Manchester City

Manchester City are expected to unveil Enzo Maresca as their new head coach in the coming days.

City fan Dave Wilson told BBC Radio Manchester he was looking forward to the new boss "finally" arriving at the Etihad: "I think we all expected it the week after Pep [Guardiola] left, after they got out all of the Pep stuff. All the montages, farewell interviews and that type of stuff. So, it has been a little bit of a wait but yeah, I'm looking forward to him coming in."

BBC Sport reported on 8 June that City and Maresca's former side Chelsea had been in negotiations about a compensation package now understood to be well in excess of £10m.

Chelsea feel they are due compensation under the terms of Maresca's deal as the Italian was contracted to the club until 2029 before he left in January and the Blues had been exploring their legal options.

"£17m is a lot of money for a manager," Dave added.

"I can't remember somebody paying that much for a manager ever in football. I must admit though, it does surprise me that we spend millions and millions on players when managers are arguably just as important sometimes to a football club, so that is what it is and I'm looking forward to him coming in to get the season started."

Listen by pressing play above or on BBC Sounds here

Andy Cryer
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

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It is fast becoming a Golden Boot race for the ages.

Lionel Messi leads the way with five goals from two games. Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are second in the standings with four goals each.

This is only the second time in World Cup history where three players have scored four or more times after two matches - and the first since since 1954.

Anything one can do, the others can do better. It has that feel about it at the moment - and this is before England's Harry Kane has the chance to add to his opening-day double against Ghana on Tuesday.

Records have been falling from day one for the game's most feared forwards.

Messi now leading the all-time World Cup list has taken a lot of the headlines, and rightly so.

But he isn't the only one who has been setting records this tournament.

Mbappe now tops France's goalscoring charts, Haaland is Norway's leading World Cup scorer - after just two games - while Kane has equalled Gary Lineker's World Cup record for England.

And all of them will have their sights set on France's Just Fontaine's 1958 record of 13 goals scored in one tournament.

Only three players - Fontaine, Gerd Muller for Germany in 1970 and Hungary's Sandor Kocsis in 1954 - have ever hit double figures at a single World Cup.

It would not be a surprise if that select list has grown by the end of this tournament.

Read more on the Golden Boot race here

Shamoon Hafez
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City are closing in on the appointment of former Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca as manager on a three-year deal after reaching an agreement on compensation with their Premier League rivals.

City players who are not involved in World Cup action are expected to return for pre-season in mid-July.

But without Maresca being in place, any player potentially considering their future at the club has remained in limbo as they are yet to meet the new boss for talks.

Transfer business has continued in the background though and City have already had two bids rejected for Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson. They are expected to make another offer.

The chase for the England international will seemingly be done with Maresca's blessing as the club look to replace departing captain Bernardo Silva.

City Xtra, external's Freddie Pye told BBC Sport: "Given the absence of any pre-season training until next month, and even those activities being restricted to non-World Cup players, perhaps Maresca and City have not lost out on anything via a delayed announcement, with the Italian likely to be in close contact over planning for the new season.

"City have a compelling and desirable sales pitch to offer players these days, irrespective of the head coach - though not overlooking the allure of Guardiola. This is a winning project for players, a clear opportunity to win immediate silverware, unrivalled facilities and perhaps joining the start of an exciting new era.

"The futures of players may be a different story, as some may view the departure of Guardiola as the end of a career segment themselves, giving them little reason to remain if being part of the more successful seasons of late at the club."

Read more about Maresca being close to joining City here

Sam Drury
BBC Sport journalist

Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway booked their place in the last 32 of the World Cup with victory over Senegal in New Jersey.

After just two games in the competition, the Manchester City striker has now scored twice as many goals (four) as any other Norway player in World Cup history.

Haaland is clearly enjoying his first World Cup.

Rather than being weighed down by the pressure of spearheading his country's attack, he is thriving.

His exploits for Manchester City in recent years mean he is already a superstar of the sport, but the World Cup remains the grandest stage of all and Haaland is doing all he can to make his mark.

The 25-year-old was quiet for much of the first half but showed his quality with a superb cushioned pass to tee up Odegaard, who should have scored.

