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Four players quit Man City in summer exodus as £550k freed up and £116m transfer agreed

Manchester City are poised to cut more than half a million pounds from their weekly wage bill as four players officially depart the club today. Former first-team mainstays John Stones and Bernardo Silva lead the exits, with the experienced pair leaving the Etihad Stadium on July 1 following the expiry of their contracts. Both players confirmed their departures before the season's end, giving City fans the chance to deliver an emotional send-off after the final Premier League match of the 2025-26 campaign against Aston Villa . Stones joined from Everton in 2016 in a £47.5million deal, making him the second-most expensive defender in football history at the time. FOLLOW OUR MAN CITY FB PAGE! Follow our Manchester City Mirror Football Facebook page The elegant centre-half went on to more than vindicate that outlay, racking up 295 appearances under Pep Guardiola during a medal-filled decade that brought six Premier League titles, the Champions League , Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, two FA Cups and five Carabao Cups. Silva followed him to Manchester 12 months later and swiftly won over supporters, netting 76 goals in 460 outings as he became integral to the most glorious period in City's history. Both players are currently representing their nations at the FIFA World Cup in North America – though their club futures look set to diverge dramatically. Silva has already put pen to paper on a two-year deal with Real Madrid and officially joins the Spanish giants today. Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox by signing up to our Make Football Great Again newsletter now! Stones' next destination remains far less clear, with the 32-year-old opting to keep his focus firmly on England's World Cup campaign before turning his attention to his career's next chapter. The other two players leaving City today are academy products Ashton Muir and Ezra Carrington, whose development was hampered by a succession of injury setbacks. Between them, the four players are thought to have been pocketing around £550,000 per week, freeing up considerable funds for City to spend in the summer transfer window. According to The Athletic, Stones' contract at City was worth £250,000 per week before tax (£13m per year), while other reports have indicated that Silva was earning £300,000 per week at the Etihad Stadium. Those savings look set to be reinvested almost straight away, with the imminent arrival of Elliot Anderson, who has been City's primary target to fill the void left by the departing Silva for some time. The Nottingham Forest midfielder, currently lining up alongside Stones at the World Cup, underwent a medical at England's training base in Dallas on Sunday, ahead of a club-record deal worth in the region of £116m. The 23-year-old is set to be officially announced as a City player later this week, following England's Round of 32 clash against DR Congo on Wednesday afternoon. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

2026-07-01

Alexis Mac Allister clarifies Liverpool position amid Real Madrid transfer twist

Alexis Mac Allister believes he is best suited to continuing as part of a double defensive pivot as speculation over his long-term Liverpool future continues. Mac Allister is currently with Argentina at the World Cup in North America as they prepare for their round of 32 game against Cape Verde on Friday evening. The 27-year-old was among several players to have an underwhelming season with Liverpool which ended with Arne Slot being sacked as head coach and replaced by Andoni Iraola. Mac Allister - who has yet to be offered a new deal by the Reds with two years left on his current contract - has for some time been linked with a move away from Liverpool this summer with Real Madrid regarded potential suitors. The situation, though, has changed since Jose Mourinho took over as boss at the Bernabeu earlier this month, with Bernardo Silva arriving from Manchester City on a free transfer and Real exploring a big-money move for Mac Allister's fellow Argentina international midfielder Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea. Mac Allister featured in all bar two games for Liverpool last season and was used in a variety of midfield roles away from the number six alongside Ryan Gravenberch he occupied for the previous campaign. And when asked about his preferred position, Mac Allister said: "When I was young I used to play as a 10. In Argentina I would play a lot in maybe a diamond, so 4-3-1-2. "I used to play as 10. Then when I came to England, (playing) at 10 was a little harder for me, so I moved a little bit deeper to play as an eight. "I like to do a bit of everything and try to help the team wherever I can. "I like to be close to the ball, and I feel like to be close to the ball. Maybe the position as a double six is my best position. But I can play everywhere." Speaking to ESPN's Ball Knowledge, Mac Allister pointed to Barcelona's Pedri and Paris Saint-Germain duo Vitinha and Joao Neves as his favourite midfielders at present. "I would say Pedri (is favourite)," said the Liverpool man. "He's in a really good level and he's showing the whole world how to play football. Then you have Vitinha and Joao Neves as well. "We played against them and they are really good and not just on the ball, but physically off the ball they are very smart. I really like them." FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page

