Manchester City Denies Rodri Exit Rumors as Arsenal Targets Guimaraes
Enzo Maresca has moved to slam the brakes on speculation around Rodri’s future, insisting Manchester City expect their midfield metronome back in sky blue once his holiday ends.
The Spaniard, who captained his country to World Cup glory, has been heavily linked with Real Madrid in recent weeks. The noise has grown loud enough to demand a response, but City’s new boss cut through it on the club’s pre-season tour.
“It’s just about speculation at the moment,” Maresca said, confirming Rodri underwent surgery last Monday and “everything was fine”. The plan is simple: a short spell of rest, then a return to Manchester when his post‑tournament break is over. No showdown talks, no hints of a looming departure.
“As I said, the main focus for him when the season finished was the World Cup. Now, he is enjoying some rest after that and we didn’t have any conversations just focused on Rodri.”
For now, that’s the line from City. Madrid can circle. Rodri, they insist, will report back.
Rashford’s crossroads: Europe, Saudi, or something else?
While City talk down an exit, Marcus Rashford’s next move looks anything but settled.
The winger’s future remains in limbo after his loan spell at Barcelona, and former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen believes the Saudi Pro League sits firmly on the table.
“Saudi Arabia could be an option for Rashford depending on what he wants,” Meulensteen told Andy’s Bet Club, reflecting on the forward’s departure from Old Trafford. “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.”
Meulensteen still sees a game-changer in Rashford. He pointed to the winger’s display against France, questioning why he was withdrawn at half-time, and wondered why Thomas Tuchel delayed introducing him and Bukayo Saka against Argentina when their pace screamed for an outlet.
Rashford, he stressed, “obviously wants to play at the highest level”. Yet the market is shifting. Barcelona chose Anthony Gordon over a permanent move for the England international, a decision that may say plenty about how clubs now view the 26‑year‑old.
So the options stack up: another Champions League giant, a Saudi move, perhaps even MLS. The talent is not in doubt. The direction of his career very much is.
City close in on Bouaddi – but timing remains unclear
Back at the Etihad, Manchester City are preparing for the future as much as the present.
talkSPORT report that City have agreed a deal for Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, one of the standout young performers at the World Cup. The fee is expected to hit around £86 million, a figure that underlines how highly the Premier League champions rate him.
The only grey area is when he actually lands in Manchester.
There is a suggestion Bouaddi could remain at Lille for the 2026/27 season, giving him another year of Ligue 1 football before stepping into Pep Guardiola’s high‑demand environment. Such a delay would likely drive the overall cost down, with City effectively paying not to have him for another 12 months.
For a club already stacked in midfield, patience might suit them. For everyone else, it’s another reminder that City are planning their next evolution while the current machine still hums.
Arsenal push for Guimaraes as Newcastle reshuffle bites
Arsenal, meanwhile, are not hiding their intentions. They want Bruno Guimaraes, and they believe this is the summer to strike.
The Gunners have tracked the Newcastle midfielder all window and, according to ESPN, confidence is growing in north London that a deal can be done. The potential departure of Eddie Howe is seen as a key factor working in Arsenal’s favour, loosening the structure that helped turn Newcastle into Champions League contenders.
Guimaraes has long been earmarked by Mikel Arteta as a central piece in his next midfield rebuild. Arsenal have never successfully defended a Premier League title; Arteta is desperate to become the first manager in the club’s history to do it, and he knows control in the middle of the pitch will decide whether that ambition survives past winter.
Newcastle, already reeling from the exits of Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali this summer, face the prospect of losing yet another cornerstone. For a club that surged back into the elite on the back of an aggressive, coherent project, this feels like a pivotal moment.
United let Fredricson go – but keep him in the INEOS orbit
At Manchester United, the business is more modest but no less symbolic for those inside the club.
Defender Tyler Fredricson has completed a permanent move to Lausanne-Sport in Switzerland. The 21‑year‑old, a local lad from south Manchester and a product of United’s academy since under-nine level, had broken into the first team under Ruben Amorim but never fully established himself.
A club statement praised his diligence and professionalism, noting his ever-present role in the 2022 FA Youth Cup run before illness cruelly ruled him out of the final against Nottingham Forest. He eventually made his senior debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 20 April 2025, with further appearances against Brentford, Grimsby Town and Newcastle United.
Lausanne may look an unusual destination at first glance, but the INEOS connection changes the picture. With both clubs under the same ownership umbrella, United retain a clear line of sight on his development – and, if he flourishes, a straightforward route to bring him back.
Liverpool turn to Barcola after Diomande blow
On Merseyside, Liverpool are preparing to swing big.
With Mohamed Salah edging into the final phase of his Anfield career, the club have been scouring Europe for a long-term heir. Yan Diomande of RB Leipzig had been high on the list, but with the Ivorian heading to Real Madrid, Liverpool have been forced to adjust.
BBC Sport report that the Reds are now readying their first bid for Paris Saint‑Germain winger Bradley Barcola. PSG are said to value the 21‑year‑old at around £145 million, a figure that would catapult him into the bracket of the most expensive signings in Liverpool’s history.
Barcola has two years left on his deal in Paris but has slipped from automatic-starter status. That loss of favour has opened a narrow window. Liverpool, conscious of the need to refresh their attack before Salah actually departs rather than after, are looking to force it open.
The price will be brutal. The stakes, even higher. For City, Arsenal, United, Newcastle, Liverpool and the rest, this summer is not just about filling squads. It’s about deciding who still sets the pace when the next era of European football begins.
