Manchester City

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Standing between England and a second World Cup final appearance is Lionel Messi's Argentina, and Manchester City's Nico O'Reilly is relishing the "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to face the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner.

It will be the first time Messi has faced England and, at 39, it could be the last. O'Reilly has never faced him at club level either.

"I can't wait for the challenge," the 21-year-old, who will probably have to defend against Messi one-on-one if he starts at left-back, told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"He's coming towards the end of his career. He's the best player to ever touch a football pitch."

Messi began the tournament with a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria as he became the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer, equalling Miroslav Klose's record of 16, which had stood since 2014.

The Argentina captain has since scored five more to take that record - his total of eight goals putting him alongside France's Kylian Mbappe at the top of the Golden Boot race.

The winner of Wednesday's semi-final will face either France or Spain - who play each other on at 20:00 BST on Tuesday - in the World Cup final at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday (20:00).

Hit play below to hear more from O'Reilly or listen on BBC Sounds here

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Barcelona are open to selling Spain forward Ferran Torres, 26, to avoid having to pay his former club Manchester City about £7m if they extend his contract. (Athletic - subscription required), external

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When the World Cup ends, regardless of who wins, we'll still have loads of great content every day as we build up to the new Premier League season.

We're already working on some exciting new things for 2026-27.

As well as all the fallout and reaction to the tournament, we'll quickly shift back towards club football, with pre-season coverage and all the latest transfer gossip and stories.

BBC Sport and teams across BBC Nations and Regions cover all 20 Premier League sides and we have dedicated club reporters, who will be travelling to bring you behind-the-scenes insights from pre-season tours.

We'll also have live pages for selected pre-season matches, as well as in-depth features and storytelling, giving you the latest updates before the new campaign.

Once the World Cup ends, some of the standout players will be hot property in the transfer market, with top clubs chasing their signatures.

Our reporters, including senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel, will be breaking the big transfer stories on our website and app.

We'll also have our daily transfer gossip column, wrapping up all the rumours from across the football world.

For fans of World Cup Predictor, a new weekly game will be launching immediately after the tournament, with five fixtures a week to predict the outcomes of. You'll be able to build up your streaks and share your results with friends and family.

Our quizzes will also continue to be available to play so you can test your knowledge of the beautiful game.

Our new Shorts tab in the BBC Sport app will be the home of sport videos with content throughout the week from your club, including explainers, pundit analysis, interviews and behind-the-scenes content. We'll also be starting to include more reaction from fans so you can see the latest hot takes and debate the biggest talking points from your club.

Live pages are going to get bigger and better with more interactive elements, more conversation and improved functionality. They'll have BBC Radio 5 Live audio commentaries for the Premier League and Champions League, as well as live video for FA Cup.

Remember, the best way to get all of this content is to download the BBC Sport app and follow your favourite teams and sports using the My Sport tab.

Once you've set this up, you'll have quick access to those pages at the top of your Home tab and we'll be able to serve you better, more personalised, experiences in future.

And when following your Premier League team, from the start of the 2026-27 season you'll also get Live Notifications, which give you score updates directly on your phone's lock screen during a match.

Read more about what content you can expect here

Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United are both interested in Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush. (Teamtalk), external

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Pre-season is just around the corner and the Premier League returns in less than 50 days.

Here is Manchester City's pre-season schedule - with kick-off times in BST.

• 1 August v Inter Milan (Hong Kong) - 12:30

• 5 August v K-League All Stars (Seoul) - 12:00

• 9 August v Atletico Madrid (Seoul) - 12:00

• 16 August Community Shield v Arsenal (Cardiff) - 15:00

Which players, including young prospects from the academy, are you most looking forward to seeing in action?

Let us know here

Shamoon Hafez
Manchester City reporter

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Manchester City announced the £3m signing of goalkeeper Pierce Charles from Sheffield Wednesday before immediately sending him out on a season-long loan to Championship club Queens Park Rangers.