2026-06-29

Bernardo Silva's Manchester City era ends as Real Madrid pull off stunning free transfer

Real Madrid have strengthened their squad with the arrival of Portuguese star Bernardo Silva, who joins the Spanish club on a free transfer after bringing the curtain down on a remarkable nine-year career at Manchester City.The 31-year-old midfielder has agreed to a two-year deal at the Santiago Bernabeu and becomes another key signing under the leadership of returning manager Jose Mourinho. Silva follows Marc Cucurella through the door this summer, while the club has also secured Antonio Rudiger's future with a contract extension as part of its ongoing squad overhaul.Silva departs Manchester City as one of the most successful players to wear the club's colours. Since arriving at the Etihad, he featured in 460 matches and scored 76 goals, playing a central role in a period that delivered unprecedented success for the Premier League side.During his time in Manchester, the Portuguese international collected an astonishing 20 major honours. His trophy haul includes six Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, three FA Cups, five League Cups, three Community Shields, a FIFA Club World Cup and a UEFA Super Cup.A favourite of Pep Guardiola throughout his City career, Silva became one of the manager's most dependable performers. He was instrumental in the club's historic Treble-winning campaign in 2022-23, helping City secure their place among football's elite sides.The midfielder is no stranger to Real Madrid either. Across 13 meetings with Los Blancos, Silva consistently made his mark, scoring four goals against the Spanish giants. Among those strikes was a memorable double in City's emphatic 4-0 victory during the second leg of the 2022-23 Champions League semi-final.Silva's final season at City saw him take on captaincy duties. Under his leadership, the club lifted the Carabao Cup after defeating Arsenal and followed it up with FA Cup success against Chelsea, providing a fitting end to his decorated spell in England.The next chapter of Silva's career now begins in Madrid, where Mourinho will look to harness his vast experience, creativity and winning mentality. Real Madrid are aiming to bounce back from a disappointing 2025-26 season in which they fell short in the LaLiga title race and exited the Champions League at the quarter-final stage.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.

2026-06-17

Bernardo Silva's Manchester City era ends as Real Madrid pull off stunning free transfer

Football News: Real Madrid have strengthened their squad with the arrival of Portuguese star Bernardo Silva, who joins the Spanish club on a free transfer after brin.

2026-06-17

Bernardo Silva's Manchester City era ends as Real Madrid pull off stunning free transfer

Football News: Real Madrid have strengthened their squad with the arrival of Portuguese star Bernardo Silva, who joins the Spanish club on a free transfer after brin.

2026-06-17

Bernardo Silva's Manchester City era ends as Real Madrid pull off stunning free transfer

Football News: Real Madrid have strengthened their squad with the arrival of Portuguese star Bernardo Silva, who joins the Spanish club on a free transfer after brin.

