Manchester City

Manchester City remain hopeful that Pep Guardiola will extend his stay as manager, and the club are adamant they had not lined up Sporting manager Ruben Amorim as a potential replacement. (Mail), external

Sporting are willing to sell Viktor Gyokeres for between £50m and £58m next summer, with Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool and all interested in the 26-year-old Sweden striker. (Florian Plettenberg), external

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Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

It is fair to say Manchester City feel Real Madrid's Ballon d'Or no-show does not reflect well on the Spanish giants.

They did have a legitimate claim on the award. Even City boss Pep Guardiola admitted Vinicius Jr would have been a worthy winner.

However, while he said it did not matter that Real failed to turn up - even though Carlo Ancelotti beat Guardiola to the coach of the year prize and, in Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham, they had the second and third players for the main award - there was a bit of a rebuke in there.

Guardiola reminded everyone that Erling Haaland was overlooked for the 2023 award in favour of Lionel Messi, even though City won the Treble and the Norwegian scored an incredible 52 goals.

"If you are in the first two or three, it's exceptional," said Guardiola. "It means you have done an incredible year and you have to be so satisfied."

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Carabao Cup game against Tottenham (kick-off 20:15 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• He said Rodri winning the Ballon d'Or is "incredible news for him, for all of us and for our fans who are so proud of him".

• More from Guardiola on Rodri: "Hopefully it can give him energy to recover well and to be with us next season again. We are going to play this season without the best player in the world."

• He said he hopes to progress to the next round of the Carabao Cup with a victory over Tottenham and to "perform well with no injuries, please".

• Guardiola defended Erling Haaland for going to watch his friend play for Malmo instead of attending the awards ceremony in Paris and said it "is no problem at all".

• Reflecting on Manchester United sacking Erik ten Hag on Monday and the pressure of being a football manager: "If you decide to be manager then you have to understand it. Our job is unfortunately about getting results. It is a business and managers know it. I have incredible support from our hierarchy but if the results were no good then I wouldn't be here."

Follow all of Tuesday's news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri winning the Ballon d'Or on Monday.

Here are some of your comments:

Ric: Rodri fully deserved this. A wonderful complete footballer. Magic for both Manchester City and Spain. This decision is a joy, not just because the winner is a great player but also because he does not elude to being anything other than a hard working, honest and nice man. Well done, sir.

John: This trophy has become a bit of a joke over the years. Last year, somehow it went to Messi when Rodri should have won it. This year it is rightly awarded to the most complete footballer at the moment. Enjoy it Rodri. As far as Real Madrid are concerned, they should be ashamed of themselves.

Lida: I totally agree with Rodri's award, but there was zero appreciation to his club and team-mates, who played a massive part in where he is now. I'm feeling let down.

Chris: This is from a Manchester United fan - Rodri's Ballon d'Or is well deserved. Extremely disrespectful of Real Madrid to boycott the ceremony just because one of their players didn't win. In fact, it is pathetic.

Freddie Pye
Fan writer

Rodri winning the Ballon d'Or is a win for football.

The prize has come to Manchester City for the first time in its history and, by rightly being issued to Rodri, the award itself has been saved.

This was not just a win for the Spain international but a win for the entire sport, as the prize that has been dominated by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for many years falls in the hands of the best and most complete footballer on the planet.

There was talk of Vinicius Jr and of Jude Bellingham, but the Ballon d'Or has been won by a player who has proven his credentials over the past five years for both club and country, winning everything there is to be won and proving to be so crucial to Pep Guardiola's operation.

A fourth consecutive Premier League title followed success at the Fifa Club World Cup, before Rodri went on to act as a powerhouse in the middle of the park for Spain at Euro 2024. Germany, France and England were beaten on their way to winning the tournament and Rodri was recognised as he claimed the player of the tournament prize from Uefa.

The Ballon d'Or was in danger of becoming a glorified popularity contest, as opposed to recognising true football brilliance and performances on the field. With Rodri winning the prize, we can once again talk of this trophy as a salute towards the very best football star in the world.

We are talking about true football excellence and intelligence from Rodri here, while forgetting the human side of a man that is far from the normal modern day professional footballer. This is a success for a global superstar with no social media, no manufactured PR campaign behind him and merely a recognition of an athlete who has mastered his craft by committing his life to the sport he loves.

This is on-field performance combined with exemplary behaviour on and off the pitch, establishing himself as the complete football role model by reinventing the perceptions of a midfield orchestrator.

They are the Rules of Allocation for the Ballon d'Or. This is a win for football. This is justice for the Ballon d'Or itself. A football prize saved by Rodri - the ultimate professional, the ultimate midfielder and history-maker for Manchester City, Spain, and the midfield professional in the game.

Find more from Freddie Pye at City Xtra, external

What do you think about Rodri's award? Tell us here, external

Image source, Getty Images

Ilkay Gundogan: From today on he is finally not 'underrated' anymore. Congratulations to my teammate Rodri on wining the Ballon d'Or! For me this is very well deserved! I'm especially happy that someone in a defensive position is winning this title and not always just the offensive players!

Atletico Madrid: Rodrigo Hernández Cascante: What a player. It is an honour for Atlético de Madrid, where you developed and grew as a footballer and a person, to see everything you are achieving and what you still have to achieve.

