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The top stories and transfer rumours from Monday's newspapers...Nottingham Forest have joined the race to sign Liam Delap from Chelsea - talkSPORT.Manchester City face competition from Al Hilal to sign Pedro Neto from Chelsea - talkSPORT.Christopher Nkunku has been deemed surplus to requirements at AC Milan and Newcastle are among the teams linked to signing him this summer - Daily Mirror.Chrstian Kofane's agent Eric Depolo says Arsenal are monitoring the Bayer Leverkusen forward - Daily Mirror.Nottingham Forest are admirers of Rennes midfielder Jordan James - Daily MirrorBraga have reached an £8m agreement with Barcelona over the signing of La Masia graduate Tommy Marques - The AthleticStream the Premier League with no contractManchester United are stepping up their efforts to cash in on their academy, with English left-back Harry Amass potentially moving on for about £7m plus add-ons - Daily Mail.

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Juventus pull out of move for Emiliano Martinez, Manchester City face competition for Pedro Neto and Real Madrid want Martin Zubimendi.Aston Villa's Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, 33, will not be joining Juventus this summer following talks between the clubs. (Athletic - subscription required), externalManchester City are keen to sign Portugal winger Pedro Neto, 26, from Chelsea but face competition from Al-Hilal. (Talksport), externalNew Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has approved a move for Arsenal's Spain midfielder Martin Zubimendi, 27. (Teamtalk), externalNottingham Forest have joined the race to sign Liam Delap from Chelsea, with the 23-year-old English striker keen to stay in the Premier League. (Talksport), externalEverton lead the chase for Delap, with Chelsea having already told him that he can leave the club this summer. (Teamtalk), externalNewcastle are preparing a bid of 55m euros (£47m) for Villarreal's Georgia forward Georges Mikautadze, 25, who is also interesting Barcelona. (Fichajes - in Spanish), externalNigeria forward Victor Osimhen, 27, has refused to rule out a summer move from Galatasaray, with Arsenal interested. (Caught Offside), externalCoventry City are closing in on the signing of Sidiki Cherif from Fenerbahce after agreeing a deal for the Guinea forward, 19. (Give Me Sport), externalEverton are keen to sign English midfielder Marcus Tavernier, 27, from Bournemouth before the transfer window shuts. (Football Insider), externalA deal for Leeds United's Suriname forward Joel Piroe, 27, to join West Ham United is in its final stages. (Voetbal International - in Dutch), externalHull City are in advanced talks over a £21m deal for Panathinaikos forward Andreas Tetteh, with Roma also interested in the Greece international. (Ekrem Konur), externalManchester United are stepping up their efforts to cash in on their academy, with English left-back Harry Amass, 19, potentially a player that could move on for about £7m plus add-ons. (Mail - subscription required), externalAC Milan manager Ruben Amorim has excluded Youssouf Fofana from his plans for the season, with Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace now interested in the France midfielder, 27. (Football Insider), externalAtletico Madrid want to beat Barcelona to the signing of Morocco midfielder Azzedine Ounahi, 26, who Girona value at about 25m euros (£21.3m). (Fichajes - in Spanish), externalBarcelona agree £65m deal to sign Rodri from Man CityVilla begin Suzuki talks - Sunday's gossipListen to the latest Football Daily podcast

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Cameroon cruised to a 3-0 victory over tournament debutants Malawi to claim their first ever Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) title.Marie Ngah Manga's close-range header put the Indomitable Lionesses ahead in the 20th minute and Naomi Eto doubled the lead with a stunning volley on the half hour mark in the Moroccan capital Rabat.The Central Africans made it 3-0 in the third minute of first-half added time as Eto rounded Malawi goalkeeper Mercy Sikelo and put the ball on a plate for striker Ngah Manga.Malawi, the lowest-ranked side at Wafcon 2026 at 153rd in the world, reached the final on the back of the attacking prowess of the Chawinga sisters Tabitha and Temwa.However, the two Scorchers stars were well marshalled by the Cameroon defence, who ensured that the Southern Africans were unable to secure a fairy tale ending to their unexpected run at the tournament.Ngah Manga missed a glorious chance to complete her hat-trick three minutes into the second half when she went past Sikelo but fired wide from six yards with the goal gaping.The Scorchers had their best chance just after the hour mark as Cameroon keeper Michaely Bihina saved a low effort from Tabitha Chawinga before her younger sibling turned and fired the rebound wide.However, the Central Africans advanced to the tournament on the strength of their world ranking after the Confederation of African Football (Caf) expanded the finals from 12 to 16 teams.Cameroon, who previously lost three Wafcon finals, pick up $2m (£1.48m) in prize money and become just the fourth side to win the title after Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.Both sides will feature at the 2027 Women's Fifa World Cup in Brazil alongside fellow Wafcon semi-finalists Algeria and Morocco.

