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Vitor Roque has had a tough first 12 months in Spanish football. He did not get a sniff at Barcelona, and he is now struggling at Real Betis – and to make matters worse, his playing time is expected to drop for the second half of the season.
On deadline day, Betis completed the big-money signing of Juan Hernandez from MLS side Columbus Crew. He joins Roque and Cedric Bakambu as striker options for Manuel Pellegrini, but given the outlay that was made to bring him in, the expectation is that he will soon be the starter.
Roque has seven goals in 30 appearances for Betis this season, which underlines the difficulties that he has had. This is not only bad news for Los Verdiblancos, but also Barcelona, who had hoped the move to the Benito Villamarin would lead to an increase in his transfer valuation. However, this has not been the case so far.
It’s worth noting that Betis have an option to buy Roque at the end of the season, although they do not intend to activate that. There is also a clause to extend the loan by an additional 12 months, but Sport say that this is also going to be snubbed.
It means that Roque would return to Barcelona in the summer, although he is not expected to remain in Catalonia as he is not counted on by head coach Hansi Flick. Instead, the club will look for another exit, with their ideal situation being to sell him on for close to the €30m that they paid to Athletico Paranaense back in 2023.
There is no doubt that Roque has had a very tough time in Spanish football over the last 12-13 months. He has been unable to show the true potential that he has, and as a result, it is expected to mean that he moves on in the summer.
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How & Where to Watch Arsenal vs Newcastle United:
Arsenal and Newcastle United will face off in a pre-season friendly on Sunday, July 27, 2025 at 7:30 a.m. ET. The match will be held at the Singapore National Stadium as part of both teams’ summer tours. For US viewers, the game will be live on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network. It will also be available on FuboTV if you have a subscription. Paramount+ has a monthly plan starting at $7.99 and the match is part of their international friendlies coverage of top European clubs. Is Alexander Isak Playing Today vs Arsenal? The big question ahead of the game is Alexander Isak’s absence. He didn’t travel to Singapore with the team due to a minor thigh injury. But his name has been in transfer rumors and reports suggest he’s open to a move with Liverpool listed as one of the interested clubs. Manager Eddie Howe said Isak’s injury but wouldn’t comment on his future so his absence is open to interpretation. Either way he won’t play today. Will Viktor Gyökeres Play Tonight vs Newcastle? Arsenal fans hoping to see new signing Viktor Gyökeres in action will have to wait. He joined Arsenal for between £55–64 million and has arrived in Singapore with the team. But the club has decided to hold him out of this game and will unveil him to the fans before his likely debut later in the tour possibly in the North London derby in Hong Kong. Match Preview Despite Isak and Gyökeres not playing, the game is still a good test for both teams. Arsenal will continue to integrate summer signings Martin Zubimendi, Cristhian Mosquera and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. Newcastle is coming off a 4-0 defeat to Celtic and will use this game to regroup. With Isak and Callum Wilson out, younger players or fringe attackers might get a chance to impress. The game is part of a growing trend of Premier League clubs taking pre-season games to global audiences. For US viewers it’s a rare early morning opportunity to watch two top English teams play each other in a competitive warm-up for the 2025-26 season.
Royals acquire outfield help in perplexing trade with Diamondbacks
The Kansas City Royals were hoping to bolster their outfield ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. They were able to do just that in a trade on Saturday. Steve Gilbert from MLB.com reported that the Royals have acquired outfielder Randal Grichuk from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Mark Feinsand from MLB.com reported that relief pitcher Andrew Hoffman will head to Arizona in exchange for Grichuk. The Royals desperately needed help in their outfield. Royals outfielders had been the worst in the majors, posting an atrocious .219/.273/.328 batting line with just 19 home runs entering Saturday's action. Although Grichuk is in the midst of a disappointing season himself, he is an immediate upgrade over whatever the Royals have sent into the outfield. Grichuk had posted a .243/.280/.462 batting line in 186 plate appearances entering Saturday, hitting seven homers and 15 doubles. In exchange, the Diamondbacks receive Hoffman, who FanGraphs ranked as the Royals' 22nd-best prospect entering the season. His upper-90s fastball and new kick change are both considered plus offerings, although his ability to command his arsenal is questionable at best. Hoffman's potential and flaws were evident this season. He made his major league debut for the Royals, allowing six runs, two earned, on seven hits and four walks over 4.2 innings, striking out five. However, Hoffman had dominated at Triple-A, posting a 3.60 ERA and a 1.125 WHiP over his 40 innings, striking out 55 batters with just 10 walks. He is another intriguing addition for a Diamondbacks team that has prioritized pitching in their two trades thus far. The same upside does not exist for the Royals. Kansas City had the same record as the Diamondbacks entering the second game of their doubleheader against the Guardians. Grichuk signed a one-year contract with $5 million guaranteed for 2025. There is a mutual option worth $5 million, with a $3 million buyout, for 2026. Theoretically, Grichuk could be part of the Royals' plans next season. However, mutual options are rarely picked up. As the Royals are currently under .500 and need to pass four teams in the standings to seize the final wild-card spot, adding a rental option does not make sense. It is possible that both sides can work out an arrangement for 2026, but unless that happens, the Royals' latest move is questionable at best.
Important trade stalls as Maple Leafs dangle bottom-six forward
The Toronto Maple Leafs are still looking for a solution to their bottom-six surplus, and veteran forward Calle Jarnkrok remains at the center of trade discussions. However, according to The Fourth Period, trade talks surrounding the 33-year-old winger have failed to gain momentum. They write: “He has a $2.1M cap hit and owns a 10-team no-trade list. The market hasn’t been vibrant, to this point, but the Leafs will continue to dangle him.” Why can’t the Maple Leafs find a taker for Jarnkrok? Jarnkrok has quietly been on the trade block for much of the offseason, but general manager Brad Treliving has yet to find a taker. After adding several depth forwards this summer, the Leafs now face a crowded bottom six — and Jarnkrok’s age, injury history and $2.1M cap hit through 2025–26 aren’t helping his value. Since joining Toronto, Jarnkrok has appeared in only 71 games over two seasons, scoring a modest 28 points. While his defensive versatility and penalty-killing ability are assets, his declining offensive production and durability concerns have made teams wary. With training camp approaching, the Maple Leafs may be forced to keep Jarnkrok on the roster — or retain salary in a deal — if they want to create space and flexibility. Dropping his cap hit down to just over $1M would open up the market a little. Until then, the Swedish forward remains a trade candidate in limbo. This isn’t great news as moving Jarnkrok from the roster is an important item on the team’s to-do list. Treliving would like more cap space, and with Jarnkrok and David Kampf both still on the roster, it hampers the GM’s ability to do other things.
Aaron Rodgers had the worst possible start to Steelers camp
Aaron Rodgers made his practice debut for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday, and it was not necessarily a moment he will want to remember. Rodgers’ very first pass was intercepted by linebacker Patrick Queen. The quarterback was trying to find top target DK Metcalf on a curl route, but was not quite accurate enough. Rodgers will not lose any sleep over this. It is not the first interception he has thrown in a practice session and it will not be the last. It did make for some amusing viewing for critics, though, and even some Steelers fans got a chuckle out of it. The Steelers are hoping Rodgers can lift them to at least a playoff win in 2025. If he succeeds, he is in line for a pretty big payday, and might even be able to go out on a high note if this is in fact his final NFL season. The other bright side to Rodgers’ inauspicious start to his Pittsburgh career? It will probably make Giants rookie Jaxson Dart feel a little bit better about his own first pass.
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