Sports
Rodri: Man City Reject Barcelona’s Opening Offer
Manchester City have rejected an opening offer of £38.5m from Barcelona for midfielder Rodri.
City are open to selling the Spaniard, but would demand more than £60m.
The 30-year-old enters the final year of his contract at Etihad Stadium and is yet to sign a new deal, with speculation rife about his future this summer.
It looked like Real Madrid would be his next destination but La Liga rivals Barcelona are now leading the race after sources reveal that the club had the player’s approval to open negotiations with City. The offer was made on Friday.
According to a BBC report, Barca sources had initially said there were no guarantees any deal would be made but the situation now looks to be developing.
The club said on Friday they are in ongoing conversations with the player’s representatives and later made their opening offer.
The report quoted sources as saying talks with Real have now ended.
Rodri missed much of the 2024-25 campaign after sustaining a serious knee injury, and parts of last season were disrupted by a hamstring issue.
However, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner was back to his best at the World Cup in the summer, leading Spain to their second title and being named player of the tournament.
He is currently out of action after undergoing back surgery last month and is scheduled to link back up with his City team-mates in Manchester early next week.
Approaching the second week of August in the transfer window, City will be aiming to resolve Rodri’s future swiftly in order to sign a replacement.
Talks are ongoing to sign 18-year-old Morocco midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, but the French club’s £86m asking price appears to be a sticking point.
What has Rodri’s agent said?
According to Spanish radio network Cadena Ser, who have spoken directly to Rodri’s agent Pablo Barquero, Real Madrid made Rodri an “irresistible” offer shortly after Spain’s World Cup triumph.
Talks began just days after the tournament, with Rodri’s camp praising the courtesy, class and respect shown by the club throughout the negotiations.
According to the report, everyone at Real Madrid, from president Florentino Perez to chief executive Jose Angel Sanchez, worked to make the deal happen and made it clear they were serious about signing the midfielder.
They had put everything on the table to get the deal over the line but despite positive discussions over the past two weeks, Rodri has made the personal decision to accept another offer, says the radio network.
Cadena Ser add that Real Madrid were informed of Rodri’s decision on Friday and chose to end the process in order to avoid prolonging uncertainty, while thanking the player for the respectful way the negotiations were conducted.
Sports
Arteta: Raya Has Elevated Arsenal To A Different Level
Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has “elevated the team to a different level” in recent years.
Raya joined Arsenal from Brentford in 2023, initially on a season-long loan before joining permanently the following year, and has made 153 appearances for the Gunners.
Since the start of the 2023-24 season, Raya has kept more clean sheets (72) than any other goalkeeper in the top five European leagues, while he has saved 72.3% of the shots he has faced.
In that same time, only Caoimhín Kelleher (five) has saved more penalties among Premier League goalkeepers in all competitions (excluding shoot-outs) than Raya, following the Spaniard’s save against Enzo Le Fee last time out.
Raya helped Arsenal win the Premier League last season, claiming his third consecutive Golden Glove in the process, and reach the Champions League, and Arteta praised his goalkeeper’s impact on the squad.
When asked if Raya has been his best signing at Arsenal, Arteta said: “He’s been a tremendous signing, there is no question about that.
“Whether he is the best or not is just an opinion. It doesn’t matter, we are so happy to have him.
“He has elevated the team to a different level and now we have to maintain that level.
“I think it’s his mentality. David has tremendous quality but he has overcome a lot of difficulties and challenges to reach this point. It wasn’t easy at the beginning, he had to dig in and prove himself.
“Now, he has the right to be one of the best.”
Arsenal will look to maintain their perfect start to the season when they face Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Gunners have won four of their last six Premier League games against Brighton (D2), as many as they had in their first 12 against the Seagulls (D3 L5).
Sports
No Regrets Joining Liverpool- Isak
Alexander Isak revealed he has never regretted joining Liverpool since his move from Newcastle United last summer.
The 26-year-old joined the Reds for a British record transfer fee of £125m on deadline day in September 2025, but struggled under Arne Slot before a leg break in December ruled him out for four months.
Isak scored just four goals in 22 appearances last season, but has made a better start this term under Andoni Iraola, netting three times in six matches.
Liverpool are currently unbeaten in 2026-27, despite winning just one of their four Premier League games (D3) ahead of visiting Bournemouth this Sunday.
And despite their struggles last season, Isak has not had any feeling of regret since leaving Newcastle.
“No, never. I would never think like that,” Isak told BBC Sport’s The Football Interview when asked if he had any regrets.
“[The leg break] was tough. Anyone who had a long injury would know. But on the other hand, when you’re in a good place and when you feel good, you don’t really tend to look back because it doesn’t really benefit you.
“So, I’m just looking forward and feel really optimistic and excited about the season, and what it can bring to us.”
Bournemouth, meanwhile, are still waiting for their first Premier League win under Marco Rose (D3 L1), who succeeded Iraola in the summer.
However, the Cherries will enter this match with plenty of confidence after defeating Real Sociedad 2-1 in the Europa League – their first-ever match in a major European competition.
Sports
Harry Kane: The Ballon d’Or? I Don’t Like Talking About Myself — The 73 Goals Speak For Themselves
Harry Kane has revealed that he does not like to speak about his Ballon d’Or domination, adding that his goals will do the talking.
In a brief chat with Marca, the Bayern Munich attacker said : I have never liked talking too much about myself. The only thing I would say is that last season was incredible, both personally and as a team.
“By far, it was the best season of my life. It is true that scoring 73 goals — the second-highest total in history [after Lionel Messi’s 82 goals in 69 appearances in 2011/12] — speaks for itself. I am extremely proud of it. I can only thank my teammates and everyone who helped make it possible.
“But the Ballon d’Or is not in my hands. It depends on the people who vote. From my point of view, last season is already in the past. Now I am focused on this season and excited to see what else I can do. I know there will be a lot of talk about the award until October because it is a major prize”
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