Manchester City are planning to welcome the ‘Year of the Monkey’ with the introduction of a brand new stadium and club tour in Mandarin, which will be launched on February 4.

In line with the city’s Chinese New Year Celebrations on February 8, the new tour reinforces the club’s commitment to the Chinese market, following their recent partnership with state-backed Chinese investors, China Media Capital (CMC).

This tour is the first of its kind in the Premier League and is just the latest step in City's attempts to create a global brand for themselves, with Asian visitors now getting the chance to appreciate the ground which saw the Premier League trophy lifted in 2012 and 2014.

International guests are to be treated to an exclusive 90 minute tour of the stadium accompanied by a native Mandarin speaking guide, allowing fans to immerse themselves in all aspects of the club's past, including the not-so-glory years.

Speaking about the new initiative, City's star Argentine hitman Sergio Aguero said: “Having visited China on pre-season tour and seen first-hand how passionate our Chinese fans are, it's fantastic to hear that we will now offer a club tour in Mandarin.”

“I'm sure the new tour will be a popular attraction for visitors and will allow them to see what goes on behind-the-scenes on a match day at the Etihad Stadium,”he added.

Introduced as a long term commitment from the club, the tour will be a regular feature at the Etihad, available for visitors to book from April, following on from the Chinese New Year-themed tours next month.

Source: dailymail

Proofread by John Devlin