James Trafford is in discussions with Leeds United about including a release clause in his contract, according to journalist Ben Jacobs. The clause would be triggered by “specific clubs/circumstances” – a detail that opens the door to a possible third spell at Manchester City.

Reports suggest the goalkeeper could leave that door open to returning to the Etihad. Whether City would be one of those specific clubs remains unclear, but the conversation itself hints at a path back for a player who has already left the club twice.

Trafford's career keeps circling back to Manchester. The next move, if it comes, would be his third time around.

The Norwegian supporters became a fixture of the 2026 World Cup in North America, their travelling pack drawing social media attention for performing the row in Times Square, at a New York Mets baseball game and various other spots. Norway, for their part, made personal history by reaching the quarter-finals for the first time.

Now the World Cup is over, but the row continues. Haaland, one of Donnarumma's Manchester City teammates, was invited to the wedding and has been filmed leading a group of guests through the routine. Several clips are doing the rounds on social media.

A week of off-field headlines

It has been a busy few days for the City striker beyond the dancefloor. Asked about a potential appearance in WWE, wrestler Cody Rhodes suggested a storyline in which the pair play cousins. Fans also praised Haaland after he greeted a stranger while on holiday in what was described as a ‘genuinely wonderful’ moment.

And the gym invitations keep coming. Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr and actor Terry Crews have both extended workout offers to Haaland this week.

An Honest Answer

We don't know. Not yet, anyway. The game has opened its doors, the player list is presumably live, but here at Not Really Here we don't have verified details on prices, positions, or availability. Recommending specific City assets without that information would be guesswork, and guesswork tends to end in tears by Gameweek 3.

What we do know: FPL is back. That is a fact. Millions are picking squads. Also a fact. Everything else — who's essential, who's a differential, who'll be this season's Haaland — remains unknown until we see the data.

The club has had a summer of change: Bernardo Silva and John Stones have left. The season hasn't started yet. Pre-season begins against Inter Milan on 1st August. The 2026/27 campaign proper kicks off on 23rd August. Plenty of time for friendlies, transfers, and the inevitable tinkering with your draft.

For now, the wisest move is to wait. Let the squad take shape. Let the prices drop. Then we'll tell you which City players to actually add to your team.

Manchester City are set to reject every approach Real Madrid make for Rodri this summer. The club's stance is absolute, and now we know a key reason why.

When Enzo Maresca negotiated his deal to succeed Pep Guardiola six months ago, he made one thing clear: Rodri stays. The Italian insisted on having the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner in his squad as a condition of taking the job, according to The Mirror.

That stipulation helps explain why chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and other City officials are holding firm against Real Madrid's interest. Florentino Perez is reportedly preparing an initial £80m offer, potentially rising to £100m. City, for now, are not remotely tempted.

Rodri entered the final year of his contract off the back of a stunning World Cup – he led Spain to the 2026 title and took the Golden Ball. Back in March, he addressed the speculation head-on.

“Joining Los Blancos is not a 'closed door' for him,” he said at the time. “I would like to return to the Spanish league in the future.”

Real Madrid have reportedly received Rodri's approval and are closing in on personal terms, while City continue to try to extend his stay. The situation is complicated by a back injury that now requires surgery with no confirmed return date.

That medical setback might temporarily stall Madrid's pursuit. But the longer-term risk remains: if Rodri runs down his contract, his wish to play in Spain again could see him leave on a free next summer.

For now, Maresca plans to build his team around the 30-year-old, believing he is crucial to integrating club record signing Elliot Anderson, who arrived for £116m. Director of football Hugo Viana and the manager have been building the squad with Rodri as a key piece, with the new campaign just weeks away.

After two injury-hit campaigns, Rodri's World Cup displays brought back hope that City's talisman is back to his best. Maresca's non-negotiable demand is about to face its first real test.

Elliot Anderson has spoken for the first time since becoming Manchester City's club record signing, and the 23-year-old has made one thing clear: he does not consider himself the finished article. That, frankly, is a thought to sit with for a moment. A £116 million midfielder who thinks his best football is still ahead of him is either terrifying for the rest of the league or a reminder that City's recruitment model has not changed just because Pep Guardiola has left the building.

The deal, completed earlier this month, brings Anderson in from Nottingham Forest off the back of an impressive individual World Cup campaign with England. Director of football Hugo Viana said on signing that the midfielder could develop into a complete player at the Etihad, and the player's own words suggest he shares that ambition.

