Manchester City

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has spoken to the media before Wednesday's Club World Cup game against Wydad AC (kick-off 17:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On future of Jack Grealish: "I don't know if his future will be in Manchester. We'll be away now, and we'll see what happens. For now, he's a Manchester City player - and if he has to come back, he will."

• The City boss added: "Jack is an exceptional player. The only reason he didn't play last season was, of course, my decisions. Now, we've decided he needs to play. The club was honest, and he was honest."

• When asked about the Club World Cup as a whole, Guardiola said: "It is an incredible opportunity to understand we come here all together, to show who we are in the best way, playing the sport we love."

• On Bernardo Silva being appointed as the club's new captain: "Bernardo has been an incredible figure for us. Eight years here, no injures and always in the bad moments he makes a step up and sets the example [to the rest of the team] on the pitch."

• Guardiola previously let the squad vote on who should lead the dressing room, but admitted he "didn't like what happened last season and decided this season who represents the team". He added: "Sometimes I want to be the boss."

• On opponents Wydad AC: "Football has grown up a lot all around the world. All these teams have individual quality. We have huge, huge respect. We saw what we could see of them. We have a gameplan and we are here to make a good tournament."

Hear more from Guardiola on BBC Sounds

Follow all of Wednesday's football news as the Premier League fixtures are released on our live page

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter in Philadelphia

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City begin their Club World Cup campaign against Wydad AC on Wednesday - a match that will "ignite the passion" of the whole of Morocco.

Wydad come in as champions of the north African nation and a number of supporters have travelled over from Casablanca.

They were seen singing and dancing in downtown Philadelphia in the lead-up to the game.

"We are here not only as Wydad Athletic Club, but as representatives of a nation that has made history in world football," chairman Hicham Ait Menna told BBC Sport.

"Morocco's supporters amazed the world during the 2022 World Cup and we hope to carry that same spirit here.

"We know that if we achieve a strong performance or a positive result, it will ignite the passion of the entire country behind us for the rest of the tournament.

"We are playing for a flag, for a nation, for millions of hearts."

City go into the contest as heavy favourites and Ait Menna added: "Let's be clear, if Manchester City wins, it will be considered a normal result.

"But if Wydad wins, it will be a historic moment. We believe that in this game, only Wydad has the opportunity to create an upset.

"Our expectations are clear - to give everything on the pitch, to honour the badge and to show that African clubs can stand with the best."

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

Image source, Getty Images

If you are working on the Club World Cup - this reborn competition - as a journalist or influencer, you have to sound hyper excited, but I feel browbeaten into showing some love for Infantino's 'beautiful' baby, otherwise I am portrayed as an unfeeling Grinch.

I will give it a chance before I decide, while doing my very best to ignore all the tiresome fake razzamatazz surrounding the games. It is clearly a bunch of steps too far for exhausted players but if the tournament takes off and delivers some great football that feels meaningful, I'll be here to give it every praise.

Maybe a 0-0 opener wasn't exactly what Fifa and its cheerleaders wanted, neither was the 10-0 embarrassment between Bayern and Auckland, but is a 63 game tournament over 29 days.

Let's wait and see.

The most concerning thing for Fifa must be the feeble ticket sales particularly at the inflated prices initially advertised for some early games. Empty stadiums are not a good look, even if you move the fans and instruct the TV cameras to veer away from the empty spaces. With streaming free in the UK and other regions, there have been staggering sums spent on this tournament. If it doesn't work and the sums do not add up, this loss leader for Fifa could yet become one of the biggest financial white elephants in sporting history.

If it does work, then this is the future of football and could in time grow to be bigger than the Champions League or the World Cup. This is certainly Fifa's vision and it is why the staggering sums have been spent here in the first place.

Sign up to read more from Pat Nevin in his Football Extra newsletter

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter in Philadelphia

Image source, Getty Images

Arrived in Philadelphia from Miami in the early hours of this morning and isn't it just typical - it's raining and it's gloomy.

The journalists that have travelled over from Manchester and the City team will feel right at home.

