The transfer, worth a £10m package, comes after what Romano described as long talks with Arsenal that ultimately failed to produce a breakthrough for the Gunners.

Monga is regarded as one of the best young talents in the country and has already made 37 senior appearances for Leicester's first team, scoring once. The England youth international now looks set for the Etihad.

Maresca connection proved decisive

New City boss Enzo Maresca played a role in getting this one over the line. The former Leicester manager has a connection with Monga from his time at the King Power Stadium and was involved in presenting the long-term project to the player, according to Romano.

Arsenal had been chasing the youngster and even saw a bid rejected by Leicester, per the Times. But City have moved in and got their man.

There's plenty of competition for places at City, but the club have shown they're willing to give young players opportunities. Monga should fit into that picture before too long.

Rodri's patchy club form has been quickly forgotten after the Manchester City midfielder produced a commanding performance for Spain in their World Cup round of 16 win over Austria on Thursday.

The 30-year-old has struggled with fitness since returning from a long-term injury that kept him out for most of the 2024-25 campaign. He made only 17 Premier League starts last season, sparking questions about his future amid reported interest from Real Madrid.

Against Ralf Rangnick's Austria, however, the old Rodri was back. Partnered with Barcelona's Pedri in midfield, the duo dominated the centre of the park, barely allowing the Austrians a look at goal.

Spanish outlet AS handed Rodri two stars — though he might have easily joined the four Spain players who earned three. Goal gave him a 7/10 rating, noting he was "metronomic at the base of midfield" and made "a big intervention to cut out a rare Austrian foray forward."

The stats back up the praise. Rodri took more touches than anyone else on the pitch (108), completed 92 per cent of his passes, created two chances, made five tackles and six recoveries, and won 75 per cent of his ground duels. He was dribbled past twice — a small concern for Enzo Maresca, perhaps, but understandable given his age and recent injury history.

Rodri rarely completed a full 90 minutes in the final weeks of the 2025-26 season. At this tournament, he looks to have rediscovered his rhythm. That will be welcome news for his manager, particularly with Elliot Anderson already through the door at the Etihad.

Manchester City sources have indicated that further midfield reinforcements remain possible this summer, even after the club-record arrival of Elliot Anderson.

The need to build a deeper and more dynamic midfield unit has become more pressing since Bernardo Silva's departure to Real Madrid at the end of his contract. Silva, a long-serving figure and club legend, leaves a significant gap in the middle of the park.

Internal concerns about the squad's ability to cope with another demanding season across multiple competitions have pushed recruitment staff to consider more than just one addition in central midfield. Anderson brings Premier League experience and box-to-box qualities, but Enzo Maresca's system is thought to require players who can control tempo and offer positional flexibility.

According to ESPN's Rob Dawson, sources are adamant that City have not closed the door on another midfield signing this summer, despite the significant outlay on Anderson.

Bouaddi on the radar

Officials at the Etihad are said to be tracking Lille's 18-year-old Moroccan international Ayyoub Bouaddi. The French club are aware of interest from England and elsewhere across Europe, and have reportedly set an €80 million valuation on the teenager, who is under contract until June 2028.

City could look to reduce any fee by allowing Bouaddi to remain at Lille on loan for the 2026/27 season, though it is unclear whether the club views the move as an immediate priority.

Other reports suggest internal discussions have taken place about how to give Bouaddi enough game time if he were to join this summer, including the possibility of deploying him at right-back in certain matches.

The midfielder's future at City has been uncertain after an injury-hit 2025-26 campaign that limited his involvement. When fit, he was often behind Nico Gonzalez in the pecking order as Rodri's understudy, and the lack of minutes has attracted interest from Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest.

Questions have lingered over whether Kovacic can still operate at the highest level. Croatia's World Cup exit at the hands of Portugal on 3 July might have been the last chance for the 32-year-old to prove a point — and he took it.

