Valencia put Barça to the sword
Barça were thrashed by Valencia in what sounds like a genuinely awful performance. The result let Valencia leapfrog into second place while your team looked, in the words of one report, "paupérrimo", absolutely dreadful (5). No sugarcoating this one. A heavy defeat to close the season, with the league already wrapped up but pride very much on the line. The score wasn't specified in the report, but the damage was clearly significant.
€100m bid lodged for Julián Álvarez
Barcelona have confirmed a formal €100 million offer to Atlético Madrid for Julián Álvarez (3) (9). Mateu Alemany is leading the push for the Argentine striker, and Fabrizio Romano has corroborated the move. This is a serious, concrete bid, not a rumour. Atlético now have to decide whether to part with one of their star players.
Bernardo Silva wants Barça, but Flick hesitates
Bernardo Silva is available on a free transfer and wants to join Barcelona (6). The problem is Hansi Flick. The coach sees a midfield already crowded with Gavi, Pedri, Fermín López, Dani Olmo, and Frenkie de Jong, and he's wary of adding another name to the logjam. Deco and Joan Laporta are reportedly open to the move, but Flick holds the keys.
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Rondón: Gordon will 'rip it up' at Barça
Salomon Rondón has given Anthony Gordon a glowing endorsement, saying the new signing will "tear it up in La Liga" (4). He pointed to Gordon's versatility, his 37 km/h sprint speed at Newcastle, and his technical quality in one-on-one situations. "He fits perfectly into the style of this Barça and can be a very important piece," Rondón added. The winger is expected to finalize his move before the World Cup.
Casado linked with Monaco exit
Monaco are interested in signing Marc Casado, with the midfielder struggling for minutes at Barcelona (2). Jorge Mendes is reportedly involved. Casado himself has said: "What I'm most excited about is having a very long career and many years at Barça", but that path may now go through Ligue 1 first.
Yamal recovery on track for World Cup
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente is confident Lamine Yamal will arrive at the World Cup "in perfect condition" despite his current injury (1). The young star is accelerating his recovery and though he'll miss Spain's opening matches, the outlook is positive for his tournament involvement.
Quick hits
Marcus Rashford is training at Inter Miami to maintain fitness ahead of the World Cup (8). Young Barça defender Ajay Tavares has returned from a wrist fracture that had sidelined him since April, making what's being called a dream comeback (10).