Haaland then had the chance to show his captain how it is done in front of goal when he dispossessed Senegal keeper Edouard Mendy - but the striker hit the post with the goal at his mercy.

That was soon forgotten as he rifled in his first goal early in the second half, the inevitable conclusion of a swift Norway counter-attack.

Normal service had been resumed and another clinical finish, on the volley with his weaker foot, looked to have put the result beyond doubt and ultimately proved decisive.

By the end, the only surprise was that Haaland had not completed a first World Cup hat-trick. But with at least two more games to play, there is still plenty of time for that.

Read more on Haaland's display here

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Jeremy Doku has made it clear - family comes first.

The Manchester City winger is due to become a father next month and says he wants to leave the Belgium camp to be at the birth, even if they are still at the World Cup.

L'Equipe channel presenter France Pierron criticised him, saying a father is "completely useless" at the time of their child's birth, which she said was a "disgusting moment".

In a statement, L'Equipe apologised and said Pierron's comments were "very far removed" from its values. The presenter also apologised, and reports in France said she would not present her show on Monday.

The reaction in football - and elsewhere - was united.

Doku played 86 minutes of Belgium's opening 1-1 draw with Egypt in Group G but missed their 0-0 draw against Iran because of illness.

His wife Shireen is due to give birth during the second week of July, which could mean her husband missing a quarter-final if Belgium have progressed that far.

"If you ask me what I want, my answer is that nobody wants to miss the birth of their first child," Doku, 24, told Reuters.

"But I also ​know that football ​involves many ⁠other considerations. I know the federation supports its players and understands their situations. We'll see what we ​can do."

England striker Ollie Watkins, who has two children, backed Doku.

"I think someone labelled it disgusting and I think for a start that's not a way to label a birth," he said. "I've seen what my wife had to go through and that was quite smooth sailing but I know family members and friends that haven't had it that way.

"It only happens once - welcoming your first child to the world - and it is a blessing. There's a lot of times where you're away from family and friends during the season and it's very difficult, so to miss that would be tough and I see where he's coming from."

The Professional Footballers' Association said demands placed on players should not be at the expense of "fundamental family moments".

"While every situation is different, we believe players should be supported in balancing their professional responsibilities with important life events," a PFA spokesperson said.

"Supporting players as people, not just athletes, is an important part of creating a healthy professional working environment."

The Fatherhood Institute, which supports men as hands-on fathers and caregivers, also backed Doku.

"It makes me think of gladiators in the Colosseum," deputy chief executive Jeremy Davies told BBC Sport.

"We want these men to be these heroic figures who exist for our entertainment. They get paid lots of money but there are some things that are worth a lot more."

Read more here

Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent

Erling Haaland had to wait until the age of 25 not just to make his World Cup debut, but his international tournament bow too.

And the Leeds-born striker is clearly eager to make up for lost time.

"He's the opposite of [Kylian] Mbappe and [Lionel] Messi," Ashley Williams said. "He'll beat you without the ball, which makes it even more dangerous.

"You want to help your midfield by squeezing up, so they don't have to cover too much distance.

"But as soon as you leave the space in behind, he's going to exploit that straight away."

One of the keys to limiting Haaland's influence, Williams says, is to prevent his team mates getting the ball to him.

"You've got to stop the balls in behind first and foremost," Williams said. "Stop the supply going into him.

"If you can play your distances between your midfield and limit his chances, you've got half a chance.

"There's not many times when he actually drops in, gets the ball, beats four players, and scores his own goal, so he does feed off what he's getting served."

Asked what is is like to deal with Haaland one-on-one, Williams said: "Around the box, you've got to get tight and try to get him on his right foot.

"Then you're just going to have to be as strong as you can, don't be clever, just get the ball away and buy time."

Read more here

Shamoon Hafez
Manchester City reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City have added two further friendly matches as part of a pre-season trip to South Korea.

City will face K-League All Stars on 5 August and La Liga side Atletico Madrid four days later, with both matches set to take place at the 66,700-capacity Seoul World Cup Stadium.