Playing alongside Luka Modric in midfield is never straightforward, but Kovacic more than held his own. His numbers from that game tell the story: 94 per cent pass completion, three shots on target (two from long range), a 100 per cent dribble success rate, three passes into the final third, one tackle, three recoveries and five ground duels contested. He even won a foul. Many inside the stadium thought he had sent Croatia through when one of his efforts was tipped onto the post. It wasn't to be.

Kovacic's contract expires next summer, meaning he has a full season to prove himself to the new manager. Multiple high-profile clubs are said to be monitoring the situation, but he remains a City player for now.

Mick Brown told Football Insider last month that Kovacic is likely to be one of the next out of the door, but City cannot afford to keep losing so much experience in one transfer window. Maresca will need to weigh that up.

Manchester City's pursuit of Sporting Lisbon captain Morten Hjulmand has hit a snag, with Atletico Madrid emerging as the frontrunners for his signature.

The 27-year-old Danish midfielder has been strongly linked with a move to the Etihad this summer, not least because of his relationship with City's director of football Hugo Viana. Viana was the man who brought Hjulmand to Sporting from Lecce in 2023, back when he held the same role at the Portuguese club.

Hjulmand has impressed since arriving in Lisbon, registering three goals and six assists in 45 appearances across all competitions last season. His form has attracted interest from Arsenal and Manchester United too, but City were thought to hold an advantage given the Viana connection.

That advantage may now have evaporated. According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, as relayed by Sport Witness, Atletico Madrid and Hjulmand have reached a 'preliminary agreement' over a summer move. The Spanish side are expected to open formal negotiations with Sporting shortly.

City are not out of the race entirely — at least until Atletico agree a fee with the Portuguese champions — but Diego Simeone's side currently hold the edge.

“I cannot comment on any agreement. It is in Sporting's hands. They are good people. I am sure that at some point we will reach an agreement.”

That was Hjulmand's agent Ivan Marko Benes back in April, speaking to Record. The message was clear: Sporting would let him leave if the right offer came in.

Hjulmand joined Sporting on a five-year deal for an initial €18 million in August 2023 and inherited the captain's armband from Sebastian Coates the following year. He has since made 141 appearances for the club, scoring 10 goals and providing 12 assists.

His official release clause is set at €80 million, though reports suggest there is an agreement in place allowing him to leave for somewhere between €40-50 million. With two years remaining on his current contract, Sporting are under no immediate pressure to sell — but the window is open.

The 2026-27 campaign begins in August. Whether Hjulmand lines up in blue or red and white remains to be seen.

Omar Marmoush's future at Manchester City has become the first real test of Enzo Maresca's willingness to make difficult calls before he has properly coached his squad.

According to The Hard Tackle, relaying Fichajes, Atletico Madrid have identified the Egyptian as a leading attacking target, with Maresca reportedly open to sanctioning a sale. The report places his valuation at around €60 million.

Marmoush is still tied to City until 2029, having arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt in January 2025. The club's own announcement at the time framed him as a coveted attacker capable of operating across the front line, with a four-and-a-half-year contract running to the summer of 2029.

That versatility was the attraction. It is also what makes his position complicated now.

Under Maresca, the attacking picture has already shifted. Erling Haaland remains the reference point. Rayan Cherki has joined the mix. Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku and Savinho all require minutes in the half-spaces or wide lanes. If Antoine Semenyo stays involved as a vertical option, the map tightens further.

Role clarity or stored tension?

City have reached a stage where every attacking place carries strategic purpose. Keeping an expensive, prime-age forward in a role he does not fully own is not depth. It is stored tension.

City Xtra reported in May that Marmoush's future was expected to be discussed after Maresca's arrival, with the forward seeking a more prominent role after a difficult second season for minutes. That made this summer a conversation. Atletico's interest could turn it into a decision.

Maresca's appointment was sold by City as continuity with edge. The club confirmed on June 29 that he had signed until 2029, with Maresca speaking about a well-run, planned and purposeful environment. A planned environment does not keep every talented player simply because selling feels premature.

