Manchester City
Haaland’s quiet opening highlights Manchester City’s unfinished rebuild
Haaland’s opening day exposed City’s lack of midfield service and unfinished rebuild.
Erling Haaland’s opening weekend was less a story about his new haircut than about the shape of Manchester City around him. In the 2026/27 Premier League opener against Bournemouth, City edged a 2-1 win, yet the centre forward again looked short of the kind of supply that has long made him so dangerous.
That issue had already surfaced in the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, where Haaland was also denied meaningful service. By the time the league campaign began at the Etihad Stadium, he had cut off his trademark golden locks, but his movement still reflected a team not yet settled under a new manager.
The missing pieces were impossible to ignore. Bernardo Silva, Rodri and John Stones were all absent after summer moves to Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter respectively, leaving a group with a very different feel. Record signing Elliot Anderson covered ground in midfield but made little impression before going off injured after 63 minutes. Marc Guéhi started in midfield ahead of Nico González, while Nico O’Reilly, originally a midfielder, was used in the No. 10 role.
City improved after Rayan Cherki replaced O’Reilly 18 minutes into the second half. Cherki provided both assists in the late turnaround, first from an 84th-minute corner that Guéhi headed in to level the match, then with the pass that set up Joško Gvardiol’s stoppage-time winner.
Still, the goals did not change the larger concern around Haaland. He registered five shots against Bournemouth, but only one troubled Đorđe Petrović, and his best opening arrived in the 75th minute while City were still behind. The move ended with a save that was comfortable for the goalkeeper.
The day before, Paul Merson had warned on Sky Sports show Soccer Saturday that Haaland could get “frustrated” because this City side is not built in the same way as before. “If you’re Haaland, you’d be worried,” he said. “Kevin De Bruyne, Silva, they put him through, but they’ve got dribblers [now], not someone who’s going to put the ball through [to him].
“You’re only as good as the players that provide you, and he isn’t going to have that service.”
City remain a work in progress, even with news of a deal being agreed for Lille prodigy Ayyoub Bouaddi, who is expected to fill the Rodri role. As Maresca noted, the club is still searching for the “new Rodri”, and Haaland’s opening display only sharpened that point.
Manchester City
Manchester City Move Closer to Bouaddi Deal After Maresca’s Transfer Message
City close in on Bouaddi as Maresca’s transfer calls are met with a record fee.
Manchester City have moved towards a major deal for Ayyoub Bouaddi after head coach Enzo Maresca publicly pressed for recruitment in midfield, according to multiple reports.
The City manager made clear that replacing elite departures is part of the club’s ongoing task. “We try to find the new Rodri, it is what it is,” he shrugged.
“[Before] Rodri arrived here, he didn’t win the Ballon d’Or, he didn’t win the Champions League, he didn’t win the Club World Cup. He joined the club then he achieved many important things.”
Maresca also pointed to the club’s history of moving quickly when key figures leave. “I was thinking on Thursday night,” the Italian manager mused, “when David Silva was here, everyone was worried and Kevin [De Bruyne] arrived. When Sergio [Agüero] was here, everyone was worried [when he was going to leave] and Erling [Haaland] arrived. Fernandinho? Rodri arrived.
“When they leave, you need to be good in recruiting the next one. They are all similar, David, Kevin, Fernandinho, Rodri, Erling—there is one more—it is normal, it is change, it is not a problem, go again and try to do the right things.”
Bouaddi has now been placed into that sequence of high-level arrivals. City had tracked the 18-year-old before his standout role for Morocco at this summer’s World Cup, but those displays also pushed Lille to hold firm on a sizeable asking price. City initially seemed reluctant to match it.
That changed after the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal last weekend, with RMC Sport’s Fabrice Hawkins first reporting on Sunday, just before the Premier League opener against Bournemouth, that the clubs had reached a full agreement. Bouaddi will cost at least $111 million, with a further $5.8 million possible in add-ons.
The fee makes him City’s third most expensive signing and sets a new record for Lille’s biggest sale.
There may still be more business to come. City are expected to consider another midfielder after Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders and Bernardo Silva all moved on this summer. BBC Sport report that hope remains over Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández, while Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace and Liverpool leader Alexis Mac Allister have also been mentioned.