The 20-year-old has signed a five-year deal and returns to City having come through the academy at the club before joining Wednesday in 2021.

Charles made 36 senior appearances for the Owls and has also won 12 caps for Northern Ireland.

The deal is seen as a long-term signing and City sources have said Charles has been brought back as he fits in with the club's style of play in being a ball-playing goalkeeper.

The plan is for him to focus on his spell at QPR for the forthcoming season in order to develop and City will assess his progress next summer.

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On this day in 2018, Manchester City broke their transfer record and spent £60m to sign a 27-year-old Riyad Mahrez from Leicester.

Mahrez, who the Foxes initially signed for just £400,000 from Le Havre in 2014, had experienced a meteoric rise and was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year during Leicester's surprise Premier League triumph in 2015-16.

At the time, he said City's style of play is "perfect" for him and he wanted to be part of a club which is "redefining the English game".

Pep Guardiola was fresh off his first Premier League title win in his second season in charge and Mahrez added: "Pep Guardiola is committed to playing attacking football, and City's performances last season were outstanding.

"I think we can be successful over the coming years and I believe my own game can develop under Pep's management."

The success that followed for both club and player was phenomenal.

Despite starting just 14 league games in his opening campaign, Mahrez insisted he would "stay strong" and fight for his place and future at the club.

City retained the title and won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup to secure a domestic Treble. What followed in the next four years was three more Premier League titles, two more Carabao Cups, another FA Cup and the Champions League.

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The Algerian winger scored 78 goals and registered 59 assists across 236 appearances in all competitions for City. While often not being a guaranteed starter as Guardiola rotated his vast attacking options and favoured different players for different stages of seasons, Mahrez never dropped below 27 Premier League appearances in each of five seasons at the club and never dropped below 15 league goal involvements after his mixed debut campaign.

His feathery first touch, signature silky, slaloming dribbling style and cultured left foot made him a fan favourite across his time in Manchester, during which time he also captained Algeria to Africa Cup of Nations glory for only the second time.

Algeria's round of 32 exit at the 2026 World Cup marked Mahrez's retirement from international football but he continues to figure prominently for Saudi side Al-Ahli who he joined on his departure from City in 2023.

He left a Treble winner with Guardiola saying: "He is one of the guys in my career who I saw who enjoyed the most. Incredible skills and technical ability.

"I enjoyed as a manager to be with him. I had a special relationship with him."

Shamoon Hafez
Manchester City reporter

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While at Coventry City at the age of 11, Jeremy Monga undertook specialist one-to-one coaching sessions in a programme that has hosted players from numerous academies around the country all the way up to the Premier League.

"Initially, Jeremy was quite a reserved character, but he goes about himself in the correct way," Callum Powell of CP Coaching Academy tells BBC Sport.

"He conducts himself well and he is very polite and well mannered. He brought a good energy but not one that was loud, boisterous or in your face.

"He gets his head down and works hard. When he is on the ball, he is not shy to showcase himself."

So even at that age, what did Powell notice were his strongest skills?

"His ability to manipulate the ball and his dribbling ability are his main traits but the most exciting thing about Jeremy when you are watching him is the ability to react and beat opposition players," Powell added.

"His footwork, agility and technical ability is superior from most players of his age. This is why he has attracted the interest he has. The way he shifts while at high speed is quite a rare trait to possess."

Alongside his coaching, Powell plays in the lower leagues of the English pyramid and says Monga's attitude resembles similarities to an England striker who is currently at the World Cup.

"I grew up and played with Ivan Toney while at Northampton, coming through the academy and into the scholars," said Powell.

"You look at him and see he has great technical ability but you would never have forecasted what he has gone on to achieve.

"Jeremy is similar to Ivan, the mentality is just different to others. He is not fazed, he doesn't feel the pressure, in fact he is motivated by the pressure. That is the biggest things.