Atletico's interest makes tactical sense. Marmoush is not a fixed penalty-box striker. He can run from outside to in, press on the front foot, and attack broken defensive lines. Diego Simeone has often valued forwards who can do more than wait for service.

For City, the same flexibility can be read two ways. It either makes him too valuable to lose, or it shows there is no single non-negotiable role that belongs to him.

That distinction is central to Maresca's judgement. His players need early certainty. His squad needs defined jobs. His first tactical message cannot be diluted by a front line full of maybes.

The Atletico door gives City a market for a player they do not have to sell but may rationally choose to move.

A cold calculation

Every Marmoush argument eventually returns to Haaland. The Norwegian's presence changes the ceiling and the frustration for every central attacker at City. Marmoush can play with Haaland. The more exact question is whether he can play often enough with Haaland to justify rejecting a strong fee.

If City keep him, Maresca needs a defined path: minutes as Haaland's deputy, starts from the left in specific game states, and a clear role when City need more direct running. If City sell, the logic must be equally clean: bank value, reduce positional congestion and leave room for a profile Maresca wants more.

The mistake would be drifting. Marmoush is too good to become a vague option and too valuable to let the summer slide into August uncertainty.

This is not a case for a fire sale. If Atletico cannot reach the number, City can keep the player and still have a credible squad piece. But Maresca's first summer is not about collecting credible pieces. It is about building a team with clean priorities after the most important managerial change of the modern City era.

The best clubs sell before uncertainty becomes decay. Marmoush's Atletico link gives City that exact room. Maresca does not need to force the exit. He does need to show he can judge it coldly.

Manchester City are pushing hard to sign Leicester City winger Jeremy Monga, with Arsenal’s interest having stalled over valuation.

According to David Ornstein, City and Leicester are in direct contact over a deal worth around £10m, with the move now advanced after Arsenal’s club-to-club contact failed to produce an agreement. Sami Mokbel had earlier reported that the Foxes were expecting a bid from the Blues.

Monga, a highly-rated teenage prospect at the King Power Stadium, has caught the eye of a number of clubs, but it appears City are now in pole position to land him.

Spain didn’t need Rodri to dominate the highlights in Los Angeles. That was the whole point.

Mikel Oyarzabal scored twice and Pedro Porro added another as Spain beat Austria 3-0 in the World Cup knockout stage. The Guardian logged 64% possession, 23 shots and a fourth straight clean sheet. The LA Times noted Spain’s wider unbeaten run and defensive control.

For Manchester City, the relevant detail wasn’t the scoreline. It was the way Rodri sat in the middle of a high-pressure knockout game and made chaos feel manageable.

That’s the challenge facing Enzo Maresca when City’s internationals return.

The stabiliser

City can spend heavily, reshape the midfield and push fresh legs around their captain. The Austria win underlined a blunt truth: Rodri remains the system’s stabiliser, not just one elite player inside it.

Spain’s best performances have always carried a lesson for City because the tactical language overlaps. Dominate territory, compress the pitch, remove transition lanes before they form. Make the opponent chase so long that their first counter-attacking pass becomes hopeful rather than planned.

Against Austria, that control wasn’t decorative. Ralf Rangnick’s sides usually want disorder — pressing traps, second balls, broken-field sprints. Spain largely denied them that match state. Rodri’s value sits in those invisible details.

He doesn’t simply receive the ball from centre-backs. He decides whether the next pass accelerates the attack, slows the tempo, draws pressure or pins the opposition’s front line in the wrong place. That may not create a viral clip, but it’s how elite tournament teams strangle games.

A midfield rebuilt around him

City already know that better than anyone. The post-Pep Guardiola era has been framed around new manager energy, new recruitment priorities and a necessary reset after losing experienced pillars. Yet the biggest tactical question is still old-fashioned: how do they protect the one midfielder whose absence changes the entire team’s risk profile?

The answer cannot be to run Rodri into another 55-game season and hope class covers the fatigue. Spain’s progression means more minutes, more emotional load and a later return to club rhythm. Maresca’s first major test may not be the opening Premier League fixture. It may be deciding when not to use his most important player.

