PERFECT FOR PEP: WHY SERGIO AGUERO BELIEVES RAPHINHA IS THE ULTIMATE CITY WINGER
Raphinha to Man City: Discover why Aguero thinks the Barca winger fits Pep’s system and the update on Julian Alvarez’s future.
Sergio Agüero thinks Raphinha would be a dream signing for Manchester City. The Brazilian winger made a real impact during his time at Leeds United, racking up 17 goals and 12 assists in just two seasons. Honestly, Leeds probably owed their Premier League survival back then to him; right after he left, they dropped to the Championship.
When Raphinha first arrived at Barcelona, things didn’t go smoothly. There were constant rumours about him heading back to England, but he managed to work his way into the starting lineup and became a key player. Since Hansi Flick took charge for the 2023/24 season, Raphinha’s numbers have exploded to 47 goals and 31 assists so far. Flick just knows how to get the best out of his attacking players, and Raphinha’s thriving because of it.
Still, whispers about Raphinha leaving Barcelona haven’t gone away. The club’s financial problems just won’t quit, and they’re reportedly open to selling a big-name player if the price is right. Arsenal and Chelsea have both been linked to him in the past, but they’re after younger players these days. But Agüero says City shouldn’t be counted out.
Talking to Trivela, Aguero was asked which Brazilian player would fit best at City under Pep Guardiola. He didn’t hesitate; Raphinha’s his pick. “Among those already in Europe, I really like Raphinha. He would fit perfectly into City’s style,” Aguero said.
If City did sign Raphinha, he’d probably be their top winger right away. He ticks all the boxes for Guardiola’s system. But let’s be real, the transfer isn’t likely. City has shifted focus to younger talent guys like Savinho, Jeremy Doku, and Rayan Cherki as they look to refresh the squad.
Barcelona, strapped for cash, would consider selling Raphinha, but they’d probably pump that money right back into their attack. There’s talk of Julian Alvarez now at Atletico Madrid being on their radar. With Robert Lewandowski’s contract up and Barcelona needing a new striker, that’s a priority for them this summer. If Alvarez is too pricey, Sport says they might go for City’s Omar Marmoush instead.
So, what about a swap deal of Raphinha for Marmoush or someone else? It sounds unlikely.
Sure, Raphinha is the “perfect fit". But City aren’t about to splash a huge fee on someone about to turn 30.
Aguero also touched on Guardiola’s future at City. Fans are worried he might leave, but Aguero doesn’t think there’s any reason to panic. “Pep still has one more year on his contract,” he said. “There’s no point debating it now; it just creates noise. When the time comes, it’ll be sorted. Nothing to stress about.”
MANCHESTER CITY CONDEMN RACIST ABUSE OF STARS SEMENYO AND GUEHI
Following swift stadium action, Manchester City pledge full support to Semenyo and Guéhi amid shocking discriminatory abuse.
Manchester City didn’t hold back after Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi faced racist abuse during and after their wild 3-3 draw with Everton. The game itself was a rollercoaster; City managed to scrape a point thanks to Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku, who nailed a jaw-dropping equaliser in the 96th minute.
Doku actually got City off to a great start, putting them up before halftime. But Everton flipped the script after the break, scoring three and having everyone on edge with ten minutes left. City defender Guehi made a costly error on Everton’s first goal, his misjudged back pass handing the ball to Thierno Barry, who didn’t think twice about putting it away.
Since then, City put out a statement confirming that Guehi was targeted with disgusting racist messages online, while Semenyo, who played most of the match at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, endured abuse in the stadium itself. City’s statement was straightforward: they’re outraged by the abuse and thanked Everton and the police for acting fast to identify the person responsible. They made it clear they're sticking by Guehi and Semenyo and won’t tolerate discrimination in football.
Right after the game, Guehi posted on social media, owning up to his mistake but keeping his head up. He thanked City fans and leaned on his faith, writing, “I need to do better, but we keep going & focused on the next. Thank you for your support as always! Thank you, Jesus!”
Racism in football keeps getting worse, on and off the pitch, and there’s a growing call for authorities to actually step up and fight discriminatory abuse wherever it shows up.
Both Guehi and Semenyo have made an immediate impact at City. Guehi came from Crystal Palace in January for £20 million, fitting right into Guardiola’s defence and looking sharp until Monday’s mishap. He’s already played 16 times for City. Semenyo arrived from Bournemouth for £64 million, has 22 appearances, and has made himself a regular threat, scoring eight goals with three assists, moving smoothly between central and wide positions.
They’re both expected to be in the lineup when City faces Brentford at home on Saturday as Guardiola’s team hangs onto their faint hopes of defending the title.
PEP GUARDIOLA REFUSES TO GUARANTEE RODRI’S RETURN FOR MONDAY’S PREMIER LEAGUE CLASH
Pep Guardiola provides the latest injury news on Rodri, Ruben Dias, and Josko Gvardiol ahead of a crucial title race clash at Everton.
Pep Guardiola has shared the latest on Manchester City's injury situation ahead of Monday’s Premier League match against Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
City is in good form right now. They came from behind to beat Southampton 2-1 in the FA Cup semi-final last weekend, making it six wins in a row across all competitions.
But they’ve had to do it without Rodri. He's missed their last two matches, including a tight 1-0 win at Burnley, after hurting his groin against Arsenal a couple of weeks back. Guardiola recently told reporters that Rodri is getting better, but the team’s been cautious and isn’t rushing him back.
At his latest press conference on Friday, Guardiola said Rodri still hasn’t returned to training, so they’re just taking it day by day. There's hope, but Guardiola wouldn’t give any guarantees about Rodri’s chances of playing against Everton. "He’s getting better. Still, he didn't train with us, so we’ll see in the next few days,” he said. When pressed about his confidence, Pep just replied, “I am always confident.”
With Rodri still not training, it sounds like a last-minute decision on whether he’ll play. A start against Everton seems unlikely. That probably means Nico González, who scored the winner against Southampton, will keep his spot in midfield next to Bernardo Silva. Maybe Nico O’Reilly slides into central midfield, too, if he isn’t covering at left-back.
It’s not all good news in defence either. Ruben Dias is still out with the ankle injury that’s kept him sidelined for the last six games, and Josko Gvardiol is recovering from the tibial fracture he picked up in January. Both are working their way back, and Guardiola says they’re improving, but there’s no sign of a return just yet.
Turning to the Everton game, City could head into it trailing Arsenal by six points if the Gunners beat Fulham on Saturday. With the title race this tight, City can’t afford to slip up.
Guardiola knows Monday will be tough. “Everton have always been tough,” he said. “Old Everton was so cool and so British, and I loved to go there, but in the new stadium, they are defending really well, and it has always been tough." He’s not taking recent Everton results lightly, adding, 'They're fighting for a place in Europe. We won with two or three actions here, but we were not good at that moment. We can’t have any result but win, win, win.”
Everton won’t be easy, especially away, but City can at least take confidence from their strong record of 17 league games unbeaten against the Toffees. They won the reverse fixture 2-0, with Haaland scoring both goals. Still, Guardiola isn’t expecting it to be straightforward.
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