2026-06-17

Ronaldo as excited for sixth World Cup as his first, says Martinez

Cristiano Ronaldo is preparing for his sixth World Cup as if it was his first, said Portugal coach Roberto Martinez as he hailed the 41-year-old as "an example and a reference for football." Armed with a richly talented generation, Portugal are among the favourites to win the World Cup for the first time. Ronaldo's continued presence in Martinez's team has sparked debate over whether he is still a positive influence. No one can match the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's 143 international goals. But he has failed to net in his last nine matches at major tournaments and offers little in a defensive role when the opposition are in possession. Martinez, though, has no doubt he remains Portugal's best option up front. "He is an example and a reference for football. For all those children on the street who begin to feel the love for sport, following the example of Cristiano Ronaldo is wonderful," Martinez told a press conference ahead of Portugal's World Cup opener against DR Congo. "It is his sixth World Cup, but I can say that internally it seems to be his first World Cup in terms of intensity, in terms of emotional output, of how important it is for him to be prepared to lead the group. "Within the team he is a vital player because he is the finisher, he is the player in the penalty area, he is the player who has those movements that can open spaces for other players. Within our attacking game, his numbers reflect the importance he has." Bruno Fernandes said his first experience of a major tournament as a child came on home soil, when a 19-year-old Ronaldo helped Portugal reach the final of Euro 2004. "All of us in this national team we have grown up watching Cristiano Ronaldo play and for us it's such an honour to play next to him now in the same team," said the Manchester United captain. "We're all here to support him and to support Portugal to go as far as possible." 'DREAMING NOT FORBIDDEN' Fresh from winning Premier League player of the year accolades, Fernandes is part of one of the strongest midfields in the World Cup. Vitinha and Joao Neves have recently won a second consecutive Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, while Bernardo Silva is set to join Real Madrid after a trophy-laden nine years at Manchester City. "We have a very strong team, great individual quality, and beyond the individual quality and the strengths that we have as individual players, I think we are a very cohesive team, a very united team," added Fernandes. "Obviously our dream is to be there (winning the World Cup) and I think that dreaming is not forbidden." Portugal will also face tournament debutants Uzbekistan and Colombia in Group K. Martinez, though, warned against looking beyond DR Congo after the shock Spain suffered in being held 0-0 by Cape Verde in their opening match. "We've got very little to win tomorrow from the outside. If you win against Congo, it's expected. If you win by one, it's a big problem. If you draw, it's a catastrophe. If you lose, this is the end of the world," said the Spaniard. "They come with no expectations, they are enjoying being here. We've seen incredible performances from teams like Qatar, Cape Verde, exemplary performances, that shows you that there are no easy games in a World Cup." Martinez also confirmed reports he is set to leave his role after the World Cup when his contract expires. "My contract ends after the World Cup. This is not news, this is just a fact," he added. "We're now focused on finishing the work that we've begun three-and-a-half years ago. "When I came to Portugal the focus was to try to win everything, but most importantly to prepare for the World Cup." -------------------------------- Where to watch the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Fans can watch every FIFA World Cup 2026™ match live on DStv Premium, Compact Plus, Compact, Family and Access. All matches are also available to stream on supported packages, ensuring flexible viewing options wherever you are. How to stream the FIFA World Cup 2026™ With DStv Stream, you can follow every match anytime, anywhere. Download the app and enjoy seamless live streaming on the go. GET DStv | START STREAMING

2026-06-17

Chelsea eye ex-Man Utd star as transfer overhaul begins with Xabi Alonso favourite

Chelsea are reportedly showing an interest in signing Real Madrid star Alvaro Carreras as they explore the left-back market. The Blues may be forced to strengthen their defence following the departure of Marc Cucurella, who will join the La Liga giants this summer. It was confirmed on Monday that Cucurella will move to Madrid on a permanent deal, with the Spanish club announcing that the left-back has signed a six-year contract that runs until the summer of 2032. A deal worth a total of £51.7million, which includes a £47.4million fixed fee, plus a further £4.3million in add-ons, was agreed between Chelsea and Madrid this week. As a result, Chelsea are now in the market for a new left-back, and reports have emerged claiming that Carreras is now a target. Spanish news outlet AS has claimed that Chelsea are exploring a potential deal for Carreras, with the defender being placed on the Blues’ shortlist of targets for this summer. The report also claims that Madrid are not fully against the idea of selling Carreras this summer, with the defender himself still unsure of what his future holds ahead of next season. Madrid recently appointed Jose Mourinho as their new manager, and have already put plans into place to sign Ibrahima Konate from Liverpool , Denzel Dumfries from Inter Milan and Bernardo Silva from Manchester City . FOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE! Latest Blues news and more on our dedicated Facebook page Carreras only signed for Madrid last summer after arriving in a €50million (£43million) deal from Benfica, and was previously at Manchester United before his move to Portugal . New Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso is reported to be a big fan of Carreras, which is fuelling the speculation that a move to Stamford Bridge could happen ahead of next season. The 23-year-old is currently enjoying his summer break, having missed out on a spot in the Spain squad for this summer’s World Cup, which is being held in North America. Monday night saw Spain held to a goalless draw with Cape Verde in their opening fixture, where Cucurella played the full 90 minutes at left-back for his country. Carreras, who has nine caps for Spain’s Under-21 squad, featured 40 times for Madrid during his debut season at the Santiago Bernabeu, including nine in the Champions League . Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

