MANCHESTER City's stars met their magnanimous multi-billionaire club owner on Wednesday - and were each handed a watch worth £168,000 ($400,000).

New signings Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz and Gareth Barry were among the Man City players who were given the special edition Franck Muller timepieces.

Sheikh Mansour - who procured the club last year for £200 million - demonstrated his astonishing generosity by splurging on a royal reception for the team at his palace in Abu Dhabi.

Suites

Earlier in the day, team manager Mark Hughes and the players checked into the very well-appointed suites at the five-star Emirates Palace Hotel.

'Manchester City's players are now the most pampered on earth, and they were greeted like kings,' said a club source.

City are hoping to sign Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor for £25 million after agreeing to pay him £170,000 a week. It is not known if the Togolese star will be presented with a similar watch should he finally decide to join the Sky Blues.

And efforts continue to woo Chelsea skipper John Terry from his stale career at Stamford Bridge.

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