectory of your own career would be understandable.
And Aznou, still a teenager, has long been tipped to thrive at the elite level. Barcelona saw that potential in him when they took note of his strong left foot, his ease on the ball, his turn of pace, his adventurous use of the left flank and enrolled him at their admired finishing school.
Bayern Munich then promised him a rapid rise to their senior side when they enticed him away from La Masia as soon as he had turned 16. A few weeks after his 19th birthday, Aznou is now preparing to take on his third leading league, after the Bundesliga and Spain’s top-flight.
He has joined Everton of the English Premier League, a move regretted by some of Bayern’s senior executives, although the German champions were obliged to acknowledge that the precocious full-back, already a full international with Morocco, was entitled to move on to feel assured his career was progressing.
His impatience at Bayern, where he had outgrown the youth team, had been building. Aznou had spent the second half of last season on loan and impressing at Real Valladolid in La Liga – albeit at the wrong end of the table there – and in June he returned to Munich encouraged that he was asked to join the Bayern squad in the USA for the Fifa Club World Cup.
That meant a sacrifice: He made an agreement with Morocco manager Walid Regragui that he should be with Bayern at a major tournament rather than join up with the national squad for their early summer get-together.
The expectation then was that Aznou would play more than a mere 10 minutes in the Club World Cup’s group stage. By the time Bayern were eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-final, he felt restless.
Aznou, who captained Bayern in the Uefa Youth League, had in total made only four appearances off the bench for the seniors in 2024-25. He had begun to suspect that in a Bayern hierarchy where the lightning quick Alphonso Davies commands the left-back role, he was further back in the queue there than his talents would make him at most other employers.
That opinion is widely shared. Barcelona, recalling the good impressions the younger Aznou made on their coaches at La Masia, are among the superclubs who considered bidding for him this summer, noting that, in his spell at Valladolid, he continued to show the verve in attack that marked him out as a kid.
Valladolid may have spent last season in a vain struggle against relegation, but Aznou still recorded the second best register for successful dribbles of any defender who played more than 500 minutes in the Liga campaign, edging Barca’s dashing Alejandro Balde into third place on that metric.
Valladolid had recognised Aznou’s fortes immediately, putting him on the left wing for his first start there. Aznou himself ensured Evertonians have had advanced notice of his progressive instincts, when, at his presentation this week, he said: “I like to take the ball on – one-on-one dribbling, that’s me.”
Having signed his four-year Everton deal and had his first look at their impressive new stadium, symbol of revived ambition at the Merseyside club, Aznou joined teammates in the USA for the remainder of the preseason tour. He could make his debut this weekend against Manchester United in Atlanta.
But a degree of patience will still be required, advised David Moyes, the Everton manager. “He’s young, maybe not quite ready yet, but we hope he will be shortly,” said Moyes of Aznou.
“We see a lot of good things in him. He’s technically very good, athletic, might need just a little bit to get himself built up and ready for the Premier League, so we won’t be putting him under any pressure.”
Aznou will be alive to the pressure of the international calendar, however. In less than six months time, Morocco host the Africa Cup of Nations, with hopes high that, following up their run to the semi-finals of the last World Cup, the Atlas Lions can reclaim the continental prize they last achieved almost half a century ago.
Though much of Regragui’s ideal starting eleven is established, there’s a hint of a vacancy for a specialist left-back. There’s competition for the spot, into the long-term, too, with a clutch of young players looking to follow the lead of Morocco superstar Achraf Hakimi, the dashing attacking right-back who played such a vital role in delivering the Uefa Champions League title to PSG last season.
Hakimi has been a pathfinder for Aznou’s generation. Like Aznou, Hakimi was born in Spain and elected to play his senior international football for the nation of his parents rather than Spain.
Ditto Youssef Enriquez, known as Yusi, a left-back of huge promise who, in common with Hakimi, came up through the youth system at Real Madrid.
He’s 19 and, just like Aznou, has chosen this moment of his career to push on and gain more minutes on the pitch in a top division by leaving Madrid to join La Liga’s Alaves. Regragui will be watching very closely how Yusi and Aznou both take on their new challenges.
Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
Read more about the coronavirus
More on Quran memorisation:
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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More from Neighbourhood Watch:
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre V8
Power: 480hp at 7,250rpm
Torque: 566Nm at 4,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: L/100km
Price: Dh306,495
On sale: now
Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
FORSPOKEN
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Luminous%20Productions%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Square%20Enix%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PC%2C%20PS5%0D%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%20January%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%20of%20Heroes%203
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Relic%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20SEGA%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PC%2C%20PS5%2C%20XSX%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%20February%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Star%20Wars%20Jedi%3A%20Survivor
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Respawn%20Entertainment%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Electronic%20Arts%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PC%2C%20PS5%2C%20XSX%0D%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%20March%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Suicide%20Squad%3A%20Kill%20the%20Justice%20League
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Final%20Fantasy%20XVI
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Street%20Fighter%206
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Capcom%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Capcom%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PS5%2C%20XSX%2C%20PC%0D%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%20June%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Diablo%20IV
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Baldur's%20Gate%203
%3Cp%3EDeveloper%3A%20Larian%20Studios%0D%3Cbr%3EPublisher%3A%20Larian%20Studios%0D%3Cbr%3EConsole%3A%20PC%0D%3Cbr%3ERelease%20date%3A%20August%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%20Legend%20of%20Zelda%3A%20Tears%20of%20The%20Kingdom
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Marvel's%20Spider-Man%202
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Assassin's%20Creed%20Mirage
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Starfield
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Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
JAPAN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
AL%20BOOM
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'Falling%20for%20Christmas'
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