City have already moved in the market with midfield robustness in mind. The club-record Elliot Anderson agreement with Nottingham Forest, reported at £116 million by ESPN and other outlets, is not simply a headline signing. It is a structural admission that City’s midfield needed more duel-winning, carrying power and Premier League-tested legs.

That doesn’t mean Anderson arrives as a Rodri replacement. It means Maresca can begin to build a midfield where Rodri is not asked to solve every physical problem behind the ball.

At Forest, Anderson’s appeal was his ability to contest, recover and drive through contact. ESPN’s analysis pointed to his league-leading or near-league-leading volume for touches, duels won, fouls won and possessions won last season. Those numbers explain why City were willing to pay a premium for a player who reduces adaptation risk.

Placed next to Rodri, that profile gives City a different protection layer. Placed without Rodri, it gives Maresca at least a route toward a more athletic midfield that can defend forward rather than asking a single pivot to control the whole centre of the pitch alone.

The contract layer

The other layer is contractual. Rodri has already said he will address his future after the World Cup amid long-running Real Madrid links, with The Guardian reporting in June that his City deal runs to 2027. Those two facts matter together.

City don’t need to panic, but they do need clarity. A midfielder who dictates a national team knockout performance and remains central to every serious City plan cannot drift into another season with the same background noise. Madrid interest may have cooled in parts of the Spanish press, but elite clubs rarely forget players of this level. They wait for leverage.

That’s why the Austria performance should sharpen City’s internal timeline. Rodri’s football still screams control. His contract situation invites uncertainty. If Maresca wants a calmer first season, the club need the midfield plan and the renewal plan moving in the same direction.

Protection as a tactical principle

The physical layer is just as important. Spain’s tournament is not over. If they go deep, Rodri’s summer becomes shorter, his recovery window tighter and City’s pre-season integration more complicated. That doesn’t automatically mean trouble, but it demands discipline from the staff.

City’s early-season fixtures will tempt Maresca to lean on certainty. The smarter play may be to protect it. Rodri’s best version is not just useful in August; it is decisive in April and May, when title races and Champions League ties ask for cold decision-making under maximum stress.

Spain’s 3-0 win will be remembered nationally as a statement that De la Fuente’s side are growing into the tournament. From a City viewpoint, it should be read as both reassurance and warning.

The reassurance is obvious. Rodri still controls elite games with a rare calm. He remains able to anchor a side that plays high, asks its defenders to defend forward and trusts its midfield to kill counters before they become shots.

The warning is sharper. If one player is this central for Spain and City, the club must build more carefully around him than ever. Anderson’s arrival helps. A more athletic midfield helps. Smarter rotation will help. But none of it matters unless Maresca accepts that Rodri protection is not a medical department issue alone. It is a tactical principle.

City’s new era will naturally be judged by signings, results and whether Maresca can impose his authority after Guardiola. Yet the foundation may be less dramatic than that. It may come down to whether City can preserve the midfielder who makes control possible while building enough around him to survive the days when he finally has to rest.

That matters because this is no longer a City side living on automatic continuity. A new manager, a record midfield signing and a World Cup-disrupted summer have all arrived at once. The club’s margin will come from how quickly those moving parts are made to serve the same idea: keep control, reduce exposure and let Rodri’s intelligence decide the biggest games rather than repair avoidable damage.

Spain showed the blueprint in Los Angeles.

Manchester City are on the verge of bringing Pierce Charles back to the club from Sheffield Wednesday, with multiple reports suggesting a deal is close to completion.

Fabrizio Romano has indicated that Charles has agreed to return to City, where he briefly spent time in the youth system before moving to Sheffield Wednesday. Romano reports that a deal has been agreed between the two clubs, with only formalities left to be finalised. City have yet to decide whether Charles will stay with the first team next season or head out on loan.

TalkSport have also reported that City are close to securing Charles’s return, though they suggest it is unlikely the 20-year-old will feature in a first-team role. Instead, a loan move is expected to allow him to continue his development.