"Working with professionals and the most talented youngsters, the main thing that sets them apart is their mentality and mindset and you can see Jeremy has that in abundance.

"It is down to Jeremy to put in the performances and work to get to where he needs to but I have no doubt that he will go on to achieve great things there and it is an unbelievable move for him."

• Manchester City have agreed £12.5m deal to sign Monga from Leicester City

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Plenty of players have made names for themselves at this World Cup, from goalkeepers like Cape Verde's Vozinha and Paraguay's Orlando Gill to New Zealand midfielder Elijah Just.

But though they might not have been familiar to fans, the extent of modern scouting means clubs all over the world will already have known about many of them – so how have their heroics at the tournament affected their standing in the game, and their value in the transfer market?

More than the Score's Mani Djazmi is joined Ben Littlemore from Transfermarkt, one of the world's foremost football databases. Lutz Pfannenstiel, sporting director at Aberdeen, also shares his footballing knowledge in today's episode.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Manchester City have re-signed 20-year-old goalkeeper Pierce Charles from Sheffield Wednesday.

The Northern Ireland international, who has signed a five-year contract, will head straight to Championship side Queens Park Rangers on a season-long loan.

City have paid £3m fee plus add-ons for Charles, who joined Sheffield Wednesday in 2021 after progressing through the academy at City.

Charles told club media: "To be back at Manchester City is a very special and proud moment both for me and my family.

"I know first-hand what a special club City is and I am so excited about looking to the future.

"City take the development of young players very seriously so I know that my loan to QPR will only help me grow and improve as a player too.

"I'll now give everything I can for a successful season in the Championship before hopefully returning to Manchester a better goalkeeper."

Nottingham Forest have spoken to Feyenoord about Netherlands Under-21s right-back Givairo Read, 20, who is also on Manchester City's radar. (Mail, external)

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

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Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

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Manchester City defender Marc Guehi's absence from England training on Wednesday was precautionary and he is expected to be fit for Saturday's World Cup quarter-final against Norway.

The centre-back raised concerns over his availability for the game in Miami after he was confirmed as one of four players - Jordan Henderson, Declan Rice and Reece James the others - who did not train in the squad's first session since Sunday's win over Mexico.

It is understood Guehi's absence was because of muscular fatigue, but the issue is not thought to be serious.

Arsenal midfielder Rice's absence is linked to the neural hamstring lower back problem that has hampered him throughout the tournament.

But, like Guehi, the vice-captain is expected to be fit to face Norway.

There also remains hope that Chelsea right-back James, who suffered a hamstring injury in the goalless draw with Ghana on 23 June, will be available.

Hear from Erling Haaland, Nico O'Reilly and Rodri as BBC Radio Manchester's Mark Crossley has the latest Manchester City news from the World Cup.

Click play below or listen on BBC Sounds here

Shamoon Hafez
Manchester City reporter

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Manchester City have confirmed the coaches that will join the club as part of Enzo Maresca's backroom team, with all having previously worked with the Italian.

Maresca signed a three-year contract to replace Pep Guardiola and compatriot Roberto Vitiello will become his new assistant manager.

The 43-year-old started his career at Parma and played for Cesena, Vicenza, Rimini, Siena and at Palermo along with Maresca.

Willy Caballero joins as a first-team coach and returns to City, where he made 48 appearances as a goalkeeper and helped them win the 2013-14 League Cup with some penalty shootout heroics.

The Argentine is a former team-mate of Maresca from when they played for Malaga under ex-City boss Manuel Pellegrini.

Fellow first-team coach Walker is another returning to the Etihad - having worked in the academy with Maresca before joining him at Leicester and Chelsea - while Denis Silva will also hold a similar role.

Michele de Bernardin will be the new head of goalkeeping, Marcos Alvarez has been appointed as fitness coach and Javier Molina is the new analyst.

