Barcelona · Euro Championship · Attacker · #10 · England · 24 yrs
News is not available yet.
It's clear to see the Gordon family are heavily invested - financially and emotionally - in Hibs. Not for the first time, club owner Ian Gordon last week put his hand in his pocket and stuck £40k behind the bar at the fan zone for travelling Hibees in Ghent. It's refreshing to see, and not taken for granted, an owner appears to be learning what it means to be a football club custodian.
Gordon: Villa have been our nemesis for a while so it's good to beat them. Every player seemed to want to go forward, which has never been the Brighton way. The team looked sharp, confident and dangerous throughout, and Danny Welbeck's absence was barely felt.
Barcelona clubbed Elche 5-0 to get their La Liga title defence up and running. The Catalan giants made an easy meal of their opponents in a rampant display.Raphinha opened the scoring with a penalty t...
Man Utd are interested in signing Alejandro Balde from Barcelona (Picture: Getty) Alejandro Balde was left out of Barcelona’s 5-0 win over Elche as Hansi Flick suspected he was not focussed amid speculation linking him with a move to Manchester United. It was reported last week that United had made an approach for Balde as they look to sign a new left-back before the end of the summer transfer window. Michael Carrick is keen to provide some cover and competition for Luke Shaw ahead of Manchester United’s return to the Champions League this season. England international Lewis Hall was United’s first-choice target and interested in a move to Old Trafford but Newcastle United made it clear he was not for sale. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. As a result Manchester United have turned their attentions to Barcelona academy graduate Balde, who has made over 150 appearances for the La Liga champions. Balde, 22, is contracted to Barca for another two years and has an unattainable release clause in his current deal worth €1 billion. But Spanish outlet SPORT claim Barcelona bosses are willing to cash in on Balde for around 45m euros (£38m) as they look to raise funds following another summer of significant spending. Manchester United boss Michael Carrick (Picture: Getty) It was initially reported that Barca had no desire to sell Balde but the player himself is believed to be pushing for a summer move and would be open to joining Manchester United. Barcelona boss Flick left Balde out of his matchday squad for Sunday’s emphatic win over Elche and SPORT insist that is another sign a summer deal could be on the cards. Explaining Balde’s absence in his pre-match interview, Flick said: ‘I spoke with Alejandro this morning and told him that I think he’s not here at 100%. Clear your mind and then we’ll talk.’ Barcelona boss Hansi Flick (Picture: Getty) Addressing the situation in his post-match press conference, the Barca boss added: ‘I have not told Alejandro Balde to leave. ‘I spoke with him this morning, I told him to think about it and that we’ll talk again tomorrow.’ Manchester United are not alone in expressing interest in Balde, with Aston Villa and Benfica also believed to be keeping tabs on his situation. Balde missed Barcelona’s win over Elche (Picture: Getty) Benfica have in fact already approached Barcelona with a deal but the offer was immediately knocked back due to the fees involved, which remain unknown. Balde has made seven appearances for Spain but none since 2023 and was left out of Luis de la Fuente’s World Cup-winning squad earlier in the summer. The talented left-back hinted he was keen to join Manchester United back in 2020 when he took part in a quick-fire Q&A with Mundo Deportivo on TikTok. When asked, ‘A club other than Barcelona?’, Balde simply replied: ‘United.’ Carrick’s Manchester United began their Premier League campaign with a disappointing 2-0 defeat at newly-promoted Hull City, the favourites to finish bottom this season. The Red Devils will be desperate to clinch their first win of the season next weekend when another new Premier League side, Ipswich Town, visit the Theatre of Dreams. England’s Anthony Gordon, who moved to the Nou Camp in a £70m transfer from Newcastle, made two assists as Barcelona thrashed Elche 5-0 in their La Liga opener. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
While being one of the most highlighted signings of the summer, Rodri won't be taking part of FC Barcelona's debut game in the 2026-27 La Liga against Elche CF. Rodri stands as one of FC Barcelona‘s most high-profile marquee signings during the 2026 summer transfer window. Now, as the Blaugrana open their 2026-27 La Liga campaign away against Elche CF on Sunday, August 23, questions have arisen over his complete absence from the matchday squad. Rodri will not participate in the season opener against Elche due to a lack of match fitness. Having recently finalized his move to Barcelona following an extended post-World Cup vacation and rehabilitation from a minor back procedure, the Spanish international has logged only a handful of training sessions with his new club. Consequently, head coach Hansi Flick decided to leave Rodri out of the 23-man squad entirely, keeping him in Catalonia to complete his recovery rather than traveling to the Martinez Valero Stadium. In his absence, Gavi and Marc Bernal will be covering the double pivot in midfield, with Pedri also available in the rotation. Thus far, Rodri has been following a tailored conditioning program to regain peak fitness following Spain’s deep run to the 2026 World Cup final. During recent session blocks, the midfielder trained separately under an individualized regimen, making an appearance against Elche an unrealistic expectation for the coaching staff. ❗| Rodri is still training individually to gain rhythm. It seems like he will NOT be available for the match against Elche tomorrow. [@NachoJP_] #fcblive 🔴pic.twitter.com/zXAVdslMH0— BarçaTimes (@BarcaTimes) August 22, 2026 Speaking in Saturday’s pre-match press conference, Flick addressed Rodri’s timeline after the marquee signing was spotted participating in light gym work alongside the squad: “He also trained on the pitch, he’s very concentrated, he’s focused on going back, an our plan is that he’ll arrive on Monday with the team. This is the plan, and we’re happy that he’s here.“ The German manager also underscored the tactical value of incorporating a world-class holding midfielder into his scheme. “He’s a fantastic player, a leader, and his personality is really great,” Flick stated, hoping to integrate the veteran into the squad for Thursday’s clash against Athletic Bilbao on August 27. La Liga debut following the World Cup With the 2026 World Cup extending deep into July, La Liga adjusted its opening-month calendar to allow international stars adequate recovery time. In Barcelona‘s case, key figures like Jules Kounde, Joao Cancelo, Pedri, Dani Olmo, and Anthony Gordon, who featured in the tournament’s final weekend, will begin Sunday’s match on the substitute bench. Regarding his rotation strategy for World Cup veterans, Flick emphasized patience: “It is normal that the players who played in the World Cup don’t play the full 90 minutes, though they may have to play a few minutes. You have to manage the minutes, and it isn’t easy. There are no valid excuses. We have to start by winning the first match. It won’t be easy because Elche controls the ball and moves it quickly. It won’t be easy. We have tremendous quality and we want the three points.“
⚽ Premier League updates from the 4.30pm (BST) kick-off⚽ Live scores | Get the Football Daily email | Drop us a lineThere has been a goal at the Etihad to set up a tense finish between Manchester City and Bournemouth. Join our MBM for the latest.Newcastle’s top-four chance creators from last season all have left the club. The club made well over £200m from the sales of Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães but it’s interesting that summer arrivals Bazoumana Touré (signed for £43m from Hoffenheim) and Aladji Bamba (signed for £30m from Monaco) are not in Jaissle’s XI today. Where are the goals going to come from? Continue reading...
Tap a headline to view metadata and excerpt fields in Sportra, then use the article website button to continue on the original publisher page.