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Close00BBC Sport takes a look back at the moments that defined Rodri's time at Manchester City, from important goals to injuries and a Ballon d'Or, as the great midfielder takes his next step in his career.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsManchester CityFollow Manchester Cityclose panelYou are now following Manchester CityUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FootballFollow Footballclose panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.Premier LeagueFollow Premier Leagueclose panelYou are now following Premier LeagueUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.BarcelonaFollow Barcelona

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30-year-old said to favour a move back to SpainMaresca chasing Lille’s Bouaddi as replacementRodri looks set to complete a move to Barcelona after Manchester City accepted a bid of £65.4m from the Spanish club.The 30-year-old World Cup winner had entered the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium and made it clear he would like the opportunity to move to Barcelona. City, who are now closing in on a deal to sign Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi, were reluctant sellers but had little choice with the Spanish international out of contract next summer.City had already rejected Barcelona’s bid of around €60m (£51m) for Rodri last week after an initial offer of €45m (£38.5m) but have now accepted the latest bid.Speaking after City’s 3-0 Community Shield defeat by Arsenal on Sunday, Enzo Maresca called Rodri a “top player” and said “all the teams need Rodri”, but City have been unable to persuade their linchpin to stay and sign a new contract. Rodri had only returned to the club on Friday, having undergone back surgery after the World Cup, with Maresca saying he had given him a “big hug” when he first met up with him.Rodri has spent seven seasons with City, winning the Premier League four times and scoring the only goal when they beat Inter in the 2023 Champions League final. The following year he won the Ballon d’Or but, by the time he was presented with the trophy, he was sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament which ruled him out of most of the 2024-25 campaign, while hamstring and groin problems limited him to 33 appearances in Pep Guardiola’s final campaign in charge.City have already undergone major changes in midfield this summer, spending £116m on Elliot Anderson, while agreeing a deal to sell Tijjani Reijnders to Al Qadsiah. They are now ready to seal a move for the Morocco star Bouaddi.The teenager impressed at the World Cup and Lille had initially wanted any potential move to include a 12-month loan deal back to the French side. However, with City losing Bernardo Silva and now Rodri, Maresca is keen to bulk up his midfield options for the new campaign and want Bouaddi available for this season. City have also been linked with Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández and retain an interest.

