FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona

The 37-year-old centre-forward has accepted a reduced role this season, with Hansi Flick counting on Ferran Torres more and more, but has continued to contribute in a significant way, creating a quandary for the club. The Blaugrana see that his performances remain good, that he continues to score goals and has accepted that he is no longer an undisputed starter.

Although the season is only at its halfway point, the sporting department of FC Barcelona is already working on shaping the squad for next season. No final decisions have been taken yet, but a clear roadmap has been drawn up regarding the attacking unit. As has already been reported, Barça intend to retain Marcus Rashford's services beyond this season. The Catalans have a €30 million purchase option for the Manchester United loanee, although they might look to negotiate a lower fee.

Barcelona are already laying the groundwork for next season, and one high-profile attacking name continues to feature prominently in their internal discussions. According to a recent report from MARCA, Barcelona remain interested in Julian Alvarez, despite the striker not enjoying his most productive campaign with Atletico Madrid. It is known that Barcelona's sporting management is actively developing a roadmap for the attacking unit ahead of the summer transfer window.

According to a report by Gianluigi Longari (h/t Mundo Deportivo), Andres Cuenca, a left-footed centre-back and one of the most promising defensive prospects at FC Barcelona, has attracted interest from clubs in Serie A. Cuenca, 18, is part of the Barça Atletic setup currently, while he has already made his senior debut for the Blaugrana under Hansi Flick during the 2024/25 season.

According to a report from Fichajes, Barcelona are closely following the progress of Neil El Aynaoui, a midfielder who is currently enjoying an impressive spell with AS Roma. El Aynaoui, 24, is viewed as a player capable of contributing immediately while still offering long-term value. That dual profile is precisely what makes him appealing to Barcelona, a club that continues to search for balance between short-term competitiveness and sustainable squad building.

The former president argues that Real Madrid are attempting to exploit the legal proceedings to obtain private documents and gain access to privileged information about Barcelona. As mentioned earlier, Real Madrid asked for audits from the last eight years and annual accounts covering the entire 18-year period (2001 to 2018) during which payments were made to the former vice-president of the Technical Committee of Referees.

According to SPORT, Barcelona youngster Pedro 'Dro' Fernández did not train in the session prior to the match against Racing Santander and will not travel to Santander for the Copa del Rey tie. The 18-year-old midfielder will be unavailable and will not join the squad after it was confirmed that he is carrying physical discomfort that prevents him from competing at full capacity.