Cooler temperatures than the balmy 30C of Florida will come as a welcome to Erling Haaland and the squad, who play their tournament opener at 12pm local time on Wednesday against Wydad AC of Morocco.

Before that, we will speak to boss Pep Guardiola for the first time on this trip as he previews the game at 18:45 local time (23:45 BST).

Will Rodri get a start? Will the new signings get thrown in? And what of the futures of Jack Grealish and Kyle Walker?

We will find out when the Spaniard faces the cameras later today.

Image source, Manchester City

Some of Manchester City's first team squad brought smiles to faces before jetting of to the USA for the Club World Cup.

City's stars met with fans as part of the club's 'Love this City' initiative which seeks to thank and support supporters in the local community.

Rodri and Ederson surprised members of the Official Supporters Club, while John Stones and Rico Lewis visited local community hero, Allan Grafton.

Last year, City fan Alex left school due to bullying and so the club organised a darts game for him and fellow Stockport local Phil Foden, with Nico O'Reilly, Savinho and Vitor Reis joining in.

Speaking after the visit, Alex said: "Everyone was really nice about it. After all that's happened with me, I think it's a once in a lifetime opportunity and I just want to thank everyone at the club for making this all happen."

Image source, Getty Images

Over on our live page our chief football writer Phil McNulty has been taking your questions.

Dave, Lincoln: Hi Phil, is Manchester City's appointment of Pep Lijnders (and another former-Liverpool analyst in James French) a signal that Pep Guardiola is looking to move away from his signature style and towards the heavy metal style of Jurgen Klopp?

Phil McNulty said: Hello, Dave. The arrival of Lijnders is certainly an interesting move, given how closely linked he was with Jurgen Klopp's successes at Liverpool.

He called his book 'Intensity' and this is certainly something Manchester City lacked last season, so maybe we can expect more of that this term.

Guardiola has always been open to introducing new ideas and voices into his backroom team so this is another one of those occasions.

He will stick to his successful strategy of possession, but maybe he does feel his team need to hear a new voice and play with more of the intensity that Lijnders sets so much store by.

Read more of the Q&A here

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter in Philadelphia

Image source, Getty Images

Transfers is the subject of the final part of Tuesday's run-through of questions you put to Shamoon Hafez, our football news reporter covering Manchester City at the Club World Cup.

David asked: Pep Guardiola was saying he wanted a smaller squad, so after the signings that have been made, who is going to leave apart from Jack Grealish and Kyle Walker?

Shamoon: You're right to say Guardiola wants a smaller squad and you can add Kalvin Phillips to Grealish and Walker in players City will look to move on this summer.

We then go on to the likes of John Stones and Nathan Ake, who have struggled with injuries and may be sold because of availability issues.

Goalkeeper Ederson is entering the final year of his contract and was heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia last summer, so could a Pro League side come in again with a big offer? City have been linked with Porto's Diogo Costa as a replacement.

Sources have told me transfer incomings are unlikely during the Club World Cup, but do not rule them out during the remainder of the summer window - and keep an eye on the right-back situation.

Image source, Getty Images

As the transfer window is now open again until 1 September, we asked you to tell us one player you want to bring to Manchester City and one player you want the club to sell.

Here are some of your comments:

Rhiannon: The player I would sell is Ederson because he is past his best and wants to play in Saudi Arabia. The player I would sign is Diogo Costa as he is an exceptional goalkeeper and would fit in Pep Guardiola's system.

Jeff: The player to go is, sadly, Jack Grealish - for his sake more than anything. He has been played out of position since he arrived, and has not been able to show off his skills. Pep doesn't seem to trust him, or he can't do what Pep wants from him. He is worth a bit of dosh, so will help balance the books. To come in, I think Andrea Cambiaso from Juventus would be good.

Eva: Sell Stefan Ortega and bring in James Trafford please.

Tadhg: We should sell Grealish because he is not good enough for us, and we should pay the extreme price of Lamine Yamal. He would fit into our squad perfectly.

Jon: Kyle Walker has been a great servant but is just too old now so I would sell him and look at Tino Livramento.

