Echeverri completes loan move to Bayer Leverkusenpublished at 15:16 21 August
15:16 21 August
Shamoon Hafez Manchester City reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Manchester City midfielder Claudio Echeverri has joined Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen on a season-long loan deal.
The Argentine teenager, 19, made three appearances for City last season, including his debut as a substitute in the FA Cup final defeat by Crystal Palace.
He scored his first City goal in the 6-0 thrashing of UAE side Al-Ain at the Club World Cup in June.
City signed Echeverri from River Plate for £12.5m in January 2024, but the player will now continue his development in Germany under ex-Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.
"It's fantastic for me to take the next steps with the 2024 champions of Germany now in the Bundesliga and the Champions League," said Echeverri, who will wear the number nine shirt.
"I want to get a lot of minutes on the pitch and develop into an even better player week by week. A lot of young players have made it to the top of the game here at Bayer Leverkusen.
"I want to take that path in the coming season and play my part in helping Bayer achieve great things."
City in Lewis contract talkspublished at 14:28 20 August
14:28 20 August
Manchester City are in talks over a new five-year contract with defender Rico Lewis.
The 20-year-old has been the subject of interest from Nottingham Forest in this transfer window.
Lewis was given a surprise start in Saturday's opening Premier League game at Wolves and impressed by providing an assist in the 4-0 victory.
"For me, I've never ever seen myself at a different club," Lewis said after the game. "I've always wanted to play for City.
"It's my dream club, and like you see today, when I'm playing with the kind of players that I'm playing with, it brings out the best in me, so I'm so happy."
Manager Pep Guardiola added: "I think he is going to stay. He told me that."
Trafford scoops PFA awardpublished at 11:57 20 August
11:57 20 August
Shamoon Hafez Manchester City reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford claimed the Championship Player of the Year prize at the PFA awards in Manchester on Tuesday night.
The 22-year-old collected the award after helping Burnley to promotion last season, amassing an incredible 29 clean sheets in 45 matches and conceding only 16 goals.
Trafford was also named in the Championship team of the year for his outstanding campaign at Turf Moor.
"I'm very proud to collect these awards and of what we achieved last season," he said. "We consistently put in really good defensive performances and it was great to have been a part of that.
"I loved my time at Burnley and improved massively as a goalkeeper and as a person. I am hoping to take all that into the new season now with Manchester City and looking forward to continuing my footballing journey."
Gossip: City want £70m for Savinhopublished at 07:58 20 August
07:58 20 August
With Manchester City demanding £70m for Savinho, Tottenham have targeted Monaco's £47.5m-rated French attacking midfielder Maghnes Akliouche, 23, as a cheaper alternative. (Independent, external)
Further Man City outgoings before deadline day?published at 16:46 19 August
16:46 19 August
Shamoon Hafez Manchester City reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Last week, City boss Pep Guardiola reiterated the need for a smaller squad saying leaving players out is "not healthy" and that he "cannot create a good atmosphere to compete".
Tottenham have been in talks to sign winger Savinho, but sources have told BBC Sport that City don't want to sell the Brazilian unless they receive a fee worth considering.
Goalkeeper Ederson has been heavily linked with a move to Galatasaray and the 32-year-old missed the opening game victory over Wolves because of illness.
It is understood the Turkish champions have also reached out to City expressing an interest in signing defender Manuel Akanji.
However, a sale would only be sanctioned if the offer is right and the 30-year-old Swiss international indicates a desire to leave Etihad Stadium.
Championship side Wrexham have agreed a deal worth up to £8m to sign City defender Callum Doyle.
The transfer window closes on Monday 1 September at 19:00 BST.
Reijnders - Man City's make or break starpublished at 16:06 19 August
16:06 19 August
Freddie Pye Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
It wouldn't be a Premier League opening weekend without somewhat of a reactionary take on your favourite club, would it? So here goes: In Tijjani Reijnders, Manchester City have a player who could make or break their entire season.
