Before he joined Barcelona in 2014 for a reported fee of €18 million, Ivan Rakitic spent three and a half years at Sevilla, scoring 34 goals in 149 games in their shirt. In his final season there, he helped them win the first of their three consecutive Europa League titles and was nominated for the Best Midfielder award at the end-of-season La Liga Awards ceremony, losing out eventually to future teammate Andres Iniesta.
Since then, he has helped Barcelona win four La Liga titles, four Copa del Rey and one Champions League trophy, scoring 35 times in 282 games so far. However, his future at the club has become questionable after the arrival of Frenkie de Jong from Ajax this summer, and interest of several clubs has been reported, not least that of his former club.
Whe…
Bernardo Silva is frustrated about Manchester City players apparently not getting as much credit as they deserve.
City have won four of the past five Premier League titles, a feat only previously managed by Alex Ferguson s Manchester United.
Pep Guardiola s arrival in 2016 has undoubtedly had an impact on their domination, with the Catalan coach quickly establishing a team identity that has made them one of the most entertaining and ruthless sides in Europe.
But Bernardo, who joined a year after Guardiola, thinks City are not as appreciated as they should be, with the Portugal international suggesting the end-of-season awards are evidence of this.
Last season, the Professional Footballers Association s (PFA) Team of the Year contained only three City play…
Lyon sporting director Juninho slammed departing Barcelona-linked star Memphis Depay for wanting the Ligue 1 side to revolve around him like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
Depay will leave Lyon on a free transfer this off-season and LaLiga giants Barca – led by former Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman – have been tipped to sign the Dutch forward.
The 27-year-old Depay, who arrived from Manchester United in 2017, was involved in 32 goals in Ligue 1 this season (20 goals and 12 assists) – equalling his best tally in a single campaign with the French side (19 goals and 13 assists in 2017-18).
Only Paris Saint-Germain star Mbappe scored more Ligue 1 goals (27) than Depay in 2020-21, but Juninho had strong words for the outgoing Lyon cap…
Pedro has confirmed his departure from Chelsea after five wonderful years with the Premier League club.
The Spanish forward is out of contract with the Blues and is rumoured to be heading for Italy next, reportedly to join Serie A side Roma on a two-year deal.
His final appearance for Chelsea came to a painful end, as he suffered a dislocated shoulder during the FA Cup final loss to Arsenal. He has since undergone surgery on the injury and did not feature in the Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich on Saturday.
In an Instagram post on Sunday, Pedro reflected on his successul time at Stamford Bridge, thanking all those who helped him feel at home following his move from Barcelona in 2015.
After five wonderful years my stage at Chelsea comes to an …
Arsene Wenger is confident Aaron Ramsey will extend his stay at Arsenal into a second decade as talks continue over a contract extension.
The midfielder, who signed from Cardiff City in 2008, is free to leave when his current deal expires at the end of next season, sparking concerns the club may be forced to cash in on another key player.
Alexis Sanchez s hesitation to commit his future paved the way for a January move to Manchester United, but Wenger does not anticipate a similar problem with Ramsey.
The Wales international has impressed with nine goals in all competitions amid the Gunners underwhelming campaign.
We are communicating, Wenger said of discussions with Ramsey s representatives. I m confident. He s not at the end of his contract, he ha…
Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland scored as Manchester City came from two goals down to salvage a 3-3 draw in Sunday s Premier League thriller with Newcastle United.
The reigning champions had started their latest title defence with back-to-back wins without conceding and took a fifth-minute lead at St James Park through Ilkay Gundogan.
However, Miguel Almiron levelled up with a goal awarded after a VAR check and Callum Wilson had Newcastle – themselves still unbeaten – in front prior to half-time.
Kieran Trippier s stunning free-kick put Newcastle further ahead, but Haaland pulled one back and Silva equalised soon after to ensure the points were shared.
Newcastle had kept back-to-back clean sheets but were caught cold early on, with Gundogan left in…
Paris Saint-Germain have signed Porto captain Danilo Pereira on loan for the rest of the season.
The Portugal midfielder joined the Ligue 1 champions on transfer deadline day in a temporary deal until June 2021, with PSG retaining an option to buy the 29-year-old permanently.
Pereira joined Porto from Maritimo in 2015 and he has gone on to make 202 appearances for the club, winning the Primeira Liga in 2018 and last season.
He has also featured in 30 Champions League matches, scoring once and laying on three assists.
It s a new challenge for me and to be part of Paris Saint-Germain fits my ambitions, said Pereira.
Joining one of the biggest clubs in Europe and in the world is a huge moment in my career and I hope to be able to bring a lot to P…
Former Liverpool full-back Emiliano Insua hopes LA Galaxy can end their MLS title drought this season.
The Galaxy are the most successful club in MLS history with five trophies from nine finals appearances, though they have not tasted glory since 2014.
Last season saw the Galaxy reach the Western Conference semi-finals thanks to Zlatan Ibrahimovic s 31 goals, though the ex-Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain striker has since departed for Milan.
Guillermo Barros Schelotto s Galaxy are 11th in the 12-team Western Conference, with 15 points from 13 games – three points behind eighth-placed Real Salt Lake, who occupy the final qualifying spot amid the coronavirus pandemic.
After leaving Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart at the start of the MLS season, Insu…
Stoke secured a first home win since August as they battled for a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Sunderland.
The Potters took an early lead when the returning Ryan Mmaee opened his Sky Bet Championship goal account following a summer switch from Ferencvaros.
But the hosts’ celebrations were cut short when Jack Clarke levelled soon after with his eighth league goal of the season, climbing to the top of the division’s scoring charts in the process.
The half-time instructions of Alex Neil – the former Black Cats boss – proved key as Stoke regained the lead with Luke McNally’s first goal since March 2022.
And Neil’s Sunderland successor Tony Mowbray was a frustrated figure as the visitors failed to avoid a second defeat in a row despite a late onsla…
Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion faced each other on Saturday at Anfield in the seventh Premier League game for either side, and both teams played in accordance with much we had already seen from them this term. It was an exciting contest which quite justly ended in a draw, with the ball hitting the back of each net three times.
Leandro Trossard shocked Anfield twice early on, breaking the deadlock after less than four minutes and adding the second in the 17th. It was Roberto Firmino who restored some hope for the hosts in the 33rd and equalized nine minutes into the second half, before a corner clumsily punched by Brighton keeper Robert Sanchez struck defender Adam Webster and bounced into the goal in the 63rd, putting Liverpool ahead. But 20 minutes later, Trossard turn…