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Sebastien Pocognoli is the new Scotland men's head coach after seven years of Steve Clarke - but what awaits the Belgian and what will be expected of him?A title winner in his homeland while managing Union Saint-Gilloise, the 39-year-old brings a reputation for playing eye-catching football.However, the former left-back was sacked as Monaco boss in June after just eight months, making him available to the Scottish FA.Following Clarke's record-breaking spell, the demands on Pocognoli will be to deliver the same results as his predecessor, or better, while shifting the playing style and refreshing the squad.Belgian Pocognoli confirmed as Scotland bossTwo months prior to Clarke's appointment, the national team had been humiliated in Kazakhstan. They had not featured at a major finals in two decades.Seven years on, Scotland have been at back-to-back European Championships and a World Cup. Clarke qualified for three of four tournaments on his watch.Pocognoli will be expected to, at least, maintain that success. However, the reason Clarke's exit felt natural for many is that a hefty chunk of fans want to see a change of approach.Craig Mulholland, the Scottish FA's chief football officer, said Pocognoli "will bring an aggressive, front-foot style of play that will excite supporters", adding that Scotland are aiming to "evolve from a position of strength".The Belgian has described his brand of football as "a dominant one, with and without the ball". He also wants his team to be intense pressers but have "real mastery in possession".International coaches are not afforded the same amount of time on the training pitch as club managers, so patience could be required if the plan is to move to a more possession-based style.Pocognoli's prior experience of working as a youth coach at international level with Belgium would have ticked another box for the SFA. He also coached in the academies of USG and Genk.During his playing career, he featured at almost every youth level for his nation before winning 13 caps for a Belgium side that featured a long list of world-class talents for well over a decade.Scotland have had their own mini golden generation, with captain Andy Robertson, John McGinn, Scott McTominay and others all continuing to play at Europe's top level.Clarke was emphatic in his exit interview with the SFA, saying the core he developed over his seven-year spell is "not finished yet".Many of Scotland's World Cup squad, which was one of the oldest at the tournament, will go again for a Euros they are co-hosting in two years, but Pocognoli will be tasked with hitting the refresh button.Much has been made of a potential crisis within youth development in Scottish football, which raises concerns about the future of the national team.For now, Ben Gannon-Doak, 20, has become a Scotland regular over the past couple of years, while Findlay Curtis, 19, made two late cameos at the World Cup.Tyler Fletcher was taken to the United States but did not feature. It remains to be seen whether his status will rise under Pocognoli, or if fellow teenage midfielder Lennon Miller will be brought back into the fold.Kieron Bowie, 23, also missed the World Cup cut, but the striker will be playing in Serie A next season, like Miller.Fans will expect to see striker Robbie Ure after a free-scoring spell with Sirius in Sweden resulted in a move to La Liga side Sevilla earlier this month.The 22-year-old has fuelled the Tartan Army with hope that he can provide cutting edge at the top end of the pitch, something they have craved for some time.First up for Pocognoli is a four-game camp spanning three weeks.It will be an extended international interval across the end of September and start of October to cut the number of breaks during the club season.That could be music to the ears of the Belgian, who will be provided with much-needed extra time on the training pitch with his new players to put across fresh ideas.The Nations League will be Pocognoli's first taste of international football as a head coach, with Scotland travelling to Slovenia on Saturday, 26 September before hosting Switzerland the following Tuesday.Then comes a trip to North Macedonia on 3 October and another meeting with the Slovenians three days later in Glasgow.The appointment makes the upcoming camp hugely intriguing as the countdown begins to the new man's first squad announcement.

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Newcastle United reporter at St James' ParkPublished16 August 202686 CommentsDan Burn had only been away from Newcastle United's training ground for a few months.But the England defender felt like he had joined a new club when he returned following his post-World Cup break."I'm still learning names to be honest," he said.It has been another turbulent summer on Tyneside following the departures of manager Eddie Howe and influential figures Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon.Head coach Matthias Jaissle has brought half a dozen members of staff with him, while Burn has also been getting to know a handful of new team-mates in Lukas Hornicek, Ewen Jaouen, Aladji Bamba, Sean Steur and Bazoumana Toure.That is before even mentioning the impending arrival of right-back Amar Dedic from Benfica.However, rather than hunkering down for a season of struggle, as some pundits have predicted, Burn has his sights set on leading Newcastle back into Europe as the club's new captain."We've always done well as a team when we have that thing where it's us against the world," he said after Newcastle drew 1-1 against Strasbourg in their