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Barcelona complete Rodri transfer from Manchester City in £65.4million deal

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Rodri has completed his move to Barcelona from Manchester City.

The midfielder, named player of the tournament during Spain’s World Cup triumph this summer, completed a £65.4million transfer on Tuesday after undergoing his medical with the club.

He has signed a four-year deal at the Camp Nou.

Rodri spent seven seasons at City, helping them win the Premier League title on four occasions and scoring the decisive goal as they beat Inter Milan in the 2023 Champions League final.

“Barcelona and Manchester City have reached an agreement for Rodri, who is committing to the Catalan club until June 30 2030,” read a statement from the LaLiga champions on their website.

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Barca’s statement added Rodri is “considered one of the best players in the world in his position”, adding he “stands out for his tactical intelligence, composure on the ball, ability to regain possession and precision in his passing”.

Rodri flew to Barcelona’s El Prat airport on Monday ahead of the finishing touches to his move being finalised and told reporters: “Playing for Barcelona is a dream come true for me.”

Rodri, who joined from Atletico Madrid in July 2019 when City paid a then club-record £62.6m, had entered into the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium.

Barcelona saw an initial £40m offer and an increased bid turned down before an agreement was struck on Sunday, despite new City boss Enzo Maresca admitting he wanted to keep the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner.

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Rodri said ‘playing for Barcelona is a dream come true for me’
Rodri said ‘playing for Barcelona is a dream come true for me’ (Reuters)

While an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the 2024-25 season and hamstring and groin problems in the 2025-26 season – Pep Guardiola’s last at the club – have restricted his involvement, he was at his best for Spain in North America.

In a message to City fans on the club’s website, Rodri wrote: “I found that saying goodbye is one of the most difficult things in life but I am going to try.

“I knew I came into a top team but I never thought we could be able to create the legacy we made winning trophies, fans around the world, love and respect.

“We made an example to inspire the next generations not only because the success, also because the way we did it. And the fans were with us every step of the way.

“City didn’t just make me grow as a player. They made me grow as a human. I saw my brother graduating from Manchester Metropolitan University. I could see my girlfriend working for the NHS.

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“Manchester shaped my whole life. It’s time to say goodbye, thanks to the club, the fans, the staff and my team-mates. This journey couldn’t be the same without you, my heart will always be blue.”

City have already seen club captain and Rodri’s fellow midfielder Bernardo Silva walk out the door this summer after joining Real Madrid on a free transfer, while they have agreed a deal to sell Tijjani Reijnders to Saudi Pro League side Al Qadsiah.

However, Elliot Anderson has joined from Nottingham Forest for £116m and City have also been linked with Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi and Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez.

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Fantasy baseball injuries: Konnor Griffin, Roman Anthony near returns

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Nobody is allowed to get injured anymore.

We’re inside of six weeks to go, after all, which means anyone who goes down now probably isn’t coming back. That’s not strictly true, of course. Minimal IL stints do exist, but they’re not so easily anticipated. Consider it a bonus if you get anything more from a player who you’re currently stashing in an IL spot.

Still, if you have the spots, you might as well use them, right? Even if it seems like a lost cause, the tide can turn quickly. Oneil Cruz and Maikel Garcia were both activated Monday after only a week or so of forewarning. Carlos Rodon is set to be activated Tuesday after making only two rehab starts. Konnor Griffin and Roman Anthony just went from months of no progress to being on the verge of a rehab assignment in the blink of an eye. Not all is lost until the clock runs out.

That’s why, for this last edition of the IL stash rankings, you may notice that certain players presumed to be done for 2026 still occupy a place of significance. Presumption isn’t the final say, after all, and if Nick Kurtz, Shea Langeliers or Spencer Schwellenbach do make it back for the final week or two, it’ll have a greater say in your league’s final outcome than if you had stashed, say, Davis Martin.

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Think of it as just another form of lottery ticket as the season begins to wind down. Maybe don’t hold your breath, but do cross your fingers.

Too valuable to drop, period

Also really difficult to drop

Still a priority on some level

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Stashing is purely a luxury

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3 Signs Bron Breakker will lose to Oba Femi at WWE Sunday Night’s Main Event

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At WWE Sunday Night’s Main Event, Bron Breakker and Oba Femi will lock horns to decide the company’s next real future star. Over the past few weeks, The New Big Dog and The Ruler have appeared in several interesting segments.

This culminated in Heyman announcing a match between them for the SNME show next month. Meanwhile, there are already major signs that indicate Bron will lose to the Nigerian star.

In this listicle, we’ll take a quick look at the three signs signaling Bron Breakker’s loss at Sunday Night’s Main Event.


#3. Oba is fresh off retiring Brock for good

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At WWE SummerSlam 2026, Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar competed in a rubber match, which ended with The Ruler slaying The Beast again. In the post-match, Lesnar put Oba over in front of the live crowd, asserting him as WWE’s future.

Following this big momentum, Bron is his first opponent, and this gigantic moment signals that Breakker will lose to him at Sunday Night’s Main Event. As Oba is fresh off retiring the Mayor of Suplex City for good, it’s unlikely that the Triple H-led creative regime will book him to lose and derail his momentum.


#2. Bron has been too emotional, while Femi is calm

Since Brock Lesnar hailed Oba Femi as the future of the company, Bron Breakker is highly focused on proving himself. He has sought validation from Heyman multiple times on RAW, and this eventually led to his upcoming match against the former NXT Champion.

Breakker is not only preparing himself for a match, but his emotions are also running high as he looks to prove himself as the next future star of sports entertainment. On the other hand, Oba Femi is calm and treating this match like a normal bout rather than a high-profile contest.

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So, it wouldn’t be a surprise if his emotions eventually got the better of Bron Breakker and cost him at Sunday Night’s Main Event. The Ruler’s calmness could favor him and help him defeat the current WWE World Tag Team Champion.


#1. Bron needs a reason to leave The Vision on WWE RAW

A battle in the present… and for the future… OBA FEMI. BRON BREAKKER. Sunday Night’s Main Event is LIVE on @peacock Sunday, September 6th.

Bron Breakker is seemingly stuck in The Vision. The alliance also appears to be an obstacle in his singles run in the company. Losing to Oba Femi at Sunday Night’s Main Event will give The Vision member a reason to leave the group and focus on his singles career.

There are already considerable hints that Bron Breakker is leaving The Vision group. Even nowadays, he is more focused on himself than on being a villainous faction member.

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Losing to Oba Femi at WWE SNME will give him a valid reason to finally leave the Austin Theory & Logan Paul-led faction and start a singles run on the main roster again.