David Silva is set to extend his contract to stay at Manchester City for the rest of an extended season – which Pep Guardiola hopes will culminate in Champions League glory and a rush to be ready for the 2020/21 campaign.
The City captain’s current contract expires on June 30 and he would be ineligible for the run-in if he did not sign a new deal.
Manager Guardiola regrets that Silva will be denied the send-off he deserves for 10 years of outstanding service but said City are already planning to welcome him back so their fans can pay tribute.
He said: “He will stay until the end of the season. It is unfortunate he is going to finish his last games here without people. The situation is what it is.
"No one wants it. But he is coming back and hopefully he can have the big farewell.
"Always the clubs become big when they make the big gestures to these players for what they have done for more than one decade.
"It was Vincent Kompany, it was Joe Hart, Yaya Toure and Pablo Zabaleta. They make the club what it is. The club will make an agreement with David and do what they have to do."
Silva's final act in a City shirt could be to lift the Champions League trophy, potentially in Lisbon deep into August, but September 12 has been mooted as a date for next season to start.
“We would love to not have a break before next season for the Premier League,” added Guardiola. “It would be incredible news for us. It means we go through.”
City return to action against Arsenal on Wednesday with Leroy Sane available to make his first appearance since August and Aymeric Laporte back after an injury-hit season, but with Guardiola promising to be cautious with both.
“You have to be careful especially for the recovered situations for players that had long injuries,” he added.
City have only had three weeks to prepare and Guardiola said: “They had six weeks in Germany, five in Spain, almost double what we had. But all the people with their own businesses and shops have to adapt. You have to [return] to reduce the economic damage as much as possible.”
It will be City’s first game behind closed doors and Guardiola urged his players to draw on childhood memories to excel without a crowd.
He explained: “When they were little kids they play in the school or the square without spectators and they play good in that situation. That is what they have to do.”
Guardiola has a new assistant manager as he faces his former second in command. He played for Juanma Lillo at Dorados Sinaloa 15 years ago and they have now been reunited. The City manager explained: "He is the right person to help us, understand the game better and the mythology of training sessions."
Mikel Arteta left to manage Arsenal in December and he and Guardiola remain sufficiently close that they spoke at lunchtime on Tuesday and are planning for a socially distanced get together at full-time.
Arteta tested positive for coronavirus in March and Guardiola added: “When he announced he had the Covid-19 we were all worried but hopefully now he is immune.”
Guardiola lost his mother, Dolors, to the virus and he paid his tribute to the healthcare workers around the world.
“Football is an important part of society but please don’t forget what is [most] important,” he said.
“They deserve more than just one applause a week. The people in the NHS went to work every single day, risking being contaminated by Covid-19. The real heroes in society must be these people.”
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The best free agents on the market this summer
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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OPINIONS ON PALESTINE & ISRAEL
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
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House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
England squad
Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, James Bracey, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Ben Foakes, Lewis Gregory, Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Amar Virdi, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
MATCH INFO
Europa League final
Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
MATCH INFO
Arsenal 1 (Aubameyang 12’) Liverpool 1 (Minamino 73’)
Arsenal win 5-4 on penalties
Man of the Match: Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal)
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 4 (Gundogan 8' (P), Bernardo Silva 19', Jesus 72', 75')
Fulham 0
Red cards: Tim Ream (Fulham)
Man of the Match: Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City)