Outgoings are also set to continue. Savinho’s proposed move to Tottenham Hotspur is expected to be followed by another Spurs bid for Omar Marmoush, while Nico González is also thought to have been given the green light for a summer exit to Newcastle United.
Manchester City
Haaland debuts new haircut before City’s season opener
Haaland unveils a fresh haircut before City’s opener, with mixed reactions all around.
Erling Haaland has started the new campaign with a change in appearance, unveiling a fresh haircut ahead of Manchester City’s Premier League opener against Bournemouth on Sunday.
The striker explained the timing himself on his YouTube channel, saying: “The season starts now, so it’s time to get a fresh start,” Haaland told his YouTube channel ahead of City’s Premier League opener against Bournemouth on Sunday. “I’m a bit nervous.” That was a common feeling.
The barber tasked with removing Haaland’s familiar man bun did not hide the pressure of the moment. “I’m a little bit stressed. It’s not a usual job,” he admitted.
Haaland’s agent Rafaela Pimenta was equally unsettled, describing it as “the most expensive haircut of all time” before the first strand had fallen. Meanwhile, Isabel Haugseng Johansen reacted with horror at the prospect of the cut, saying, “I think I will cry.”
By the end, though, her view had softened. “It looks nice. You look cute,” she said, even if Haaland had been aiming for something with a harder edge. “I’ll wake up in the morning and think, who’s that?”
Haaland seemed to enjoy the reaction the new look might generate beyond the chair. “Can’t wait for the fans to sing, ‘Who the f—ing hell is that?’” he said. “I want Man City fans to sing that.”
He also added: “Imagine if I score a header tomorrow,” a line that underlined the contrast between the fresh cut and his usual image. Although he has worn shorter styles before, this is a noticeable shift for a player who has kept the same look throughout his four seasons at Manchester City. “No regrets, never,” the Norway international said, before reaching for a comparison of his own. “Remember, the vikings always cut it short.”
The verdict from the small group shown the new style was mostly amused. Noel Gallagher told him: “Mate, you look about 17 years old,” while Jack Grealish said: “You look about f—ing 10 years old.” Gallagher still settled on a positive final assessment: “Change is good,” and Grealish added: “I love it.”
Aston Villa
The early front-runners for the 2026-27 Premier League transfer prize
The race for the 2026-27 signing award may again favour value over headlines and big fees.
As the 2026-27 Premier League campaign approaches, attention is already turning to the next winner of the Transfer of the Season award. Last year’s honour went to Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens, and the question now is which signing will follow him into the record books.
The obvious place to start is at the top end of the market. Chelsea’s capture of Morgan Rogers for $157 million set a new benchmark for an English player, only for Manchester City to edge past it with Elliot Anderson at $153 million. Tottenham Hotspur also reshaped their window around major money moves for Mateus Fernandes at $112 million and Sandro Tonali at $133 million.
Yet the most expensive deals do not always deliver the greatest return. History has already shown that the biggest fees often bring the heaviest scrutiny, and that can quickly overwhelm even talented players. Among the highest-priced transfers in history, the record is mixed. The jury is still out on Rogers and Anderson, while Alexander Isak is being given the benefit of the doubt after an injury-hit debut season at Liverpool. Others, including Philippe Coutinho, Antoine Griezmann, João Félix, Enzo Fernández and Neymar, were merely adequate by the standards of their price tags. The exception is Kylian Mbappé’s move to PSG, the one clear success at that level.
That is why last season’s winner stood out. Lammens cost United around $29 million, a fee that made him a bargain rather than a headline act. He responded with eight clean sheets in 32 games and offered exactly what was required, which made his value impossible to ignore.
A similar pattern could emerge again in 2026-27. United hope Youri Tielemans, signed from Aston Villa for $47 million, can repeat that kind of return. Chelsea will expect Marco Palestra, a $62 million arrival from Atalanta, to make an immediate impact. Brighton & Hove Albion’s Luka Vušković, at $66 million, is another who should be judged on quick adaptation.
There is also room for less expensive arrivals to shape the conversation. Christos Tzolis and Víctor Muñoz, both at $46 million for Arsenal and Liverpool, fit that profile. Brentford’s Mamadou Sangaré, Bournemouth’s António Silva, Nottingham Forest’s Ousmane Diomande, Everton’s Hayden Hackney and Fulham striker Gonzalo García all have the kind of price points and profiles that can bring surprise value if they settle quickly.