'Now that I'm here, I'll keep pushing and try to take this club forward. I'm only 23, I've got plenty of time to get to my best. I definitely think I'm not there yet and there's more to come.'

Anderson arrives as Enzo Maresca's priority midfield target and, more specifically, as the replacement for Bernardo Silva, who departed for Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer. It is a significant pair of shoes to fill, but the England international's description of his own game suggests he understands what is required at this level.

'I like to be intense when I play and use lots of energy around the pitch and get the fans going. I'm over the moon. I can't wait to play for this club.'

Arsenal's Declan Rice, who shared a midfield with Anderson during the World Cup, described him as 'the engine room' — a label that fits neatly with how the player himself frames his contribution. 'I think I bring a bit of everything,' Anderson said. 'I bring quality, physicality, energy. I'd like to think I'd get them excited, get them off their feet and bring energy to the team.'

That energy, he says, extends to his relationship with the ball. 'I like to think I'll take the ball at any time. I love having the ball at my feet. I'll help the team out when we're in tough times.'

Anderson's move has happened quickly — from Newcastle to Nottingham Forest to City, via a regular England place — but he insists it was always the destination. 'They're winners, relentless, and that's the sort of team I want to be a part of — champions, people who win trophies. Over the last 10, 12 years, they've dominated, so that's why I wanted to join.'

City's first pre-season game against Inter Milan is on 1st August. Anderson, by his own admission, is not there yet. The journey, however, has begun.

Manchester City are preparing a €90 million bid for Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, with personal terms already agreed and a contract running until 2031 reportedly in place. The 18-year-old Morocco international has emerged as a priority target after an impressive season in Ligue 1 and a strong World Cup campaign, and Enzo Maresca is believed to see him as ready for the first team immediately — not another loan project.

The bid from City, first reported by Nicolò Schira, falls short of Lille's preferred valuation. That suggests negotiations still have some distance to run, with add-ons or an improved guaranteed fee likely required to get it over the line.

Hugo Viana's influence

The Guardian has reported that City are prepared to go as high as €100 million, with director of football Hugo Viana driving the pursuit. Viana is said to be impressed by Bouaddi's technical quality, his awareness on the ball and his physical readiness for English football — traits that explain why the plan is to integrate him directly into Maresca's squad rather than send him out on loan.

Bouaddi can receive under pressure, protect the defence and move possession forward without slowing the game down. That profile fits neatly into what City have lost with the departures of Bernardo Silva and John Stones this summer, though the club would argue Bouaddi offers something slightly different — younger legs, a different rhythm, a long-term solution rather than a short-term patch.

The reported fee, even at the upper end, is significant for an 18-year-old with one full senior season behind him. But the market for elite young midfielders is what it is, and City are moving early enough to avoid a bidding war later in the window.

Personal terms are reportedly in place, but an agreement with Lille has not yet been reached.

That line sums up where this stands: the easy part is done, the hard part starts now. Lille know what they have, and they will drive a hard bargain. City will need to decide how much they want this one.

The figure is a long way short of what the Blues would likely demand for a player who remains the reigning Ballon d'Or holder and World Cup Golden Ball winner. But with Rodri's contract at the Etihad entering its final year and no agreement yet reached despite months of talks, the situation is no longer straightforward.

Contract situation unresolved

City have been making lucrative offers to tie down the 30-year-old for some time. The club's hierarchy are well aware of his value — not just in monetary terms, but as the midfield anchor who has defined their most successful era. Yet a resolution over his long-term future has yet to materialise.

Rodri's desire to return to his homeland and his openness to a move to the Bernabeu are both becoming increasingly difficult to dismiss as background noise. Direct communication between the two clubs has already taken place earlier this summer, and a good working relationship is cited as a factor that could help facilitate discussions.

For director of football Hugo Viana, this represents one of the defining decisions of his tenure. Sell now and recoup a significant fee, or risk losing one of the world's best midfielders for nothing when his contract expires at the end of the 2026-27 season.

For Enzo Maresca, the prospect of beginning his debut season without Rodri at the base of his midfield presents a considerable challenge. The Spaniard's ability to control tempo, dictate press triggers and manage games from deep is regarded as irreplaceable within the system the Italian intends to implement.