Lewis: Sell Grealish and sign Randal Kolo Muani.

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter in Philadephia

Image source, Getty Images

Through Tuesday, and before Manchester City's opening Club World Cup match on Wednesday, we are putting your questions to our football news reporter Shamoon Hafez.

Here are some of his answers on how strong Pep Guardiola might go in the tournament:

Mark asked: Is this a watered down competition? I cannot imagine Pep playing a strong team, never mind a 'first 11' pick. However, it is an ideal opportunity to blood new signings and some fringe players. How many subs per match? And how many matches could we end up playing?

Shamoon: Thanks for the question, Mark, but sorry to say I am going to have to absolutely disagree with you on this one.

City have spent over £100m to bolster their squad for this competition and have left the youth team players at home. They mean serious business here in America and it will be interesting to see whether Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait-Nouri will be thrown straight in on Wednesday.

If you saw the interview chairman Khaldoon Al-Mubarak gave at the end of the season, he made it clear City were travelling stateside to win – if that is the main man's view, boss Guardiola and his players will be under no illusions at the task in hand.

As with Premier League games, you can name up to nine substitutes and five changes can be made. A run to the final will mean City playing a total of seven matches.

Danso asked: Is Rodri likely to play in the tournament?

Shamoon: Journalists who have travelled over have been fortunate to be invited to City's training base in Boca Raton in Florida.

I was quite close up to Rodri the other day and he looks in incredible shape - his biceps were bulging out from his vest and he looked in good spirits. Some of the passes he was knocking around were a delight to see.

When I spoke to club sources a couple of months ago, the target was for him to return to action during the Club World Cup. They were always building up to that.

Instead, the Spaniard was back earlier than expected, playing in the final home game of the season against Bournemouth.

To me, Rodri looks fit and if I was picking the team on Wednesday, I would give him an hour against a Wydad AC side City are heavy favourites to beat.

Check back later for the final part of the Q&A.

Image source, Getty Images

A group of Manchester City fans believe a new season ticket policy is in breach of the Equality Act 2010.

New rules are being introduced about how many games season ticket-holders must attend in person, but Trade Union Blues are arguing they negatively affect people who have caring duties, disabilities or who do shift work.

Last season, City season ticket-holders had to ensure their ticket was used for 14 out of 19 games. This will increase to 16 out of 19 for the upcoming season.

Previously, if fans were unable to attend, they could pass their ticket to a friend or list their seat on the Manchester City website. The change means supporters must attend a minimum of 10 games and this is controlled by a mobile ticket which cannot be transferred to anyone other than the season ticket-holder.

Chris Neville, from Trade Union Blues, told BBC Radio Manchester: "There are a lot of people who will be affected by this. Newly pregnant women, or women who have just given birth, is just one example of people who will struggle to abide by these rules. We have instructed lawyers to send a legal letter to the club outlining why we believe it is a breach of the Equality Act 2010.

"We are not aware of any other clubs who impose these restrictions. Others may have a minimum usage policy, but not a minimum attendance policy which means you have to attend the game yourself.

"We are asking them to consult with us and to consider scrapping this policy."

Manchester City released a statement on the issue: "We understand some supporters may find it difficult to attend 10 matches in person.

"We encourage everyone to see how things go for the first few months of the next season, but if you find yourself missing matches or facing challenging circumstances, the access team are on hand to help.

"They will work with you to try to come up with adjustments. You can also apply an exemption where necessary."

On Friday, Manchester City also announced a significant reduction in ticket prices with some decreasing by as much as 43%.

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter in Philadelphia

Image source, Getty Images

Before Manchester City's first match at the Club World Cup against Wydad AC on Wednesday, we put your questions to Shamoon Hafez, our football news reporter covering the Blues out in the United States.

Here are some of his answers on how the competition could benefit City:

Jack asked: What is the financial reward for not only competing, but winning or placing highly in the Club World Cup?

Shamoon: The tournament might not be to everyone's liking but there is some big bucks - as they say over here - to be taken home, especially by the European clubs.