Fernandinho: Another great achievement in a very successful career. Well done Rodri.

Image source, Getty Images

After becoming the first Manchester City player to be awarded the Ballon d'or, midfielder Rodri told the audience in Paris: "A very special day for me, my family and my country.

"Today is not a victory for me, it is for Spanish football, for so many players who have not won it and have deserved it, like [Andres] Iniesta, Xavi [Hernandez], Iker [Casillas], Sergio Busquets, so many others. It is for Spanish football and for the figure of the midfielder.

"Today many friends have written to me and have told me that football has won, for giving visibility to so many midfielders who have a job in the shadows and today it is coming to light.

"I'm a regular guy with values, who studies, who tries to do things right and doesn't try to follow the stereotypes, and even so I have been able to get to the top and it is thanks to all of you."

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Manchester City and Southampton.

Here are some of your comments:

City fans

Robert: Fairly typical display from City in the all too frequent attack vs defence mode. We are always prone to a breakaway goal though and Cameron Archer was unlucky to hit the bar late on in the first half. Haaland had a few chances himself. It was a sound City display and three points in the bag. The game was interesting right up to the end.

Stewart: I thought City were poor, so predictable. We made Southampton look good! We need another striker who can give us something different if Haaland ever gets injured!

Louis: Manchester City should be getting more shots on goal. When the defenders sit tight in front of goal, I feel like the oncoming defenders like Akanji, Dias and Lewis should be having a go at goal. I feel like Haaland should also be darting sideways, away from defenders, in order to create more openings in the 18-yard area.

Abdullah: Savinho played alright but he just doesn't really have the end product. I think we should've let him stay an another year at Girona and then bought him. Rodri is obviously is a big miss but it looks like Nunes and Kovacic are turning up. Let's see what happens.

Southampton fans

Cliff: A good resilient defensive display. Our passing was crisp, positive and most importantly forward. The Saints are trying their best for the manager, you can see that. However the lack of real quality up front was once again the difference. I think Saints should stick with Russell Martin regardless, but a top-quality finisher is a must in January.

Tom: Fair play to the players for not capitulating after the early goal. Sadly good performances that don't yield any points don't massively help. Bednarek completely outmuscled by Haaland for the goal. He and Jack Stephens weren't good enough the last time we were in the Premier League, and I'm not sure anything has changed in that regard. Everton is a must-win game.

Oliver: We have had many good performances, like this one, this season. However, at the end of the day, at our current rate we are on track for roughly four points. No amount of good performances, with no points in the bag, can change that.

James: I'm unsure how some Saints fans can celebrate a 1-0 loss to Manchester City, given the bigger picture of the management of the team. When will the board remove Russell Martin from his position as manager? It is now becoming embarrassing to watch the team decline like they are under him. His comments post-match are laughable!

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

It’s obviously silly to criticise Erling Haaland (especially after he scored against Southampton) but by his own elite standards, he wasn’t at his most clinical.

Either that or he had a day where he was just unlucky.

Image source, Getty Images

Former Premier League striker Alan Shearer says that Manchester City are currently making "harder work of games than they need to".

"Manchester City have set such ridiculously high standards, so now we might be a little bit nit-picky towards them," Shearer said on Match of the Day. "They have made harder work of a few games than they needed to.

"For example, they have gone behind in a few games but it is absolutely right to highlight that they are currently without Rodri and Kevin de Bruyne.

"But, if you look at their last six results in the Premier League, they have gone behind in some games but they have still somehow found a way to get back into things.

"I think that once they go deeper into competitions, like the Champions League or whatever it may be, they will miss Rodri more than what they have done up to now.

"But you cannot deny that they are an incredible team."

Catch up on Match of the Day here

Manchester City are set to offer Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol, 22, an improved contract worth £150,000 a week to extend his stay at Etihad Stadium by two years until 2030. (Star), external

England and Chelsea attacking midfielder Cole Palmer, 22, remains committed to the Blues despite being linked with a move away, including a return to Manchester City. (Football Insider), external

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

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Saturday's five Premier League fixtures, plus the best of the action from Friday's game between Leicester City and Nottingham Forest.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Aston Villa 1-1 Bournemouth

• Everton 1-1 Fulham

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Kevin de Bruyne's presence at the Etihad Stadium - on a day when City boss Pep Guardiola named only five outfield substitutes - offered a reminder that a decision needs to be made about the Belgian's future.

De Bruyne's contract expires at the end of the season and there are strong rumours linking the brilliant playmaker with a move to the new San Diego FC MLS franchise.

Given San Diego launch in the 2025 season, it would be fair to assume they would like their key men to be ready to join in the January transfer window.

So, while most of the talk at City has centred around whether Guardiola will stay, De Bruyne's future is also of major importance, given he is one of the club's highest paid players and has also spent rather a large amount of time on the injured list recently.

If De Bruyne was to leave, it would offer the financial flexibility to bring in a top-class replacement, who would be available for the majority of games, which feels like what Guardiola wants right now.

We are about to head into November - plans for the second half of the season need to be put in place.

Clarification over Kevin de Bruyne's future would be most welcome.