City had already announced a game against Inter Milan on 1 August in Hong Kong.

Peter Laundy, senior vice president of partnerships at the City Football Group, said the club received an "exceptional welcome" during their visit to Seoul in 2023 when they faced Atletico in a sell-out game.

City face Arsenal in the Community Shield on 16 August and begin their Premier League campaign with a home fixture against Bournemouth on 24 August.

Shamoon Hafez
Manchester City reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City continue to await the arrival of their new manager but forgotten defender Vitor Reis will be back in the building following his season-long loan spell in La Liga.

The Brazilian spent the 2025-26 campaign at City's sister club Girona and though they were agonisingly relegated on the final day of the season, the 20-year-old grew into one of their standout performers.

His time at Girona did not start particularly well, sent off in only his fifth game against Levante in September and he had to adapt to a new country, new team-mates and find consistency in his performances.

But Girona commentator Miquel Agut Riera told BBC Sport he improved game by game and things clicked by the end of November, and by the end of the season, he was one of the players who manager Michel "could rely on".

"If he plays for Manchester City next season, he has already faced the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona and was outstanding," Riera said.

"He improved a lot in physical terms. In the beginning he was not that consistent in the duels and that is what people told me before he arrived - he was skilful but not that strong.

"He became stronger in the duels and Girona played very offensive football so there were wide spaces in behind him, but he was always able to run quickly backwards towards his own goal as well as forwards.

"Once he became a physical player, he was almost unbeatable. He was one of the best defenders we have had at Girona in the past few seasons."

Reis will be given the opportunity to make an impression on City's trip to the Far East next month as he aims to nail down a first-team spot, but he may still end up going out on loan again should the current plan not work out.

"If Girona stayed up in La Liga, many fans will have hoped he could have spend a second season on loan at the club," Riera added. "After relegation, that is not possible."

Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

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England's attacking style in their opening World Cup win against Croatia in Dallas created a stir of excitement but still left head coach Thomas Tuchel with questions to ponder.

Tuchel's side looked vulnerable in defence, after he selected Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa ahead of Manchester City's Marc Guehi to partner John Stones.

England's World Cup campaign now moves to Boston, where they face Ghana on Tuesday, and where Tuchel must decide whether to stick or twist with his line-up.

His decision to pick Konsa while leaving out Guehi raised some eyebrows, but a glance at his team selections since succeeding Sir Gareth Southgate suggests this should not have been a surprise.

Konsa has started 10 of England's 15 games under Tuchel, while Guehi has only started seven - and it could also be noted that Tuchel was in charge at Chelsea when the 25-year-old was sold to Crystal Palace in July 2021.

Tuchel's confidence in 32-year-old Stones, who only started five Premier League games last season before leaving Manchester City, means it looks like a straight battle between Konsa and Guehi to line up alongside him.

"Why is the debate around Guehi for Konsa - and not for Stones?" former England striker Chris Sutton told BBC Sport. "I would have Guehi and Konsa because they are the best defenders.

"Don't get me wrong, I have huge respect for Stones' career, but you are talking about a guy who doesn't even have a club for next season yet.

"Konsa and Guehi have better attributes in terms of one-against-one situations than Stones, and there will be times in games when they will be isolated one-against-one against players of the highest class."

Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson believes Tuchel will make changes, but only because he can manage a strong squad and not because of any defensive concerns.

"This was an England team that played to their strengths for the first time in a long time, instead of defending their weaknesses," he said. "I like it.

"Six months ago it was Guehi and one other player, but Stones has got the trust of the manager. He is one of his leaders on the pitch. I don't have an issue with who Tuchel picks."

Read the full article here

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Manchester City begin life without Pep Guardiola by hosting Bournemouth on Sunday, 23 August in their opening game of the 2026-27 Premier League season.

City face champions Arsenal in the Community Shield the week before, but face a tough start against the Cherries, who ended last term with a remarkable 18-game unbeaten run.

Eyes then turned to when they come up against rivals Manchester United, with those two matches scheduled to take place in September at Old Trafford and March at Etihad Stadium, while they face the Gunners in November (a) and January (h).

