Barcelona have revealed they have “the beginning of an agreement with Manchester City for Claudio Bravo”.
City manager Pep Guardiola, who coached Barcelona from 2008-2012, has reportedly been on the lookout for a new goalkeeper, having started the first two Premier League games of his reign with Willy Caballero between the posts ahead of England international Joe Hart.
Technical secretary Robert Fernandez said: “We have the beginning of an agreement with Manchester City for Claudio Bravo.
“We are awaiting events this week. When Claudio leaves, we hope to have a new keeper.”
Vitolo agrees new deal with Sevilla
Spain winger Vitolo has agreed a one-year contract extension with Europa League winners Sevilla.
The 26-year-old will be tied to Sevilla until June 2020 when he puts pen to paper on the deal in the coming days.
Vitolo had been heavily linked with a move to Atletico Madrid but he has now committed his future to the club he joined from Las Palmas in 2013.
A Sevilla statement read: “Vitolo, one of the captains and leaders of the dressing room, has been a key piece of the club’s three successive Europa League wins. Wearing the Sevilla shirt, he has become one of the leading players nationwide, whilst earning a call-up from Spain.”
CSKA Sofia coach Yanev steps down
Under-pressure CSKA Sofia coach Hristo Yanev resigned yesterday after only four matches, saying a change was needed to turn round the Bulgarian club’s fortunes.
CSKA, determined to end Ludogorets’s domestic domination and win the league title, have made a shaky start to the new season, losing 1-0 at newcomers Vereya and then drawing 1-1 at lowly Pirin Blagoevgrad in a scrappy match on Saturday.
“This is not the team that I want to see,” the 37-year-old Yanev said. “I see sadness in the fans’ eyes and it doesn’t make me feel happy.
“Our fans are fantastic, they’re always behind us. I want to make something to turn round the team’s fortune.”
No more comebacks, says Bulgaria’s Petrov
Former Bulgaria and Aston Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov said on Saturday he will not be tempted again to resume his playing career after the English club decided against offering him a contract.
“There’ll be no more comebacks,” Petrov told local media. “My return to professional football has failed but I’ll explain the reasons at a later stage.”
The 37-year-old trained with second-tier Villa at their pre-season camp in Austria, four years after retiring following a diagnosis of acute leukaemia.
Barry up with the best – Koeman
Ronald Koeman has been impressed by Gareth Barry since taking over at Everton and rates the midfielder among the best players he has managed.
Aged 35, Barry shows no signs of easing up and on Saturday produced a typically combative display to help Everton to their first Premier League win of the season against West Brom.
Koeman said: “He is a very clever player on the pitch. His passing is fantastic. If the team is compact he doesn’t need to run a lot in distance, he can press, he can win tackles, he is aggressive and he was in the box and that surprised me.
“It did not surprise me because he was in the box but because at corner kicks he took his position.
“He is one of the best players I have managed in my teams because the cleverness of him in football is really of a high quality.”
Klopp rues Reds’ wasted possession
Jurgen Klopp has said that his Liverpool side need to make the most of the possession when they have it and lamented his players’ decision making in the 2-0 defeat to Burnley on Saturday.
Klopp feels a lack of penetration and mistakes under pressure cost his side dearly.
“(Possession) is what we did well,” Klopp said. “But in the end you have to use it. It’s not allowed that you suffer under your own ball possession, it makes no sense.
“It’s not that we didn’t want it – six or seven times Coutinho alone was in the right position to shoot. In England you use the word ‘clinical’ – in a lot of situations I saw we were clinical but even then we didn’t score. That’s how it is and we have to accept it.”
Soimii concedes 41 goals in three games
Romanian team Soimii Pancota’s 18-0 away loss to Juventus Bucharest on Saturday means The Hawks have now conceded a staggering 41 goals in their first three games in second division.
It could have been worse for Soimii but their 15-year-old goalkeeper Adelin Pasca saved Juventus Brazilian defender Wallace’s penalty seven minutes from time.
The match in the Romanian capital comes just a week after Soimii’s 7-0 loss to Sepsi at home. The team also suffered a humiliating 16-0 loss at Afumati in their opening league game.