Community Shield: Rodri did not travel with Manchester City

Live 65’ Community Shield England

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The 2026-2027 season also kicks off in England this Sunday. With the first trophy of the campaign up for grabs, Arsenal and Manchester City face off in Cardiff for the Community Shield. But for this final, Rodri hasn't made the trip.

Voted best player of the 2026 World Cup, Rodri is not taking part in the Community Shield final between Arsenal and Manchester City (1-0, match ongoing). Still recovering from back surgery, he wouldn't have been able to play. Normally, unavailable players still travel with the squad, but that's not the case for the Spaniard. Naturally, this only fuels speculation about an imminent move to FC Barcelona.

Rodri to FC Barcelona, just a matter of days?

Barça have submitted a €70 million bid to Manchester City for the midfielder. The Sky Blues, however, turned it down, sticking to their €80 million asking price for Rodri. This small gap between offer and demand hasn't stopped both clubs from remaining highly optimistic about wrapping up the transfer quickly, according to Marca.

See also: Real Madrid: Madrid's defense faces major difficulties ahead of LaLiga restart

Negotiations won't progress this Sunday, though, as the Blaugrana have a friendly against Basel, while the Premier League runners-up are clashing with Arsenal for the Community Shield.

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

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