Should Enzo Maresca take charge as expected, he will face his former club Chelsea away in December and then at home in April, while City are scheduled to travel to Newcastle United on Boxing Day.

City pushed Arsenal all the way in the title race last season but have a tough-looking run-in this time around, hosting Champions League qualified Liverpool and Aston Villa in May.

They also have a long trip to Ipswich Town in the final month of the campaign, rounding off the season by travelling up north to face Sunderland, who have qualified for the Europa League.

Yes, all teams play the same amount of games home and away against each other, but the fixtures could have fallen more kindly for City in the latter part of the season.

Check out City's full fixture list here

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The opening day of the season at the Etihad will see a fresh era begin at both Manchester City and Bournemouth.

Marco Rose will take charge of his first competitive game for the Cherries, but will it be Enzo Maresca in the dugout for City?

City have welcomed fixtures against Bournemouth, and they have won all nine of their Premier League home games against the Cherries by an aggregate score of 34-6.

Unfortunately for Rose, none of the four previous managers who have faced City in their first Premier League game have picked up three points.

Bournemouth have won their opening game in just two out of nine Premier League campaigns (D3 L4), beating Cardiff City in 2018-19 and Aston Villa in 2022-23.

• Read more on the matches and rule changes for 2026-27

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Manchester City will kick off their 2026-27 Premier League campaign with a home game against Bournemouth.

The match will take place on Sunday, 23 August at 14:00 BST, with City's first away fixture against Crystal Palace on the weekend of 29-30 August.

City face Newcastle United (A), Everton (A), Tottenham (H) and Leeds United (A) over the Christmas and New Year period.

And they end their league season against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, 30 May, when all games will kick off at the same time.

See City's Premier League fixtures in full here

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We asked you which players you have watched at the World Cup that you think would be a great fit at Manchester City.

Here are a couple of your ideas:

Phillip: Julian Alverez back at any cost! Anyone knows he's the business we can get him in the team every week now Bernardo Silva has gone. Cannot believe Bernardo wasn't offered a new contract at 31. It's astonishing. Daniel Munoz from Palace is great at defending and also gets right amongst the goals.

Dave: Elliot Anderson for Yaya-esque midfield power. Nathaniel Brown for speed at left-back. We are good everywhere else, thanks.

Spotted someone you want for Man City? Let us know who and why he'd fit

BBC Radio Manchester has been talking to fans to get their reaction to Josko Gvardiol signing a new deal which will keep him at Manchester City until 2031.

Kieran from Dukinfield is delighted by the news, describing it as "massive".

"I was gutted by rumours of him going. He's been superb for City and doesn't always get the credit he deserves," he added.

"He's one of the best young defenders in world football. He can play left-back and centre-back, he's quick, strong and powerful, and he scores goal. That's why the biggest teams in Europe wanted him.

"Of course, money will talk and City won't be offering him pennies, but it's refreshing to see him stay at City instead of going to a team like Real Madrid or Barcelona, especially after Pep Guardiola left.

"We're buzzing to have him at City. He's a young lad and is only going to get better. A lot of our defence are ageing. Khusanov, Guehi and Gvardiol are the future."

Hit play above to hear the whole chat with supporters, or listen on BBC Sounds here

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Lazio and Feyenoord are both monitoring the future of Manchester City's 20-year-old English midfielder Charlie Gray. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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As England get ready to kick their World Cup campaign off against Croatia at 21:00 BST on Wednesday, BBC Radio Manchester has been looking at 21-year-old Nico O'Reilly's meteoric rise to Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions squad this summer as part of BBC Local radio's Homegrown Heroes series.

Listen on BBC Sounds here or by pressing play above

Find more from the Homegrown Heroes series on BBC Sounds

Norway kicked off their World Cup campaign on Tuesday with a 4-1 victory over Iraq and Manchester City's number nine was at the forefront once again.

Erling Haaland scored twice on his World Cup debut to help Norway overcome a spirited Iraq in their opening Group I game at Boston Stadium.

The 25-year-old took his tally to 57 goals in 51 appearances for his country as they made their World Cup return after 28 years and you can catch all the highlights by clicking play above.