As reported by Diario SPORT, the Blaugrana technical secretariat had monitored Moleiro closely, identifying him as a talent that fit the club's DNA perfectly. But just as the stars seemed aligned for the two Canary Islanders to reunite in Catalonia, reality intervened. Barcelona's delicate financial situation at the time made the operation unfeasible, and the deal collapsed before it could be finalised.
Getafe initially cemented their spot as one of Spain's ultimate surprise packages. However, despite getting Friday's showdown in Madrid still hanging onto their spot in the top-half of the La Liga standings, Jose Bordalas' men are seeking a much-welcomed boost this weekend. Last seen getting the New Year underway with a 1-1 stalemate against local rivals Rayo Vallecano, the Blues have failed to win any of their previous five appearances across all competitions.
"We didn't deserve it, I will be honest. I have to say thank you to Joan García because he played unbelievable. He's one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He's been fantastic. I think he'll never forget what he experienced here. Manolo gave him the confidence to play. Now he's with us and he's had an incredible performance. He's having a great season. He was one of the key players in the victory."
FC Barcelona are set to enter into 2026 with the league position that Hansi Flick would have hoped for at the beginning of the season. Top of La Liga, 46 points from 18 games and a four-point cushion over Real Madrid make for good reading. The numbers are loud: 51 goals scored already, but the feeling is even louder. This is a team that plays with incisive attacking power, sometimes, even at the cost of defensive solidity.
Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen has reportedly picked up another injury and been ruled out of Sunday's La Liga game with Villarreal. The Dane was back in the starting XI in midweek and also on the scoresheet in the 2-0 victory over Guadalajara. He will no doubt have been hoping for more minutes on Sunday at La Ceramica but was a late withdrawal from the squad after picking up a problem in training on Saturday afternoon.
Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is reportedly now also a target for Atletico Madrid in case he doesn't end up staying at Barcelona. The England international is currently on loan at Barca for this season, having fallen out of favour at Old Trafford. But even if Rashford has made a strong start to life at the Nou Camp, it is still not entirely clear if Barcelona will choose to make his move permanent.