City's confidence in landing Ayyoub Bouaddi for £85m after a breakthrough in Lille negotiations suggests they are already planning for life beyond Rodri. Whether that plan is accelerated this summer or delayed by another year depends on whether Madrid's low-ball approach is met with anything other than a firm no.

Manchester City finally unveiled Elliot Anderson yesterday, and the new arrival did not waste time in naming the player who shaped his football education. Kevin De Bruyne, the man whose 422 appearances in blue established him as a genuine Premier League great, was the name on Anderson's lips.

The England international came through Newcastle's academy watching the Belgian from afar. He admitted as much in his first public comments as a City player.

“I think Kevin De Bruyne is someone who I’ve hugely looked up to over the past seven or eight years. As I came up through the academy at Newcastle, I always wanted to play like him. I’ve watched him all the time and to be sat here in the same team he was doing it for is so special.”

There is something quietly fitting about that. De Bruyne arrived at City with his own point to prove, transformed himself into the division's defining midfielder, and now leaves behind a template that the next generation are already trying to follow.

Anderson is contracted until 2031. The club have clearly invested in his potential, and the early signs suggest he understands exactly what he is walking into. He joins the FA Cup and Carabao Cup holders at a moment of transition — Bernardo Silva and John Stones both departed this summer — and there will be opportunities for a midfielder who has modelled his game on the best.

The real work starts now. But for a player who spent his formative years studying De Bruyne's every touch, the setting could hardly feel more natural.

Reis, in an interview with ESPN Brasil, described the experience as formative. He faced Vinícius Jr, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham across the season. “Facing great players like them requires maximum concentration,” he said. He appears to have handled it. By most accounts, he was one of Girona’s best performers in a campaign that finished with the club dropping into the Segunda División.

What he learned at City first time around

Before the loan, Reis spent six months around the City first team after arriving from Brazil. He spoke about the influence of Rúben Dias and Erling Haaland during that period. “City has a great squad and excellent players,” he said. “I learned a lot, especially from Rúben Dias, who encourages me a lot, and Haaland himself, who is one of the top strikers in world football.”

That education continued in Spain. Girona, under Michel, played a high defensive line. It suited Reis. The same system is central to Enzo Maresca’s approach at City.

The timing of his return is worth noting. City have not yet started their pre-season programme. The 2026-27 campaign begins on 23rd August. Reis has time to settle, time to show what he has absorbed.

He arrives back at a club that has seen John Stones and Bernardo Silva leave this summer. The pathway to first-team minutes is not as crowded as it might have been. That is no guarantee of anything, but it is not a bad position to be in.

Elliot Anderson was officially presented as a Manchester City player today, finally able to say what he has been waiting to say since the start of July: this is exactly where he wanted to be. The 23-year-old midfielder's move from Nottingham Forest was completed weeks ago, but his involvement at the World Cup with England pushed back the formalities.

Now he is here. And he sounds like a man who has got what he came for.

Speaking to the club's media channels, Anderson did not hide his enthusiasm. “I’m over the moon,” he said. “I can’t wait to play for this club. I’m really looking forward to it. I think they’re winners, they’re relentless, and that’s the sort of team I want to be a part of – champions and people who win trophies. Over the last 10, 12 years, they’ve dominated, so that’s why I wanted to join.”

That much is clear. The rise has been rapid.

From Forest to the elite in 12 months

Anderson's trajectory over the past year has been remarkable. At Forest he went from an exciting prospect to one of the Premier League's elite midfielders, and his performances for Thomas Tuchel's England side at the World Cup confirmed he belongs at the top level. He was a strong performer on the biggest stage, and City were watching.

“It’s happened quite quick,” Anderson admitted. “But I think I always believed that I could get to this point. This is where I want to be. Now that I’m here, I’ll keep pushing and try to take this club forward.”

He joins a side now managed by Enzo Maresca, and he has done his homework. Anderson said he had watched Maresca's Leicester and Chelsea teams, and spoke to former Chelsea players about him. The verdict was emphatic. “I’m really looking forward to that,” he said. “I’ve watched his teams over the past couple of years and spoke to a few of the lads from Chelsea and they all rate him very highly. So, I’m really looking forward to getting to work with him.”

Maresca will like what he has got. Anderson drives forward with the ball, passes accurately, dribbles powerfully, and works hard without it. His ability to win duels and recover possession should make him a natural fit in a midfield that has seen Bernardo Silva and John Stones depart this summer. There is space, and there is opportunity.