final pre-season friendly of the summer."I feel like we were always written off a little bit. We always seem to be backs against the wall fighting."For me, that's when we play at our best, when we've got that underdog mentality, so hopefully we will kick on."Burn needs no reminding that all of Newcastle's arrivals are 24 and under and have never played in the Premier League before.But he wants to "embrace the change" as he looks to help the new signings quickly realise what it means to play for the club."Right now, can you tell if someone is going to be the next Bruno?" he said. "Maybe not, but I think there's definitely ability there."Jaissle has repeatedly used the word "transition" since taking charge and said the vocal Burn will be "vital in helping guide our younger players through this period of change".It will fall to Burn and the club's other senior players to push those around them, knowing full well the standards which were set when the club qualified for the Champions League and ended a 70-year wait to win a major domestic trophy by lifting the EFL Cup.Newcastle finished 12th in the Premier League last season, but were previously a ferocious and spiky side to play against at their best under Howe.Burn, however, suggested they were "not allowed to" tap into the dark arts anymore."It seemed everything we did was stopped in the Premier League in the season after," he said of various rule changes."It's more a mentality. Not that we ever tried to hurt people, but everyone said that. People feared us and didn't want to play against us. I'd love for us to have a bit of that."All the best teams seem to. If that's going to help us, I'd love to do that but I'd be surprised if the Premier League allowed us to."The top flight will get the first glimpse of this new-look side when Newcastle face Liverpool at St James' Park next week (Sunday, 16:30 BST).It is set to be an emotional afternoon as the stadium pays tribute to the late Kevin Keegan, one of the most transformational figures in Newcastle's history, who also represented Liverpool as a player.Burn had lunch with Keegan at the end of May - following an invitation from Newcastle's former manager - and said he was a "great person to be around"."I don't think we need any motivation," he said. "Either us or the city."Teen shows grit Newcastle need but Jaissle wants signingsNewcastle progressing with move for Benfica defender Dedic

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Did Premier League champions Arsenal show just how far ahead of Manchester City they are with their dominant Community Shield win?Goals from Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard helped the Gunners to a 3-0 victory in Cardiff.Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said he was "a bit surprised" by his side's convincing performance, telling TNT Sports that "to play in the manner we did is extremely impressive".New City manager Enzo Maresca, who replaced Pep Guardiola over the summer, could say no such thing.Yet Maresca played down the importance of the result, saying: "It's a defeat that hurts us, but it's just the beginning."So, is this result a sign of things to come for both sides, or just a pre-season match that is unlikely to tell us much about the new campaign?Arsenal took the lead after just 23 seconds, doubled their advantage thanks to some static City defending in the 23rd minute, and then added a third three minutes into the second half.Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown told TNT Sports at the end of the game: "The gap was really quite stunning."Arsenal really let the handbrake off, but Manchester City looked lifeless. Arsenal have made a real statement of intent. Their biggest problem is who does Arteta pick? Man City have a lot more problems."Manchester City received "a bit of a schooling", according to former Scotland striker Ally McCoist, who added: "I know it's early days and but it is concerning for Manchester City."The underlying numbers showed how Arsenal dominated. The Gunners created 2.19 expected goals (xG) compared to City's 0.77 and, intriguingly for Arsenal, none of their xG came from set-pieces.That metric gauges how likely chances are to result in goals, taking into account a range of variables, and Arsenal finished with almost three times the xG total of City.This was Arsenal's biggest victory to nil against Manchester City since August 2014 (also 3-0 in the Community Shield), while it was City's heaviest defeat to nil against an English side since a 4-0 defeat in November 2024 against Tottenham."We played some brilliant football. Great performance and a great way to start the season," Arsenal captain Odegaard told TNT Sports."We showed our level today. We're showed we're ready. We're serious and we want to do it again."Arsenal's players and fans were happy to celebrate their second trophy in four months, but just how seriously should we view their performance in a relatively minor competition?Ten-time Community Shield winner Sir Alex Ferguson said in 2011 he had always thought of the match simply "as a stepping stone" to the season ahead.In fact, since the Premier League started in 1992-93, only eight of the 34 winners of the Charity Shield or Community Shield have gone on to win the league.Manchester City, in 2018-19, were the last team to do so - and before that it was Ferguson's Manchester United in 2010-11.What information do we collect from this quiz?Have Arsenal had the better window?Manchester City started the summer window purposefully, swiftly agreeing a £116m deal for England midfielder Elliot Anderson, but they have yet to back that move up with other first-team signings.Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva and John Stones were allowed to leave on free transfers and Manuel Akanji, Nathan Ake and James Trafford were sold for substantial fees.Key player Rodri is heading for Barcelona, too, with Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez a potential replacement.World Cup winner Rodri is in his final year of his City contract and a £65m deal has been struck.City gave first run-outs of the summer to Erling Haaland and Anderson against Arsenal - after their stints at the World Cup - so Maresca will be keen to stress a lot more is to come.Arsenal, meanwhile, have only sold fringe players Leandro Trossard, Jakub Kiwior and Christian Norgaard, while signing first-teamers Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis, and recruiting last season's loanee Piero Hincapie on a permanent deal.Former Newcastle captain Guimaraes looked comfortable at the base of Arsenal's midfield in Cardiff, while Tzolis shone with two assists.The Gunners were also able to call on the likes of Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Viktor Gyokeres from the substitutes' bench, as they showed off their serious strength in depth."Elliot Anderson, while he tried hard, is not fitting brilliantly well yet," ex-Chelsea winger Pat Nevin told BBC Radio 5 Live."There's a whole big job to do, but City fans will tell you that - it's transition time."City just haven't got the best manager in the business managing them any more. They haven't looked as controlled."Are they going to be in the top two, three? Yes, absolutely, don't worry about that City fans, but are you up there with Arsenal? You look a wee distance behind."Arsenal cruise to Community Shield win against disappointing Man CityOdegaard's importance, Anderson and Foden struggle - how the players ratedWhat about Arsenal's other rivals?If not Manchester City - and it is far too early to rule them out - who might stop Arsenal marching to a 15th league title?All of Arsenal's other 'big six' rivals are arguably also in periods of transition.Of that notional group of clubs, only Arsenal go into the upcoming season with the same manager they had at the start of the 2025-26 campaign.Like Maresca at City, Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola and Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso took charge this summer, while Manchester United's Michael Carrick and Tottenham's Roberto de Zerbi were appointed partway through last season.Arsenal's stability compared to their rivals looks to be a big factor in their favour.Sports data analysts at Opta have the Gunners as Premier League favourites, giving Arteta's side a 38% chance of lifting the trophy.Should they do so, it would be Arsenal's first successful top-flight title defence since way back in 1934-35.Nevin said: "You can say Arsenal are favourites for the Premier League."Liverpool could come back and be very, very strong. Manchester City, don't write them off at all because of one game here and they were stronger last year and I think there's more to be added."But I'm looking at Arsenal and this isn't six months of build, it's six years of build, and they build every year and it's better now than it was last year."Arsenal fans have waited a long time and it's been nearly so many times in the past and you just wondered if that team could become a winning dynasty. Well, they've got it."I'm not saying they're going to do it, but they're capable of it. I think they're going to add a little bit more between now and the transfer window closing, but that team out there looked comfortable with themselves."Arsenal looked sharper, Tzolis looked incredible, Lewis-Skelly wanted to show he's fighting for his place and City looked absolutely lost, it's only the community shield but what a great show from the Arsenal!As a City fan, this is getting embarrassing, Arsenal are levels above us. Either they're amazing and will break the 100 point barrier, or we're terrible and will finish 10th. No in-between.Maresca might visually be Pep's doppelganger, but he looks to be filling some enormous shoes with toddler feet at the moment. Awful start to his time at the Etihad.City to finish sixth. Manager sacked by Xmas.Writing off a team after a glorified friendly with key players on less than a week's training is just silly. Remember when Haaland's Community Shield debut had people calling Darwin Nunez the better signing? Preseason mean nothing in the grand scheme of things.Norwich struggles to assist king - Tzolis could be Arsenal gemChelsea say no Fernandez move as deadline passes - but is it really over?

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21 CommentsBarcelona have agreed a deal to sign Spain captain Rodri from Manchester City for about £65mThe 30-year-old, who won the Ballon d'Or in 2024, is set to sign a four-year deal with the Spanish champions.The transfer is expected to be completed in the coming days.Rodri made 298 appearances across seven trophy-laden seasons at City after joining them from Atletico Madrid in 2019 for a then club record £62.8m.He 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, he 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.Rodri leaves City having won 12 major honours, including four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, three EFL Cups and the Champions League in 2022-23.Pre-match, post-match and topical City contentListen on SoundsSubscribe and listen for everything you love about CityLatest Manchester City news, analysis and fan viewsAsk about Man City - what do you want to know?