Negotiations with Fifa means your likes of Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid and co will earn more than counterparts from other continents.

There is a mammoth £775m prize pot split between the 32 teams, with the tournament winner earning up to £97m, so a place in the competition is not to be sniffed at, even if it is supposedly causing issues in the fixture calendar. Fifa sources dismissed such suggestion when I put it to them on Friday.

Jamal asked: What are City's chances of winning the Club World Cup?

Shamoon: Despite City's issues last season when they failed to win a trophy, I would put them as one of the favourites to win the tournament - purely because they are close to a full bill of health. Rodri is back from his serious knee injury and Erling Haaland will be fresh after a spell out last term.

However, City need to come top of their group to increase their chances of avoiding an early exit - and their placing in Group G is likely to come down to that third game against Juventus.

A first-place finish will probably mean facing either Al Hilal or Red Bull Salzburg in the last 16. If they are runners-up, it would probably be a tough task against Real Madrid in the last 16 and a possible an early trip back home.

Real, though, will be in the mix in the latter stages and I expect Bayern Munich - after their 10-0 demolition of Auckland City - and Champions League winners Paris St-Germain to go far too.

Check back at 12:00 for the next part of the Q&A.

Manchester City defender Kyle Walker, who spent the second half of last season on loan at AC Milan, has agreed to join Everton on a one-year deal. (Sun), external

Meanwhile, Napoli are aiming to sign either City playmaker Jack Grealish or winger Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United, but the Italian champions are only willing to spend £45m.

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

No sooner does the season finish and we start looking forward to key dates for the next campaign - and that will be a lot easier to do on Wednesday when the Premier League fixtures are released.

That's right, that special day in the calendar is almost here already. The day when you'll learn details of derby fixtures, Christmas opponents and end-of-season run-ins.

This page will bring you all the fixtures when they drop at 09:00 BST on Wednesday and we'll be giving you the chance to have your say on how things look.

The new campaign kicks off on the weekend of Saturday, 16 August and it will conclude on Sunday, 24 May 2026, when all 10 games will take place at the same time.

The transfer window is open again for summer business to be conducted.

Clubs can now strike deals until the deadline at 19:00 BST on 1 September.

So if you can sell one player, who is it? And if you can buy one player only, who gets the nod?

Give us reasons for your choice but remember, in this instance it's a strict one player leaving and one coming in.

Send your selections here

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Monday marks the start of the transfer window re-opening, so teams can now do business until 1900 BST on 1 September.

Jack Grealish is expected to leave Manchester City after being left out of their Club World Cup squad and is thought to be available for a reported £50m.

But his £300,000-a-week wages could be off-putting to any suitors while sources have said City are yet to receive any formal bids for the England international.

Kyle Walker is free to exit Manchester City as there appears to be no way back for the Englishman into the first team.

The 35-year-old right-back spent last season on loan at AC Milan but the Serie A side decided not to turn it into a permanent deal.

Walker has one year left on his deal at Etihad Stadium and the club may sanction another loan deal away this season.

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Rayan Cherki was previously linked with a move to Manchester United, but joined Manchester City on a five-year contract.

Described as "one of the greatest technicians in Europe", he made his senior debut for Lyon at 16 and scored 29 goals and provided 45 assists in 185 games for the club.

Cherki can play as a winger but his preference is a more central number 10 role, and has been viewed as a possible replacement for the inspirational Kevin de Bruyne, who left City for Napoli on a free transfer.

City have also signed Netherlands international Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan as part of a midfield rebuild.

But France international Cherki wants to create his own legacy with Guardiola's side and spoke of his ambition to win major trophies and the Ballon d'Or like City team-mate Rodri did in 2024.

"I'm not Kevin De Bruyne, he is the legend," he added. "I'm here to help the team and to write my own story. I hope to win all the time with the team.

"When you see Rodri, he won the Ballon d'Or here – it's clear that with Manchester City it's possible and I am here for this.

"When I spoke with Pep, he wanted me - he was very, very clear. Pep told me, 'when you have the ball, you are free', which is very good for me because it's my first quality to help the team.

