Arsenal Rout Manchester City in Maresca's Community Shield Debut as Rodri's Barcelona Move Is Finally Done
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Arsenal beat Manchester City 3-0 to win the FA Community Shield at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Sunday, with Riccardo Calafiori scoring after just 24 seconds before further goals from Kai Havertz and man-of-the-match Martin Odegaard sealed the win. It was Enzo Maresca's first competitive match in charge of City since succeeding Pep Guardiola, and he admitted afterwards there are "many things to work on," telling the BBC that conceding so early made the game "difficult" and calling it "a defeat that hurts us, but it's only the beginning."
Rodri's move from Manchester City to Barcelona has finally been completed, with the clubs agreeing a package worth around €76.5m after City accepted Barcelona's fourth offer, according to Forbes and Barca Universal. The Spain midfielder has been given permission to fly to Catalonia for his medical and is set to sign a four-year contract running to June 2030.
Newcastle have agreed a £29.5m deal with Benfica for right-back Amar Dedic, with the player expected to fly in for a medical on Monday, Sky Sports reports. The club is confident of registering him in time for their Premier League opener against Liverpool next Sunday.
Aston Villa have agreed a deal with Parma to sign goalkeeper Zion Suzuki as a long-term successor to Emiliano Martinez, after Juventus had an £8.5m bid for Martinez rejected by Villa, according to Sky Sports.
Transfer and squad notes
Manchester City are in talks over Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, with Lille head coach Davide Ancelotti confirming discussions have taken place while saying he hopes the move ultimately falls through.
What it means for the league
Arsenal's dominant Community Shield win gives Mikel Arteta's side an ideal platform heading into the title defence, while Maresca faces early questions over how quickly he can stamp his approach on a City side adjusting to life after Guardiola. Rodri's departure leaves City needing to reshape their midfield just as the season begins, with the Bouaddi links suggesting that process is already underway. Newcastle and Villa's goalkeeping and defensive business shows clubs across the table still working to have squads settled before kick-off.