FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona

Barcelona star Lamine Yamal could reportedly have been prized away by another of European football's heavyweights when he was aged 14, only for the agent Jorge Mendes to intervene and block the move. Despite only turning 18 in the summer, Yamal has already made over 100 appearances in Barcelona's first team, scoring 27 times. Yamal has earned two LaLiga titles with the Catalan giants and was a key part of Spain's European Championship winning side in 2024.

Arsenal and Barcelona keen on Luiz Benedetti Sources close to the player's situation have informed CaughtOffside that Arsenal have been monitoring Benedetti for a long time and are expected to make an official move in January. However, the English side is not alone in the race. Barcelona have also shown interest, viewing Benedetti as a strategic option to reinforce their backline with a promising young talent. Barcelona's search for a ball-playing centre-back highlights Benedetti's profile.

The 2005/06 season was one to remember for Barcelona. Not only did they lift a historic treble La Liga, the Supercopa de Espana and the Champions League it also marked Lionel Messi's real breakthrough, with eight goals across all competitions as he began inheriting the torch from Ronaldinho. And, of course, the campaign was defined by their iconic Total 90 home shirt, doing it all in unmistakable style.

However, the deal is complicated because Barça would first need to secure the departure of a big-name player. In this regard, ESPN reported on Tuesday that Chelsea have made an approach to gauge the availability of Fermín López, while Barça are also open to listening to offers for Marc Casadó, Ronald Araújo and Andreas Christensen in an attempt to comply with LaLiga's financial fair play rules.

"I believe that the external pressure led to the changes in the deal because in Germany, I think that the clubs are pretty exposed to criticism from the fan base. Fan bases in Germany are quite traditional and not open to commercial deals."

Thank you, Barca. Today I say goodbye to this club that has marked my life. Defending this badge has been an honour and a responsibility that I have taken on every day with pride and commitment.

The FC Barcelona x Kobe Bryant collection features a striking gold jersey with textures that pay homage to Kobe's Black Mamba persona, highlighting a blend of basketball and football cultures.