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Champions delight manager by ‘winning the first trophy’Maresca wants Manchester City signings to arrive soonMikel Arteta said his Arsenal players demonstrated their hunger to defend the Premier League title in their Community Shield triumph over Manchester City. Arsenal, who ended their 22-year wait last season and are seeking to win back-to-back top-flight titles for the first time since 1934-35, beat City 3-0 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff in Enzo Maresca’s first significant match in charge.Riccardo Calafiori opened the scoring after 24 seconds, the fastest goal in the competition since Bobby Owen’s strike for City in 1968, before Kai Havertz doubled Arsenal’s lead and their captain, Martin Ødegaard, completed the scoring on 48 minutes. The 3-0 defeat represented the joint-heaviest loss for a City manager in their first game in charge, with Harry Newbould the most recent to suffer a three-goal opening defeat – 4-1, also to Arsenal, in 1906. It is also Maresca’s joint-heaviest defeat as a manager in England.Arteta was delighted with Arsenal’s convincing display. “I am obviously extremely happy with the performance, the result and winning the first trophy,” he said. “We talked about the desire we have to start the season and to show ourselves how much we want it and I saw a lot of positive things against a top opponent. I’m very impressed in the manner that we played, in the manner that we competed. That’s the standard for us. If we drive the standards at this level, I’m sure that we’re going to be really, really competitive.”Asked about the desire displayed by his team, he said: “Because we want to go straight again. The desire comes [because] I want to live that moment again. I want to live other moments, even bigger than them … we know what it’s going to take. We know the difficulty of the task. We’ve never done it at this club, to win it again. We know that it’s going to demand something special and we are ready for it.”Arteta praised the performance of Christos Tzolis, who was involved in all three goals. “He is a really intelligent boy and he has a massive quality, which is when he is in the last 20-30m [of the pitch] he is so composed to pick people out in and around the box,” said the Arsenal manager. “And also to finish actions and he has shown that again two or three times. He was decisive.”Ødegaard said the team’s performance was evidence they are capable of winning back-to-back titles. “We played some brilliant football,” said Arsenal’s captain. “[It was a] great performance and a great way to start the season. I always want to help the team as much as possible with goals and assists. I want to score more goals. We showed our level today. We’ve shown we’re ready. We’re serious and we want to do it again. We want to attack it. We want to do it again. When you get a taste of how nice it is you want to do it again. We want to win everything.”Maresca acknowledged City, who are closing on a deal to sign Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi as they prepare to sell Rodri to Barcelona, would welcome new arrivals before their league opener at home to Bournemouth on Sunday. Rodri did not travel to Cardiff, where Elliot Anderson started in midfield, and Jack Grealish arrived from the substitutes’ bench for his first City appearance since May 2025. “Any new signing, the sooner they arrive the better because we are starting the Premier League in one week and if they start to work with us as soon as possible it’s better that they can also understand the way we want to play,” he said.Maresca said he was not alarmed by the manner of the defeat. “In general I’m always concerned, even when we win games so imagine how [concerned] that we didn’t win the game,” said the Italian, who succeeded Pep Guardiola this summer. “It’s just the beginning, we have many things that we need to do better, I think the reaction was good after conceding the first goal and now try to reset and analyse the game and think from Tuesday about the next game.”