It's much simpler than it sounds, but the 27-year-old's showing at Molineux epitomised exactly what this new iteration of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City squad exudes - pace, threat on transition, versatility, goals from across the pitch, and retaining ball possession as quickly as possible.
Reijnders brought dynamism back to the Manchester City midfield, and it was his ability to drive through the pitch from deep, whilst retaining a remarkable control of the ball in tight spaces despite his imposing physical figure, that played a significant role in Pep Guardiola's side scoring the goals that they did.
And that's before you even consider the former AC Milan man's composure in making the right decision at the right time, and also adapting to fast-moving scenarios in the way that he did to loft the ball over the Wolves' defence to find Rico Lewis, who in turn slotted the ball across to Erling Haaland for City's opener.
Now for a tough truth. Reijnders must stay fit, and Reijnders must start all of Manchester City's crunch matches this season. Could we be facing a very early realisation of a 'Rodri situation', whereby should the Netherlands star succumb to an unfortunate absence, Guardiola's new-look side could be somewhat derailed?
Perhaps Pep Guardiola and his coaching staff, supported by Pep Lijnders, will be more aware of the tactical versatility in this new-look City squad, and perhaps there are further iterations with different personnel to offer variety in how they play. But for now, the early belief is that Reijnders is a real midfield dynamo, and one that could play an enormous role in Manchester City going all the way, and not just in the Premier League.
Liverpool fans may argue that their team took their foot off the gas for the final four games of last season after winning the title, but City have still taken a point more having played a game fewer.
Rodri's season-ending injury last September clearly derailed their Premier League campaign but, rather than simply awaiting his return, Pep Guardiola has found a solution without him and the former champions have been getting back on track since the start of the year.
The graph below is City's 'non-penalty expected goal difference per game' since the start of last season, which tells us how much a team dominates their games by creating lots of good chances and limiting their opponents to few, bad ones.
It is the X-ray stat - the one that shows how good teams are before hot finishing streaks and the rub of the green come into play.
As we can see, Guardiola's side are now almost dominating games to the level that they were before Rodri's injury, so anyone writing them off does so at their peril.
It seemed reasonable to assume that City would only return to being the dominant force they were once the Ballon d'Or winner himself returned. But, given that only Liverpool have dominated their games more since the start of the year, we may be wrong in that assumption.
Lewis wants to stay at 'dream club' Man Citypublished at 11:48 19 August
11:48 19 August
Shamoon Hafez Manchester City reporter
Image source, Getty Images
There has been speculation in recent weeks about Manchester City full-back Rico Lewis, who has been heavily linked with a move to Nottingham Forest.
Sources have told BBC Sport Forest have been looking to sign the Englishman this summer, with a reported fee of £30m being mooted.
But the 20-year-old started City's impressive opening game of the season victory at Wolves on Saturday and spoke about his future afterwards.
"For me, I've never ever seen myself at a different club," he said. "I've always wanted to play for City.
"It's my dream club, and like you see today, when I'm playing with the kind of players that I'm playing with, it brings out the best in me, so I'm so happy."
Boss Pep Guardiola added: "I think he is going to stay. He told me that. But maybe tomorrow it changes."
'It doesn't get much better in terms of debuts'published at 09:25 19 August
09:25 19 August
Media caption,
BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club panel were all impressed by Tijjani Reijnders' "unbelievable" Premier League debut against Wolves in which he scored one and provided an assist.
Following the departure of Kevin de Bruyne this summer, there has been a lot of talk around how Pep Guardiola fills their 'Kev-shaped hole,' but any existing worries have probably now been put to bed because of Reijnders' potential.
"He's still got a long way to go before we put him in the same league as De Bruyne," said former top-flight striker Sutton. "They are not like-for-like players, but it is about making an impact and he certainly did that.
"The reverse pass for Erling Haaland, when he scored his second, was clever and a typical City move.