Set-piece coach James French and goalkeeping coach Richard Wright will continue in the roles they held last season.

Barcelona are competing with a host of Premier League clubs, including Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United for Colorado Rapids and Australia defender Lucas Herrington, 18. (Teamtalk), external

City, Arsenal and Liverpool are all chasing 18-year-old Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who is starring in the World Cup for Morocco. (Football Insider), external

Meanwhile, Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is considering Manchester City's Ruben Dias as he looks to add physicality to his side's defence. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

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

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In the final part of Wednesday's Q&A, Manchester City Shamoon Hafez focuses on who might be in Enzo Maresca's starting XI and if much will change overall all under the new boss.

Youssef asked: Apart from Elliott Anderson in place of Bernardo Silva, do you think Maresca will stick to Pep Guardiola's usual starting XI of Donnarumma, Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O'Reilly, Rodri, Silva, Cherki, Semenyo, Doku, Haaland?

Shamoon: City are in the market for a new right-back so could Matheus Nunes become Malo Gusto? Will Abdukodir Khusanov keep his place in the side or will Maresca opt for the experience of Ruben Dias or Josko Gvardiol?

Reports say Rodri might miss the start of the season to have surgery after the World Cup, so could that be Ayyoub Bouaddi, who City are very interested in signing?

The remainder of the team picks itself. Those players have nailed down their places in the squad and are likely to do so again in the new season.

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Neil asked: Do you think much will change under new manager Maresca?

Shamoon: Why would he need to? Maresca's message to the troops will probably be, "carry on what you were all doing under Guardiola and we will be successful".

When the deal to appoint him was made official, City sources told me Maresca was brought in to "continue Pep's legacy" as someone who has a similar style of play and knows the club having worked there previously.

Obviously Maresca needs to put his own stamp on the club, but he is unlikely to rip up the script and start it all over again.

Scroll down to read the first two parts of Shamoon's Q&A.

And remember, this is your Manchester City page so bookmark it, or if you're on the BBC Sport app or signed in on a browser, hit 'Follow' to add it to your MySport and get more news, analysis, stats and fan views - and also select the bell icon tin the app o sign up for club notifications.

Exactly 10 years on from his appointment as manager at Etihad Stadium, BBC Radio Manchester's Mark Crossley has the story of Pep Guardiola's incredible decade in charge.

Crossley said on Guardiola: "It's been a decade of dominance for Manchester City and what a ride it's been.

"The trophies may gather dust, but the memories won't. For 10 years, Manchester City belonged to Pep Guardiola. A trailblazer, a history-maker, a record-breaker. His era will never be forgotten."

Crossley follows Guardiola's journey in charge from his first appointment on 8 July 2016 to his departure from the club on 24 May 24 2026.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here

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In the second part of Wednesday's special Q&A, Manchester City reporter Shamoon Hafez focuses on defensive frailties and what Enzo Maresca may look at doing to make them more solid for the 2026-27 season.

Jeff asked: City have three defenders playing well for England - Marc Guehi, John Stones and Nico O'Reilly - yet, last season our defence always seemed vulnerable. Why is that and will Maresca sort them out when perhaps Pep Guardiola didn't?

Shamoon: City's defence may have seemed vulnerable but they did end the season by conceding the second-fewest number of goals in the Premier League - 35 in 38 games. However, this was eight more than the Arsenal side that won the title.

Guardiola settled on Guehi and Abdukodir Khusanov after January and the pair formed a good understanding whereby the Englishman, for most parts, was the calming presence and the Uzbek went in fully committed to every tackle he made.

Maresca will have the option of Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol, plus Vitor Reis has returned from his loan at Girona. However, Nathan Ake has been sold to Fenerbahce and John Stones' contract was not renewed, so could he dip into the market to bring in another experienced centre-back?

Come back to this page later on Wednesday for the final part of the Q&A, which will look at who might be in Maresca's starting XI and what overall changes - if any - City's new boss could make.