Chelsea and Alonso chase Stones on a free
Chelsea want John Stones on a free. The former City defender left the club this summer, and Chelsea are now weighing up a deal after completing their €138m move for Morgan Rogers (1) (6). Xabi Alonso is also showing interest (5). Stones is free to negotiate with any club after his City contract expired.
Haaland has his exit mapped out
Erling Haaland has reportedly agreed with his agent on the perfect moment to leave City. Spanish outlet Bernabeu Digital claims the Norwegian and his representative Rafaela Pimenta have mapped out an exit plan (3). Real Madrid is the expected destination. Nothing formal yet, but the story will not go away quietly.
Santos: Bernardo is a phenomenon
Fernando Santos could not stop praising him. The former Portugal boss, who managed Bernardo Silva with the national team, called him "a phenomenon in every sense of the word" after his move to Real Madrid was confirmed earlier this month (4). "He sees the game like very few players in the world do," Santos added. "On a personal and human level, he's one of the best footballers I've met in my entire career."
Chelsea's Rogers deal breaks City's old record
Chelsea's €138m deal for Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa sets a new British transfer record (6) (8). It eclipses the record City set with the Elliot Anderson signing, and the deal places Chelsea among several clubs splashing eye-watering fees within the Premier League bubble (7) (9). Rogers himself spoke about reuniting with Cole Palmer, his former City academy teammate, calling it "probably the most special thing" about the move.
Fan-reaktioner
Rodri to Real Madrid is the dominant topic across fan forums this week. Matteo Moretto reports that personal terms are agreed and negotiations with City have not even begun, which has left supporters uneasy. The mood on r/MCFC is a mix of frustration and grim acceptance, losing a Ballon d'Or midfielder to Madrid with no deal in place yet feels like a repeat of familiar patterns. Full thread
