What we know for sure is that Robert Lewandowski is leaving, and Ferran Torres alone can't replace him. How big Barcelona's ambitions should be on the market will be the question of the summer. Julián Alvarez is the perfect signing. We can go around in circles considering other options, but tactically and philosophically, the Argentinian looks tailor made for the Camp Nou.
Barcelona Atletic forward Hamza Abdelkarim has been handed a call-up to the Egypt squad for World Cup 2026. The Barcelona Atletic forward only arrived in Catalunya in the winter transfer window and is now celebrating being included in the Pharoahs' roster for this summer's tournament. Abdelkarim will also become the first Egyptian Blaugrana to play at a World Cup.
Not so long ago, it would've been unthinkable to have a Barcelona starting XI without Frenkie de Jong in it. The Dutchman has often been the conduit from defence to attack, dovetailing brilliantly with his midfield colleagues in so doing. However, injuries that have kept him out of the side for longer than he would've liked have opened up opportunities for others. Hansi Flick has a plethora of midfield options to choose from depending on the opponent, and whilst De Jong could well be utilised in certain games, at the back end of this season, for example, his absence has been striking.
The Portuguese midfielder's contract at Manchester City expires this summer, and he will leave the club as a free agent after nine seasons, where he became one of the most important players of the Pep Guardiola era.
Investigators concluded that Barcelona's payments to former referee committee official Jos e Mar a Enr quez Negreira were not used to bribe referees or manipulate match results. This heavily aligns with Bar a's long-standing stance that the millions paid over nearly two decades were meant strictly for technical refereeing reports. The matter still needs to be resolved before a judge, but the report is likely to be used as evidence in any legal decision.
Barcelona have certainly slowed things down as far as their interest in Bastoni is concerned over the past month or so. One of the major stumbling blocks, as per the report, is the fact that Barça manager Hansi Flick has some doubts about the Italian centre-back's suitability for the team's system and style of play. The German tactician is not 100% convinced that Bastoni can fit in, and as such, he has already asked Barcelona director Deco to look for alternatives in the market.