Charles ticks the boxes for a young City goalkeeper. He is good with his feet — a prerequisite for any keeper in Enzo Maresca’s system — a very good shot stopper, and he showed at Sheffield Wednesday that he can command his penalty area well. At 20, there is plenty of room for improvement.

The immediate assumption when City were first linked with Charles was that he would step in as understudy to Gianluigi Donnarumma. That may not be the case.

If Charles goes out on loan and James Trafford departs as expected, City will need a backup goalkeeper. How Maresca views the situation remains to be seen. He could see Trafford as the ideal fit for his system, given Trafford’s ability in build-up play from the back — an area where he outperforms Donnarumma. But it is hard to imagine Donnarumma being relegated to a backup role, given his shot-stopping, presence and leadership.

For now, City are edging closer to bringing Charles back. What happens next is less clear.

Ruben Dias and Portugal are through to the World Cup round of 16 after a 2-1 victory over Croatia that had more twists than a Merseyside derby.

Cristiano Ronaldo finally scored his first-ever World Cup knockout goal — a stat that had been following him around like a bad smell — as Portugal came from behind to win it.

The game looked destined for extra time until Gonçalo Ramos popped up in the 94th minute, rising above two Croatian defenders to head home Rafael Leão's cross.

Cue chaos.

Croatia thought they'd snatched an equaliser deep into stoppage time when Josko Gvardiol bundled the ball in, but the flag went up for offside. VAR upheld the call, and Portugal breathed again.

Mateo Kovacic, on the other side, put in a shift for Croatia. He played the full 90 minutes, racking up 49 accurate passes at 94% accuracy, three shots on target, and three recoveries. Just one of those days where the stats look good but the result doesn't.

Ruben Dias played the entire match too — 110 touches, 86 accurate passes at 91%, five clearances, and five aerial duels won. Solid, unflashy, exactly what you'd expect.

Portugal now face Spain in the last-16 at the Dallas Stadium on Monday, July 6. European champions versus a Portugal side finding their rhythm at the right time. Should be a good one.

Rayan Ait-Nouri's involvement at the 2026 World Cup is over after Algeria were beaten 2-0 by Switzerland at BC Place on Sunday.

Breel Embolo and Dan Ndoye scored either side of half-time as Murat Yakin's side eased into the Round of 16, having topped Group B unbeaten after wins over Bosnia and Herzegovina and co-hosts Canada, plus a late draw with Qatar.

Algeria arrived in the knockout phase as one of the best third-place finishers from Group J, a group that included a Lionel Messi hat-trick against them and a dramatic late equaliser against Austria that sent both sides through.

The Desert Foxes started brightly enough, with Houssem Aouar testing the Swiss early on, but the game turned on 10 minutes when Johan Manzambi carved through the Algerian defence to set up Embolo from close range.

Algeria pushed for an equaliser before half-time but were undone by their own sloppiness at the start of the second period. A failure to clear their lines twice in quick succession allowed Ndoye to collect outside the area and slide a composed low finish into the far corner, beyond Luca Zidane.

Riyad Mahrez was withdrawn in the 71st minute without having made a decisive impact, and Switzerland saw out the remainder with minimal fuss.

Ait-Nouri's defensive numbers for the match included 10 ground duels won from 15, 85% pass accuracy, and three successful dribbles from five attempts, according to Sofascore data.

Man City's representatives at the tournament now turn their attention to the last-16, where Enzo Maresca's players will face each other as Portugal — featuring several of the City contingent — prepare to take on Croatia.

Manchester City have entered the race to sign Leicester City youngster Jeremy Monga, according to multiple reports. The 16-year-old winger is attracting serious interest from a host of Premier League clubs.

Sami Mokbel of the BBC reports that City, Arsenal and Brentford are all attempting to sign Monga. Arsenal were considered the most advanced in their pursuit, but City's entry has shifted the landscape.

