How success of Manchester City helped put Andy Burnham in power

In July 2016, the Manchester City player Yaya Touré ambled into a small bar near Beijing’sWorkers’ Stadium and offered a bemused smile as dozens of Chinese fans rushed towards him.

Manchester City had just won their sixth trophy under the big-spending ownership of Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group and the blues were international megastars. They were also magnets for investment.