2026-06-16

Selfless Silva gives latest reminder of why Manchester City will miss him so much | Will Unwin

There will be plenty that Bernardo Silva will miss about Manchester City but driving rain in May and playing against the lowest of blocks will not be two of them. The midfielder’s penultimate game at the Etihad Stadium after nine years at the club was a reminder of how difficult it will be to replace him. Amid six changes, as Pep Guardiola rested and rotated, keeping “grandfather” Silva in the team was imperative. Without Rodri, the head coach needed someone he could rely on and no one better fits the category than the 31-year-old. Playing alongside Phil Foden in midfield, as the deeper of the two, one of a plethora of roles he’s taken on down the years, he utilised his mix of steel and finesse to set an example. Versatility is not the reason Silva will go down as one of City’s greats, but it shows that in a world of egos, he is willing to adapt for the sake of the team. From left-back to false 9, Silva has covered a lot of ground, making him hard to define in the modern game. What Guardiola has always loved about him is his ability to dictate a match, replacing Joy Division as the leading author of control in the north-west of England. Often found further forward, Silva was happy to be the foundation on this occasion, always the first point of contact for the centre-backs, Abdukodir Khusanov and Marc Guéhi, who would look to play a pass into him. Alternatively, Silva would drop in between the pair to receive the ball, before looking up to see how he could instigate things, taking that extra second to give teammates a chance to create movement. Over the past nine seasons, no one has won more Premier League games than Silva – 217 to be precise – and he has been Guardiola’s most used player in the period, making 457 appearances in all competitions, 85 more than Ederson, his closest rival. It is a testament to his longevity and fitness, not to mention rarely dipping in form. Even in the matches he was not at his best, there was always a desire to succeed and Silva’s attitude never dampened. It seems inevitable that Silva will go into coaching once his playing days have ended, probably somewhere warmer than Manchester on Wednesday night. He coaches others through the game, ensuring they know their role in the team. Considering Foden’s poor form this season, he looked very comfortable alongside Silva, offering more spark than has regularly been witnessed in recent times, proving it with a magical backheel to create Antoine Semenyo’s opener. Natural instincts make Silva want to join every attack but he knows City are susceptible to the counterattack, forcing him to be constrained. Holding back to assist those behind him should a positive quickly turn into a negative is a selfless act, one much appreciated by what is a relatively inexperienced pairing. Intelligent use of the ball is integral to the Silva repertoire. Ten minutes into the second half there was a sublime touch and simple pass to a teammate, something that goes relatively unnoticed in the grand scheme of things but it was on the edge of his own box, with Palace shirts all around. Silva was not panicked, he never is, and this coolness radiates around his teammates. Without Rodri, there is always a little more trepidation in the ranks, so the comfort of Silva is welcome. Should the two be absent at any point, one wonders who could fill the void. Much consternation went around the ground when Silva played a blind back-pass, first failing to look if any Palace players were in the vicinity and exacerbating matters by completely miscuing it, allowing Ismaïla Sarr a chance to shoot. It shows that no one is perfect. Silva is understated in his approach but certainly not undervalued. With City enjoying a comfortable two-goal lead, Crystal Palace sent on more attacking thrust, desperate to increase the pressure after a placid 65 minutes. The visitors were trying to speed things up, but Silva saw his responsibility to maintain composure, to slow proceedings down, frustrating the visitors in the process. With 11 minutes to go, Guardiola relented and brought his metronome off for a break, with more key fixtures to come. It gave the supporters a second-to-last chance to give their hero a thoroughly deserved standing ovation. Passing on the captain’s armband to Nathan Aké was Silva’s easiest task of the night but felt ceremonial considering his impending departure. Saturday at Wembley gives Silva the chance of a third FA Cup medal, to add to the Champions League crown and six Premier League titles, with a seventh still a possibility. Guardiola insists he does not have an archetypal player but if he did, they would resemble Silva. “Everything is replaceable in football life,” Guardiola said. “But there are players that it’s even more difficult.”