"All afternoon he was a threat. It doesn't get much better in terms of debuts so I think City fans have a lot to be excited about with him."
Ederson was top shot-stopper last seasonpublished at 08:59 19 August
08:59 19 August
Chris Collinson BBC Sport statistician
Image source, Getty Images
Considering Manchester City conceded 44 goals in the Premier League last season - the most in a season since 2009-10 - it would be reasonable to think that Ederson himself didn't have a great campaign in terms of shot-stopping.
His save percentage would certainly suggest that, ranking 13th out of the 26 goalkeepers that played at least 10 games in 2024-25.
Image caption,
Note - Flekken and Sels' high save percentage numbers were helped by the fact they had the 'easiest' shots to save on average
But judging a keeper's shot-stopping purely by his save percentage doesn't take into account the quality of shots that he specifically faced, since not all shots are equal.
It's a bit like being a judge at a cooking contest and not considering the quality of ingredients each chef is working with when deciding who made the tastiest meal (this is also why 'shot conversion rate' doesn't tell us who's the best finisher).
The reason why that is so important for Ederson in particular is because although he had one of the quietest shifts in goal last season since City didn't give up many chances, he had the toughest in terms of shot-stopping as the former champions gave up higher-quality shots than any other team in the league.
When taking that into account, only Jordan Pickford of Everton was a better shot-stopper than Ederson in the Premier League last season, with the Brazilian preventing five goals more than expected from hitting the back of the net.
City 'have talent all over the pitch once again'published at 09:31 18 August
09:31 18 August
Image source, Getty Images
Former Premier League goalkeeper David James says Manchester City should make a credible challenge for the title this season as they look "fantastic" again.
Pep Guardiola's men dismantled a shaky-looking Wolves side to kick off the new season with three points that left them top of the league after the first weekend.
"Signing James Trafford was a massive statement," said James on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast. "I figured he would get in at some point and then it would be difficult for Ederson, but he has already done it.
"City did look fantastic. The one player who impressed me the most was Oscar Bobb. He has come back looks scarily good.
"They were against a poor Wolves side, but they showed they have talent all over the pitch once again.
"I want the final weeks of the Premier League title race to be a mad melee again between Liverpool, Manchester City and others, and I think we have the ingredients for that to happen again this season."
RB Leipzig and Netherlands attacking midfielder Xavi Simons, 22, has told his club he wants a transfer to Chelsea, despite interest from City and Bayern Munich. (ESPN), external
Wolves 0-4 Man City - the fans' verdictpublished at 18:24 17 August
18:24 17 August
Media caption,
We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Wolves and Manchester City.
Here are some of your comments:
Wolves fans
Patrick: Would like to see more energy and combat. City were a class above but need to battle more. A couple of the right signings and we'll be fine.
John: Four chances, four goals. You cannot make the mistakes Wolves made against a City side who physically and technically are much stronger. I expected the defeat but 4-0 is not a fair reflection, and had we taken chances it would have been closer. Need three more signings as lacking depth. Not sure about Wolfe - looked out of his depth. I thought Jhon Arias was lively in the 20 minutes he played. No need to panic yet.
Dan: One game gone and I'm worried. Our gameplan is to defend deep and hit on the break. But once Manchester City got their first we fell to pieces. City were not at their best but they easily cut us apart when needed. We also lack quality up front. Marshall Munetsi would run through a brick wall for the team, but he's not a forward. Unless Arias or Lopez turn out to be gems quickly, then we will need proven quality in the door ASAP or we're toast.
James: We huffed and puffed but came up short - what you would expect from a newly promoted team. This is our eighth season since promotion, however. The squad has been fatally weakened by the owners, and we simply don't have the quality to compete. Fosun should hang its head in shame because already we are in a relegation battle. When you sell your key assets and don't replace them, that is simply inevitable. Endeavour is not enough.