"The system, the club, the city is very good. I want to win and I think Manchester City wants to win it all."

Read more quotes from Cherki

Image source, Getty Images

Only time will tell the impact this Club World Cup will have on players.

Has welfare been looked at? Possibly not. These players have played a lot of games and will now be going from one season straight into international fixtures and then straight into competitive football again.

The prize money is the attraction, isn't it? For clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City, it is a real draw for them to go out there and play. They have both taken strong squads.

When it got announced, much was said about whether they might just choose some of their younger players and not take it as seriously but looking at their squads, both are certainly going there to win it.

For players, you would much rather have a competitive pre-season, so they may be looking at it as a mini pre-season and then will have a couple of weeks off when they get back before they go again. It is a lot easier to be motivated for competitive action than it is for doing all the runs in pre-season and the friendly fixtures.

However, in the long term, it is difficult to know how tired they are going to be, especially off the back of a long season. You have to ask how much will it impact them in the league or even further down the line, for instance what about in the World Cup next summer?

From the physical side, there is the risk of fatigue, and injury possibilities are heightened. That will have to be managed.

But I also think that a mental break is a lot more important often that a physical one. These players are not really going to get time to switch off. That will be the difficulty.

That is why we probably need to look further forward to understand the Club World Cup's impact rather than just looking at the now.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Manchester City FC

Manchester City players surprised a number of fans with a visit in the local community last Tuesday, before flying to the United States for the Club World Cup.

City wanted to say thank you for the support in a difficult and trophyless season and one man was of particular interest.

Lifelong City fan Allan Grafton, 80, received an MBE for his service as a 'community hero' in Gorton, as well as a Manchester FA lifetime award.

Defenders John Stones and Rico Lewis paid a visit to Grafton's house and he said: "The biggest surprise was when I looked through the window and saw who was coming out the car. I thought: 'This is brilliant!'"

Stones said: "For us to show our appreciation for what he is doing for his area and the club and how many memories he has got about the good times and how proud he is of what he is doing as well, it's special'."

Lewis added: "I enjoy seeing other people happy and on this visit alone you can see how happy he is and how proud he is of the things that he has done."

Freddie Pye
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

There is a strange feeling heading into a summer tournament involving your club, particularly one that holds the weight of the Fifa Club World Cup, and certainly from the perspective of those at Manchester City.

From the fans' perspective, the total opposite may have been felt had it not have been for the business completed by Hugo Viana in the build-up.

The arrivals of Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri, and Tijjani Reijnders have got fans desperate to get the Club World Cup under way, and finally catch a glimpse of the new wave of potential legends.

After a season of disappointment, there is a feeling of urgency to get going again and see the Pep Guardiola side that we have come to love get back to their scintillating best. And that starts in the US.

Many would have expected a few rising academy stars to have been included in a summer seen by some to be a 'competitive pre-season'. However, Guardiola's squad list - solely featuring senior first-team players - is a clear indication as to how the competition is being viewed.

There are some glaring omissions that speak volumes as to whose futures are in doubt, with Jack Grealish and Kyle Walker the most notable. Both are deemed surplus to requirements and deals are likely to be thrashed out for the pair to leave in the coming weeks.

Speaking to many fans, very few would have concerns over letting go of either player, with the best of their City careers likely behind them.

The squad brought to the Club World Cup says all you need to know about how seriously this is being viewed, and given the vast sums of money on offer for winning matches, it is hardly surprising!

City find themselves at the centre of a squad overhaul, and with more business anticipated for the rest of the summer, many will be seeing this as a prime opportunity to bolster funds for the market.

Only time will tell whether taking the tournament as seriously as possible will have a knock-on effect on Manchester City's ability to kick-start their season as fresh as possible, and also to go the distance in competitions given the early start and lack of a summer break.

On the flip side, Guardiola could see this as an opportunity to get his squad sharpened in perfect time for the start of the Premier League campaign, as opposed to easing into 2025-26 off the back of friendlies and pre-season tours.

