Manchester City: Globetrotting Sky Blues Take Summer Football to Distant Places

As Premier League football's popularity continues to take hold worldwide, the league's clubs are working to meet the demand for the game by converting formerly dormant summer months into profit-making opportunities.

Manchester City, never averse to making a shekel or two, are right in that hunt for fame, glory and commercial gain.

City chief executive Ferran Soriano recently announced Manchester City's scheduled "friendly" with Arsenal set for August 10 in Helsinki, Finland. "Friendly," because let's face it, any match with Arsenal is cordial in name only.

City and Arsenal will both use that match as a tuneup for the Premier League season which is set to commence a week later. That the exhibition will take place in a nation where Premier League teams rarely appear is just an added bonus.

In his statement confirming the Arsenal friendly, Soriano also took the opportunity to subtly promote City's other scheduled appearances around the globe this summer.

"We know Arsenal will provide our team with a very competitive match and we are looking forward to what should be a memorable occasion to close a preseason tour that also sees us visit South Africa, Hong Kong and Germany," said Soriano, according to ESPNFC.com.

The South African leg of City's summer travelogue is tied in with City's recent announcement of a partnership with South Africa's Black Aces FC, per the Daily Mail.

From Andy Hampson's story, "[t]he three-year arrangement will see Black Aces, based in the Mpumalanga province, become City's 'official regional school of football partner.'"

The story goes on to quote City's development squad director Patrick Vieira: 'It's a privilege for Manchester City to be part of South Africa's youth football development by passing on our expertise to the Black Aces coaches, at a time when the country is fast becoming a force in world football."

According to the club's website, City will play two matches against top Premier Soccer League teams from South Africa. The first will be held on July 14, the second on Nelson Mandela Day (July 18).

From there, City travel to Hong Kong for the Barclays Asia Trophy 2013 knockout tournament. City is already slated to play South China on July 24; if they win that match, they will play either Tottenham Hotspur or Sunderland on July 27 for the hardware.

Then it's off to Germany for City as they are slated to compete in the Audi Cup in Munich. While the opposition in South Africa and Hong Kong ranges from "outclassed" to "solid," the sides participating in the Audi Cup are all formidable.

Per the club's own story about the tournament, "[a]lso on this guest list at the Allianz Arena are[...]Bayern Munich, three-time South American champions Sao Paulo, as well as seven-time European champions Milan."

Bayern Munich, of course, are the reigning kings of the Champions League.

Squad management will be at a premium, as the tournament's matches are being held on July 31 and August 1. Though it will be nice to perhaps see Mario Balotelli again if City play against Milan.

Regardless of the results, it will be nice to have some Manchester City football to talk about as the summer wears on.

It makes the middle of August and the return of Premier League action seem not quite so far away.