David: Forget about the match, which was irrelevant. The main thing was for the club and fans to pay their respects and share their love for Diogo Jota and his family. Thanks to everyone who got involved in what was a magnificent tribute to a fantastic player and person. No-one could have done it better. A massive well done to the club, the fans and the city of Wolverhampton for showing Diogo's family what he means to us all. RIP, Diogo - once a Wolf always a Wolf!
Man City fans
Roy: Good all-round team performance with bags of effort. Add this to the class of Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki, it could be something special for the future.
Brian: City were in free-flow on Saturday. A game of open and committed football, with use of the ball key and players driving forward with it. The keep-ball has gone and now City play football. Wonderful to watch. Exciting and energetic. This can only get better and playing out from the back was more comfortable and confident. This team has found their mojo.
Alan: City looking back to their best! A really great display with all the debutants contributing massively. Some early nerves as the back line adjusted, but once they clicked it was a very efficient machine. A great start!
Gene: The standout performance of Reijnders, and the surprise starts for Stones and Bobb - at least for me - were worth the watch alone. I saw Reijnders play often over the past few years and knew his quality - a great signing. It will take some time for the team to gel, but a good start. Hopefully the defence can play more effectively this season and avoid too many injuries. Lewis played well - the right-back position needs sorting and I wonder whether he is the answer. A good performance against a mid-table team. We shall see what happens against stiffer competition.
Chris: A slow and shaky first 30 minutes. Looked a bit ring-rusty for a while. However, they clicked on 34 minutes and never really looked troubled by Wolves. Reijnders looks world class and, considering the players who were out, we look as if we can really challenge for titles again this season.
Guardiola has 'no info' on Ederson futurepublished at 12:58 17 August
12:58 17 August
Shamoon Hafez Manchester City reporter
Image source, Getty Images
James Trafford was another debutant to stand out against Wolves on Saturday, alongside Tijjani Reijnders, keeping a clean sheet following his return from Burnley in the summer.
The 22-year-old Englishman started in goal after Ederson missed the game because of illness and made a total of three saves in an assured performance.
The Brazilian has entered the final year of his contract at Etihad Stadium and has been heavily linked with a move to Turkish giants Galatasaray.
"I don't have info," Guardiola said of Ederson's future. "Yesterday I saw his illness, gastroenteritis, and after I didn't speak to the club.
"If the player wants to leave he has to leave, but on the conditions of the club.
"There is no sense if he is not happy here but the final decision and the way to make the deal belongs 100% to the club, so I don't know what will happen in the next two weeks."
Guardiola did admit though his main priority was now on thinning his squad.
He said: "It's too much - too many people. I like a deep squad to compete in all competitions but I don't want to leave players at home. It's not healthy. You cannot create a good vibe or atmosphere to compete.
"Everyone has to feel they can play and help. The club has known it since last season, it's not news, but the situation is what it is.
"In the next two weeks, people will talk with players and agents to find a solution."
Why Reijnders will be 'an absolute nightmare' for Man City rivalspublished at 12:34 17 August
12:34 17 August
Shamoon Hafez Manchester City reporter
Media caption,
Manchester City fans have a new hero to adore in the shape of Tijjani Reijnders.
The 27-year-old Dutchman delivered an all-action performance on Saturday, contributing a goal and an assist, as City showed they mean business by thrashing Wolves away at Molineux.
Reijnders is only the second City player to both score and provide a goal on his Premier League debut, after Sergio Aguero, and if he achieves even half of what the Argentina striker did, he will be a sure-fire hit for the club.
Former England striker Alan Shearer told BBC Match of the Day: "He was sensational, it was almost the perfect midfield performance. It was incredible. He controlled the game at his pace.
"He is an absolute nightmare to play against because he is always on the move.
"The way he ran was a key part for Manchester City, he just kept going and going and Wolves didn't have the answer. He was brilliant at it, they couldn't cope with him."
Watch Premier League highlights and analysispublished at 11:31 17 August
11:31 17 August
Pundits Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Saturday's opening Premier League fixtures.
Image source, Getty Images