2026-05-13

Foden inspires Manchester City’s win against Crystal Palace to close gap at top

No Erling Haaland, no Rayan Cherki and no Jérémy Doku from the start. The result: a canter to victory against Crystal Palace that takes Manchester City back to within two points of Arsenal after 36 games each. The good news for Pep Guardiola is that a much-changed team before Saturday’s FA Cup final did the business, with Phil Foden displaying the magic that can make him a force. The poorer tidings are that Arsenal host Burnley on Monday and the chances of them dropping points to the relegated visitors are slim. All City can do in the title race is keep winning, as they did here – Savinho scoring on 84 minutes to follow Antoine Semenyo’s and Omar Marmoush’s first-half strikes – and keep hoping for a favour from Burnley or Palace, who host Arsenal in the season finale a week on Sunday. As Foden said: “We’ve seen a lot of things can happen on the final day. I’ve experienced it many times when the game doesn’t go your way. We just have to keep pushing and doing our part.” Yet it may be over by then: if Arsenal defeat Burnley on Monday, and City fail to do the same at Bournemouth the next day, then Mikel Arteta’s team will be champions. Guardiola’s changes ran to six from the 3-0 win against Brentford and featured Josko Gvardiol, who had not played since early January owing to a broken leg. The Croat was part of a slumbering rearguard when Jean-Philippe Mateta’s early strike was ruled out thanks to Brennan Johnson being offside. Johnson carried a threat, as shown by a run down the left flank that put Yéremy Pino in and shooting. Will Hughes took the resulting corner, Chris Richards rose and headed over, and City had a second warning. Rayan Aït-Nouri, another of Guardiola’s fresh personnel, was lined up by his manager on the left as one of the two – Savinho was the other – in advance of Bernardo Silva and Foden in midfield. From this unfamiliar berth the Algerian let fly but was aimless – similar to his team at this point, in an echo of the recent uneven displays at Burnley and Everton. City lacked zip in their movement and imagination. The ball went side to side or forward and then back. That was until Foden’s intervention, which was sublime and showed what City have missed during his long months without form. Silva, on the right, passed infield to Matheus Nunes, who found Foden. With his back to goal, a quick glance told him Semenyo lurked ahead. What followed was a backheel that placed the ball into his teammate’s path: a lethal swish of the boot later and Dean Henderson was beaten. It was vindication for Guardiola, who wheeled away in delight. Yet moments later he berated his team for ceding Tyrick Mitchell enough space to tingle Gianluigi Donnarumma’s fingers. Guardiola was far happier when Marmoush doubled the score. Aït-Nouri floated the ball in from the right, Foden touched it on, and the Egyptian crashed home. City were 2-0 up and cruising now, exactly as Guardiola wished in the continued pursuit of Arsenal. The sparkling Foden was pleased, too, as this was a certifiable return to his best. The 25-year-old went close to a third assist of the contest when dropping the ball on to Gvardiol’s head but the defender’s effort was palmed to safety spectacularly by Henderson. At the interval City wandered off far happier than the visitors, whose threat had been intermittent only. Oliver Glasner’s lineup showed Pino for Ismaïla Sarr, plus Jefferson Lerma and Hughes for Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada. This, too, was an understrength team, yet even if this was with an eye on the Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano the Austrian had to consider a reshuffle. A downpour that began in the first half continued and made the surface greasy, which suited City’s better football. Yet when one slick sequence had Gvardiol galloping forward the left-back missed an easy pass to thread in Marmoush. That was along the ground, but Foden also spurned the chance to release Marmoush via a lofted ball that was hit too heavy and was easy for Henderson to mop up. Guardiola’s gameplan next had Gvardiol replaced by Nathan Aké and Nunes by the in-form Doku. The Belgian soon linked up in a move that finished with Marmoush spraying wide as Glasner made a triple change. Wharton, Jørgen Strand Larsen and Sarr entered for Hughes, Mateta and Pino. Sarr, immediately, was put through but could only dribble the ball into Donnarumma’s gloves. As Glasner said: “We have to accept that City were too good for us, if you want to get a point here you need a top performance and we could not deliver today.”

2026-05-13