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Man City have accepted a £65.4m bid from Barcelona for their star midfielder Rodri.The Spain World Cup winner and former Ballon d'Or holder, who helped City to four Premier League titles and a Champions League triumph, will now head to Barcelona to complete his transfer after seven seasons in Manchester.The 30-year-old had one year left on his contract and while Man City wanted him to stay and sign an extension, Barcelona's third offer proved to be too good to turn down.Last week Barcelona had an initial offer in the region of £40m knocked back, returning with a £55m bid, which was also rejected.City boss Enzo Maresca said "All teams need a player like Rodri" when asked about the player after the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal on Sunday, which Rodri missed after only returning to the club's training ground on Friday, following minor surgery on his back after the World Cup.Maresca also encouraged City to move quickly for their transfer targets. They hold interest in Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi and Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez - although City missed Chelsea's Friday 5pm deadline to make a £120m bid for Fernandez.Asked about Bouaddi, Maresca said: "He's still a Lille player. But any new signing, any new player, for sure as soon as they arrive it's better. Because we're going to start the Premier League in one week. If they start to work with us as soon as possible, it's better if they can also understand the way we need to play."Central midfield is in focus this summer at Man City. They broke the British transfer record to sign Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for £116m.Meanwhile, City have agreed a deal to sell Tijjani Reijnders to Al Qadsiah. The fee is around £51m.Reijnders, who joined City from AC Milan last summer, wants to move and now looks set for the Saudi Pro League.Chelsea now expect Fernandez to stay at Stamford Bridge for the entirety of the 2026/27 season after City missed Friday's deadline, which was set by Chelsea.However, that doesn't mean City won't try to bid for the Argentina international now Rodri's move to Barcelona has been agreed."This was a deadline Chelsea imposed themselves and Man City were unlikely to play ball with a club imposing their own transfer deadlines," explained Sky Sports News' Alan Irwin on Friday."City boss Enzo Maresca is a big admirer of Enzo Fernandez. He understands exactly what he could bring to the club. But if the transfer is to come off is very much dependent on if Rodri leaves Man City for Barcelona."

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Jeremy Jacquet was the star as Liverpool enjoyed a confidence-boosting 2-0 win over Como in their final pre-season friendly at Anfield.The 21-year-old defender was making his debut for the club after signing from Rennes in February and marked the occasion by scoring the second goal just before half-time to double the lead for Andoni Iraola's side after Cody Gakpo had fired in the opener.Gakpo set up Jacquet for his tap-in which proved to be the final act by the French youngster as he made way for fellow new arrival Ronald Araujo at half-time. The tempo dropped and that suited Como who played more of the football in the second half.Liverpool had contrived to lose a two-goal lead against Monaco last week but there was no repeat - Ryan Gravenberch even hitting the crossbar late on. As well as Gakpo and Jacquet, Jeremie Frimpong and Rio Ngumoha were among those to impress for Iraola's side.There are others with work to do. Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz both scored against Monaco, but the former Newcastle striker faded here after a striking a post early on, while the German playmaker flattered to deceive. The real stuff begins next Sunday at St James' Park.8 - POST! Isak strikes a bouncing ball against the foot of the far post23 - GOAL! Frimpong brilliantly finds Gakpo to fire Liverpool ahead44 - GOAL! Gakpo lays the ball across for Jacquet to tap it home58 - CLOSE! Rodriguez fires a shot into the side-netting for Como85 - CLOSE! Diao skims the Liverpool crossbar on the counter-attack89 - BAR! Szoboszlai works it to Gravenberch but he hits the barJacquet's name was read out last when the teams were announced as Anfield gave him a special welcome and the young defender responded with a standout performance. The Frenchman certainly pressed his claims for a start against Newcastle next week.The first cheers for Jacquet came within 30 seconds as a result of a couple of purposeful passes that indicated his willingness to add some drive to a Liverpool backline that was guilty of being a little bit too sluggish on the ball under Arne Slot last term.And the crowd were chanting his name a quarter of an hour in when he produced a strong challenge right in front of the Kop before doing well to hold off his man in the follow-up tussle for possession. Jacquet looks serene but there is steel there as well.It was not flawless. He missed a challenge just before the half-hour mark and needed Frimpong to save him with a covering challenge. There was a clumsy miskicked clearance soon after that he made up for with a crucial interception inside the area.But the goal, tapping in Gakpo's cross, capped off a fine 45 minutes before he was withdrawn at the break. Araujo has been brought in on loan but Jacquet is seen as the long-term solution at the back for Liverpool and this was a very encouraging start.The statistics show Ibrahima Konate was quick but it could sometimes take a while for the legs to get going. Now 35, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk needs pace around him in that defence now. In Jacquet, he appears to have found his ideal new partner.