Find more from Freddie Pye at City Xtra, external

Image source, Opta

Manchester City are huge favourites to progress from Group G of Fifa's inaugural expanded Club World Cup this summer.

Pep Guardiola's men face Moroccan side Wydad AC in their opener on Wednesday, followed by Abu Dhabi's Al Ain and finally Italian giants Juventus.

Opta's supercomputer, external gives City a 71.3% chance of topping Group G and a 25.9% of finishing second - a 97.2% chance of securing their place in the last 16.

This 97.2% chance of progression is the highest Opta's model gives any of the 32 teams in the group stages of the competition.

Given the resources of the two non-European clubs, Juventus are also heavy favourites to progress - despite enduring a tough five-year period since they were last crowned Serie A champions in 2020.

At the time of writing, Wydad are 365th in the Opta Power Rankings, external, while Al Ain are rated 611th.

Only Auckland City (0.1%) are deemed to have a lower probability of getting through the group stage than either Wydad (10.3%) or Al Ain (5.1%).

Juve's chances are ranked at 87.4% by Opta - meaning in all likelihood the final matchday meeting between Juventus and City will decide the group winners.

Image source, Opta

With the route to the final already mapped out, topping the group looks vital to avoid Real Madrid, who are themselves heavy favourites to win Group H and face Group G's runner-up.

City did face Juventus in the league phase of last season's Champions League in December, losing 2-0 in Turin during a damaging period of seven defeats in 10 games.

From a financial perspective, each group-stage win will net City £1.5m, with £5.8m for reaching the last 16, £10.2m for reaching the quarter-finals, £16.3m for progressing to the semi-finals, and £31m for winning the final.

The maximum prize available is about £97m for winning all of group-stage matches and then going on to win the tournament - the biggest amount ever awarded in club football over a seven-game format.

City have been made second-favourites by Opta - with their 17.8% chance of lifting the trophy behind only Champions League winners Paris St-Germain's 18.5%.

Image source, Getty Images

Spanish football journalist Eduardo Alvarez says European teams could be subjected to a "huge upset" at the Club World Cup if they are not ready for "very enthusiastic opponents".

The newly expanded tournament starts on Saturday with Manchester City and Chelsea taking first-team squads to the United States without a break after long domestic and European campaigns.

High temperatures are also expected at many of the games, especially those played in the middle of the day for broadcast during the evening in Europe.

"They are going to need to pause for hydration," Alvarez told the BBC's World Football podcast. "The combination of the heat and the fact that this is the off-season for the European teams will have an impact.

"I tend to think that the teams who are not 100% with their head and their heart on the tournament will be eliminated pretty quickly and those who stay will be extremely motivated to win this for the first time.

"In the following rounds we will see more entertaining match-ups and this will be interesting in the end.

"For the top European clubs, obviously they have been compensated with money - but in terms of the calendar this is not ideal. They are playing probably 60 or 70 matches and this is another six or seven that are not very welcome.

"But, all the other clubs - the chance to play Bayern Munich or Real Madrid you probably only get once in a while. To them, if there's another two or three more matches - who cares?

"Some of them will bring us a huge upset. That's part of the fun of the football. It's the off-season for the European teams, some of them will be caught sleeping by a very enthusiastic opponent who say: 'This is the game of our lives, we need to play like there's no tomorrow.'

"These teams will either end up causing trouble to, or actually beating, a big household name."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport football news reporter in Florida

Image source, Getty Images

In 31C heat in Boca Raton, Florida, the Manchester City players emerged at the incredible facilities at Lynn University to begin their Club World Cup preparations.

Erling Haaland and co were put through their paces in the team's first training session since arriving in the United States with new signings Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Marcus Bettinelli all involved with their team-mates for the first time.

The most intriguing aspect of the session was seeing how vocal first team coach Kolo Toure was after the ex-City defender was drafted in from the youth team for this tournament.

The former full-back was barking out instructions and seems to have already forged a good working relationship with new assistant coach Pep Lijnders.

City's training sessions will ramp up over the next few days before beginning their campaign against Moroccan side Wydad AC in Philadelphia on Wednesday.