Mokbel also states that Monga has agreed to a one-year scholarship contract with Leicester, which is set to convert to a professional deal on 10 July. That means any interested club will need to negotiate a transfer fee with the Foxes, who are believed to want a minimum of £10 million for the youngster.

David Ornstein of The Athletic has confirmed City's move, adding that Enzo Maresca is behind the club's bid to beat Arsenal to the signing. Ornstein reports that Arsenal had been in direct talks with Leicester but have been unable to agree a deal for the England youth international.

Fabrizio Romano has gone further, reporting that City are now in direct negotiations with Leicester and that Arsenal are out of the race entirely.

Monga is a versatile attacker who can play on either wing or as a number ten. He is described as an explosive dribbler, comfortable going either way on the ball, and possesses genuine pace. His eye for a pass and goal are also noted as strong points.

At just 16, he has already made first-team appearances for Leicester, which is no small feat. He is not the finished product by any stretch, but the raw materials are clearly there.

City have a track record of targeting precisely this profile of young player, and the club appears to be moving quickly to get this one over the line. Whether they can beat the competition and agree a fee with Leicester remains to be seen, but the signs are promising.

Tottenham are reportedly plotting a double swoop on Manchester City after already beating the Blues to Sandro Tonali's signature. According to The Independent's Miguel Delaney, the north Londoners have their sights set on goalkeeper James Trafford and winger Savinho.

Trafford's future at the Etihad has been the subject of speculation throughout the window. The England international is understood to be keen on a move to Newcastle United, despite the Magpies' current absence from European football, and is waiting for a conversation with new manager Enzo Maresca to clarify his path to the number one shirt.

Tottenham's interest adds another layer. Spurs can offer regular first-team football at a high level alongside European competition — a more compelling platform than Newcastle can currently provide.

Savinho, meanwhile, has been consistently linked with Spurs across multiple stages of the summer window, with City reportedly willing to sell if their £60 million asking price is met.

The prospect of Tottenham returning to pick off further assets after the Tonali deal represents a genuine test for director of football Hugo Viana. Maresca's appointment was expected to clarify a number of outstanding squad decisions, and the futures of Trafford and Savinho are among the most pressing personnel questions the Italian must resolve before the new season begins.

The loss of Tonali to Tottenham is a blow to City's midfield recruitment plans — albeit not a major one, as the Blues prepare to unveil England international Elliot Anderson as their club record signing for a sensational £116 million.

Whether Tottenham can complete a double raid to follow up the Tonali coup, or whether Maresca and Viana move to retain both Trafford and Savinho, is set to become one of the defining subplots of the remainder of the summer window for both clubs.

Manchester City have made enquiries about Leicester City forward Jeremy Monga, complicating what looked like a straightforward move to Arsenal for the 16-year-old.

According to the BBC, City have been in touch over a potential deal for the teenager in recent days. Arsenal remain the most advanced club in their interest, but the Blues are long-term admirers and are now exploring whether they can beat the Gunners to his signature.

Monga has played senior football at a very young age and is rated as one of the most exciting attacking prospects in the country. talkSPORT has reported that Arsenal had been close to a deal worth around £10m, but City’s late involvement could change things.

Arsenal still lead the chase for the young winger. Mikel Arteta’s side have built a strong reputation for developing young talent, and Monga would fit their long-term recruitment strategy. The Gunners are not only signing established stars this summer; they are also trying to secure elite youngsters before their value explodes.

Monga is quick, direct and confident in attacking areas. He is still raw, but that is normal for a player his age. Arsenal clearly believe he has the tools to become a serious first-team option in the future.

City, though, are dangerous rivals in this kind of deal. They have the resources, academy structure and long-term planning to tempt young players, especially now that the squad is being reshaped under Enzo Maresca.

At 16, Monga would not be expected to immediately transform the first team. This is a signing for the future. But those are exactly the deals top clubs need to get right.

City’s arrival makes things more difficult for Arsenal, but they still appear to have done more groundwork. The smart move now for Arteta is to finish the deal quickly, convince the player there is a clear pathway, and avoid giving City time to hijack it.