Manchester City sign Atletico's Rodri in club-record deal
Manchester City smashed their transfer record yesterday with the signing of Spanish international midfielder Rodri on a five-year deal from Atletico Madrid.
The La Liga club announced on Wednesday that City had paid a 70 million euro (S$107m) buyout clause for the 23-year-old. City confirmed on their website that Rodri was a record signing.
The deal eclipsed the £60 million (S$102.3m) they paid Leicester City for Algerian international Riyad Mahrez last July.
Rodri - Rodrigo Hernandez Cascante - follows Angelino, the Spanish left-back who joined from PSV Eindhoven, as manager Pep Guardiola's second signing of the summer.
City's director of football Txiki Begiristain told the club website that "Rodri has proven himself to be a hugely talented" and meets "all the attributes we are looking for".
Meanwhile, Leicester City have signed striker Ayoze Perez from Newcastle United on a four-year deal. - REUTERS
Injured Willian out of Copa America final
Brazil winger Willian has been ruled out of the Copa America final against Peru on Monday morning (Singapore time), due to a muscle injury, his side said in a statement yesterday.
The 30-year-old, who will remain with the Selecao at their training base ahead of the final, scored Brazil's final goal in their 5-0 drubbing of Peru in the group stage and also converted a penalty in their shoot-out victory over Paraguay in the quarter-finals.
He was brought on for winger Everton at half-time in his side's 2-0 win over Argentina in the last four, but tests on Wednesday revealed he had a muscle injury.
Willian was a late replacement in the squad for Neymar, who had to miss the tournament in his home country due to an ankle injury suffered in last month's friendly against Qatar.
Willian is Brazil's only absentee for the final at the Maracana, where the five-time world champions will be eyeing their first major trophy since the 2007 Copa America. - REUTERS
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