“Yeah, 100%. I like to be intense when I play and use lots of energy around the pitch and get the fans going,” Anderson said. “So, I think that’ll be good.”

It should be. City's first pre-season game is against Inter Milan on 1st August. The season starts on 23rd August. Anderson looks ready to go.

Manchester United are closing in on two of City's most promising academy midfielders, with David Eze and Karim Cassim both understood to be nearing moves to Old Trafford's youth setup. The double departure, if completed, would represent a significant blow to the City Football Academy's recruitment efforts this summer.

Eze, a 16-year-old widely regarded as one of the most exciting midfielders of his generation in English football, has captained the England Under-16 side and featured regularly at Under-17 level. Born in Dublin and raised in Manchester from the age of six, he also retains strong Irish connections and is understood to be open to representing the Republic of Ireland internationally.

According to a new report, the move was driven by Eze himself rather than any decision on City's part. The club had placed considerable value on his development. Arsenal had submitted a formal offer in an attempt to convince him to move to north London, but the teenager has chosen the short journey across Manchester instead.

Eze cannot officially sign his first professional contract until he turns 17 in March 2027, meaning United's agreement will initially be structured around a scholarship arrangement before professional terms can be formalised — a timeline that mirrors the deal City recently agreed with Mishel Nduka when signing the midfielder from Arsenal under comparable circumstances.

Cassim, also a 16-year-old midfielder, is at an advanced stage in his agreement to join United's academy system. United have also completed the signing of Tynan Thompson from Tottenham and Cristian Orozco from elsewhere as part of a broader academy recruitment drive.

The double departure arrives just days after City confirmed the £10 million signing of Jeremy Monga from Leicester, underlining the competitive intensity of the English academy recruitment market. City had beaten Arsenal to the signatures of both Mishel Nduka and Jeremy Monga within the space of a fortnight earlier this summer.

Director of football Hugo Viana has spoken at length about the importance of the academy pipeline to City's long-term model. The task of ensuring that the players who remain — including Ryan McAidoo, Xavier Parker and the Samba brothers — are sufficiently supported to resist similar approaches will be one of the more consequential challenges facing the City Football Academy in the months ahead.

Thursday's Manchester City news cycle has a familiar shape to it. There are six stories doing the rounds — and Rodri accounts for half of them. The other three, whatever they are, will have to wait.

The day opened with reports from Spain that Real Madrid's interest in the midfielder has cooled at boardroom level. Florentino Pérez, we are told, is unconvinced. Cadena Ser, usually reliable on these matters, suggests there is no realistic prospect of a transfer.

That is about as definitive as these things ever get in July.

"Florentino Pérez unconvinced" — Cadena Ser suggesting there's no realistic prospect of a transfer

Which leaves City in a position that, for once, does not involve watching one of their best players agitate for a move. Bernardo Silva and John Stones have already left this summer. The squad is thinner than it was in May. Losing Rodri on top of that would have felt less like a rebuild and more like an evacuation.

For now, that evacuation has been called off. Whether the other three stories offer anything as straightforward remains to be seen. But on a day when Rodri takes up half the headlines, that feels like a win.

Manchester City are among five clubs who have reportedly indicated a willingness to meet RB Leipzig’s €100m (£85m) valuation for teenage winger Yan Diomande. According to German tabloid Bild, the Blues have “signalled” their readiness to pay the fee, placing themselves in the running should Paris Saint-Germain fail to strike a deal with the Bundesliga side.

Diomande, described as “fearless” in some quarters, has attracted attention from across Europe. PSG are currently leading the chase, but Bild claim that City, along with three other unnamed clubs, are waiting in the wings if talks collapse.

The 18-year-old has been at Leipzig since 2024, developing a reputation for direct, aggressive running on the wing. Whether Enzo Maresca sees him as an immediate first-team option or a longer-term project remains unclear, but the price tag suggests the club are serious about landing a player with considerable upside.

City have already seen Bernardo Silva and John Stones depart this summer, leaving gaps in both experience and flexibility across the squad. Diomande would not fill those specific profiles, but the club’s interest points toward further investment in young, high-ceiling talent.

No formal bid has been made. For now, City are watching. If PSG cannot get a deal done, expect the Blues to move quickly.