Manchester City Addresses Rodri Future Amid Arsenal's Guimaraes Pursuit
Enzo Maresca has moved quickly to cool talk of Rodri walking away from Manchester City this summer, insisting speculation over the midfielder’s future is running well ahead of reality.
Rodri, who captained Spain to World Cup glory and has been linked with Real Madrid, recently underwent surgery. Speaking on City’s pre-season tour, Maresca stressed there is no drama behind the scenes.
"It's just about speculation at the moment. Rodri had the surgery last Monday; everything was fine," he said. The message was simple: recovery first, noise later.
The midfielder has been given time off after a draining season capped by international duty. "Now, some days off and he'll be back with us when he finishes his holiday," Maresca added, underlining that the player’s schedule remains aligned with City’s plans.
The Italian was clear that the club’s conversations with Rodri in recent weeks have revolved around his health and the World Cup workload, not about exits or new adventures. For now, Madrid’s interest lives only in the rumour mill, not in City’s offices.
Rashford at a crossroads as Saudi interest looms
While Rodri’s future looks settled, Marcus Rashford’s remains anything but.
After a loan spell at Barcelona, the winger stands in one of the most intriguing positions of his career: still a match-winner, still a headline name, but with his next move wide open. The Saudi Pro League sits among the options on the table.
Rene Meulensteen, speaking to Andy's Bet Club, believes a switch to the Gulf cannot be ruled out.
"Saudi Arabia could be an option for Rashford depending on what he wants," he said, reflecting on the forward’s departure from Manchester United. "When he left Manchester United, we felt he had fallen out of love with the manager or the club. I would assume he has a different relationship with Michael Carrick."
Rashford’s quality is not in question. Meulensteen pointed to his display against France, where he "did well" before a surprise withdrawal at half-time. The former United coach also questioned why Thomas Tuchel delayed using Rashford and Bukayo Saka against Argentina, arguing their pace would have offered a vital outlet.
The bigger picture is stark. Rashford wants to play at the highest level. Barcelona choosing Anthony Gordon over him may hint at concerns in some quarters, but Meulensteen still sees room for a major European club to step in, keep him in the Champions League and reignite his prime years.
If that call does not come, the money and profile of Saudi Arabia – or even MLS – could quickly move from hypothetical to concrete.
City strike £86m deal for Bouaddi
Away from the Rodri chatter, Manchester City appear to have made their next big midfield move.
According to talkSPORT, City have agreed a deal worth around £86 million for Morocco international Ayyoub Bouaddi, one of the breakout performers at the World Cup. His performances there pushed him firmly onto the radar of Europe’s elite, and City have acted.
The twist lies in the timing. Bouaddi is currently at Lille and there is a suggestion he could remain with the Ligue 1 club for the 2026/27 season before heading to the Etihad. That would delay his arrival by a year and could influence the final structure of the fee, with City effectively paying now for a future pillar of their midfield.
For a club already stacked with technical quality in the middle of the pitch, this is another statement that the evolution under Maresca will not slow.
Arsenal sense their moment with Bruno Guimaraes
North London, meanwhile, is bracing for another major midfield move.
Arsenal are increasingly confident of landing Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United this summer, with ESPN reporting that the expected departure of Eddie Howe has shifted the landscape in their favour.
The Brazilian has been a long-term target for Mikel Arteta, who wants extra control and personality in the centre of the pitch as Arsenal attempt something they have never done before: defend a Premier League title.
Guimaraes has been "earmarked" as a key piece of that plan. Arsenal have courted him all summer, and optimism is growing inside the club that Newcastle’s changing circumstances, and the exits of Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali, will not be enough to block a deal if the numbers are right.
If Arsenal do get this over the line, it would be one of the defining transfers of the window – and a clear signal that last season’s triumph was a platform, not a peak.
United prospect Fredricson heads to Lausanne-Sport
At Manchester United, the churn of the squad continues, but this time it is a homegrown talent heading for the exit.
The club have confirmed that defender Tyler Fredricson will join Swiss side Lausanne-Sport on a permanent deal, ending a journey that began at under-nine level.
"A lifelong Red from south Manchester, he worked diligently while proudly rising through the ranks of our world-famous youth system," United said in a statement that underlined both his commitment and his misfortune.
Fredricson featured in every round of United’s 2022 FA Youth Cup run to the final, only for illness to rule him out of the showpiece against Nottingham Forest. He finally made his senior debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 20 April 2025 and added further appearances against Brentford, Grimsby Town and Newcastle United, but never fully established himself under Ruben Amorim.
Lausanne-Sport may seem an unusual next step, yet the club’s ownership by INEOS – who also control United – keeps a subtle door open. If his development in Switzerland accelerates, the path back to Old Trafford is clearer than most permanent exits allow.
Liverpool turn to Barcola after Diomande blow
Liverpool’s search for a long-term successor to Mohamed Salah has taken them to Paris.
With Yan Diomande heading to Real Madrid, the Reds are now preparing their first bid for Bradley Barcola, according to BBC Sport. The Paris Saint-Germain winger has emerged as a serious target after slipping down the pecking order in the French capital.
PSG are not inclined to sell cheaply. Barcola, who has two years left on his contract, is valued at around £145 million, a figure that underlines both his potential and the premium on elite wide forwards in the current market.
Barcola is no automatic starter at PSG, but that is precisely where Liverpool see opportunity. A player with his age profile and skill set, unleashed in a system built around high-intensity pressing and quick transitions, fits the club’s recruitment blueprint.
Now it comes down to nerve and negotiation. Do Liverpool push their chips in on Barcola as the heir to Salah’s right flank, or does this window force them into another rethink of their attacking future?
