The story was reported by ESPN Brasil and subsequently covered by Barça Blaugranes. Barcelona have not yet made an official announcement, but the club are said to be finalising the marketing material for the new captaincy hierarchy.

Raphinha had already established himself as one of the dressing room’s leading figures. Ronald Araújo became first captain following Marc-André ter Stegen’s departure, but the Uruguayan has since left the club as well. The armband needed another owner, and all signs now point towards Raphinha.

If the report is confirmed, his rise to the top of Barcelona’s leadership group will complete quite a turnaround. Not long ago, the Brazilian was regularly linked with a move to Saudi Arabia. Raphinha later admitted that he had seriously considered leaving, with the proposed contract capable of securing his family’s financial future.

For a long time, he was not treated as completely untouchable at Barcelona either. He faced criticism, was moved between different positions and repeatedly appeared in reports as a player whose sale could generate much-needed income. Now, the same man is expected to lead the team out as first captain. At Barcelona, the distance between the transfer list and the captain’s armband can occasionally be shorter than the registration queue.

His relationship with Hansi Flick has played a major role in that transformation. The German coach found a position that suited him, and Raphinha responded with goals, assists, relentless work and a growing influence inside the dressing room. Long before this latest report, he had already started behaving like one of the team’s genuine leaders, regardless of who was wearing the armband.

Frenkie de Jong and Pedri are expected to remain in the captaincy group. Eric García and Gavi have been mentioned as possible additions, although Barcelona have yet to confirm its final composition.

For now, Raphinha’s promotion remains a media report rather than an official club decision. If confirmed, he will begin the season as Barcelona’s first captain. From a player repeatedly linked with an exit to the man leading the dressing room — even by this club’s standards, that is an impressive plot twist.

“Defending these colours has been a source of pride,” Ferran said in a montage featuring some of the best moments from his four and a half years at the Catalan club. He thanked the fans, described Barcelona as his home and said he was leaving many friends behind. Cadena SER published his complete farewell message.

Ferran ends his Barcelona career with 65 goals in 207 appearances. His move to PSG is reportedly worth around €50 million, although neither club has officially disclosed the fee. The Spain international has signed a contract until 2031 and will wear the number nine shirt in Paris.

There were no complaints, mysterious posts or dramatic Instagram unfollows. Just a thank-you message, a collection of memories and one final “Força Barça”. That is football: Barcelona is your home for four and a half years, but you hand back the keys after completing your first training session with your new employer.

The payment is linked to FIFA’s solidarity mechanism. Ferran developed at Valencia between the ages of 12 and 20, giving the Mestalla club a reported 3.3 per cent share connected to the transfer. Valencia did not need to negotiate with PSG, send a delegation to Paris or activate any financial lever. Training the player properly all those years ago was enough.

The Spanish newspaper claims Valencia could use the additional income to sign a right-back, with Arnau Martínez among the candidates. Barcelona sold the player, PSG got their new forward and Valencia may now use the same deal to strengthen their own squad. Not bad for a club that never sat at the negotiating table.

The reported €1.6 million payment has not yet been officially confirmed by the clubs. FIFA’s solidarity mechanism itself is designed to reward teams involved in a player’s development.

The transfer is now official. PSG have signed Ferran until 2031 and handed him the No. 9 shirt, while AS reports that Barcelona will receive around €50 million. Luis Enrique was clearly a major factor too. In PSG’s official interview, Ferran described him as a father figure in football and praised the confidence the coach had always shown in him. 

The timing makes the story even better. Earlier this month Ferran was saying that Barcelona had to show him they wanted him as his contract situation remained unresolved. Barça eventually showed its feelings in a fairly practical way: it accepted PSG’s offer. Ferran, meanwhile, has now found a club he believes can give him the biggest trophy still missing from his career. 

There was no direct attack on Barcelona, so there is no need to invent one. The contrast does enough work on its own: a few days ago it was about Barça proving its love; now PSG is the “ideal club” for the Champions League. Barcelona got the money. Paris got the player. And Ferran supplied the headline himself.

The 46-year-old returns to management after more than two years away from the dugout and immediately takes charge of one of Europe’s biggest national teams. Xavi managed 96 games at Barcelona, winning La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup. He will now reunite with Frenkie de Jong — only this time nobody should have to check whether the club can actually register him before putting his name on the team sheet.

Xavi described himself as something of a “son of Dutch football”, pointing to the influence of Johan Cruyff, Rinus Michels, Louis van Gaal and Frank Rijkaard on his football education. He also becomes the Netherlands’ first foreign head coach since 1978. Barcelona spent decades teaching him Dutch football philosophy so thoroughly that the Dutch eventually decided to take him themselves.

As for Koeman, there may be a lesson here. Before accepting his next job, perhaps he should check whether Xavi is available.

There is something wonderfully familiar about the situation. Xavi replaced Koeman at Barcelona in November 2021 and could now repeat the trick with the Dutch national team. At least this time he wouldn’t inherit Barça’s finances, registration problems and the weekly challenge of explaining why another perfectly normal football operation had somehow become complicated.

Xavi has been out of management since leaving Barcelona in 2024, having won La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup during his spell at the club. Taking the Netherlands job would also reunite him with Frenkie de Jong. Koeman may want to check over his shoulder — he has seen this particular sequel before.

As the Spanish newspaper “AS” points out, five years later Messi’s relationship with Barcelona remains far warmer than his relationship with Joan Laporta. The Argentine continues to show his affection for the club and even visited the redeveloped Camp Nou at night, but attempts at reconciliation with the president have failed. A statue and a grand farewell match have both been promised. So far, the plans are doing brilliantly — as long as nobody expects them to be completed.

The entire episode has not seriously damaged Laporta’s political position. During those five years, Barcelona have won three La Liga titles, two Spanish Super Cups and one Copa del Rey. The trophies can be counted, as can the years since Messi’s departure. Barça still cannot find a date for the farewell he deserves.

Jordi Cruyff described the German as an immediate reinforcement and admitted Ajax had been working on the deal for some time. Amsterdam are welcoming an experienced top-level goalkeeper. Barcelona are saying goodbye to a problem who was wearing the captain’s armband not long ago. Same player, completely different narrative.

According to media reports, Barça will continue to cover 90% of Ter Stegen’s salary and have also taken responsibility for the disputed tax payment that had delayed the move. Ajax get the goalkeeper, Barcelona get the end of the saga — and most of the bill. After twelve years, the case can finally be closed. The wallet cannot.

According to Mundo Deportivo, citing EFE, the Pole scored both goals as Chicago Fire came from behind to beat Charlotte 2–1. His equaliser arrived only 93 seconds after Charlotte’s opener, before he completed the comeback in the 68th minute. A crowd of 32,183 watched his home debut at Soldier Field.

Barça can now calmly continue their search for Lewandowski’s replacement. Reject a few candidates, hear “€100 million” several times and prepare another list of alternatives. Their best option has just scored twice, but there is one problem: Barcelona have already got rid of him.

Somewhere in Barcelona, the official version of events is probably already being polished. Two goalless matches should be enough to present Lewandowski’s departure as another triumph of sporting vision. Never mind that he left after scoring 120 goals in four seasons and helping Barça reclaim the Spanish title. The only number that matters now is zero: he left, he has not scored, so Deco must have been ahead of the market once again.

Drawing serious conclusions after 108 minutes would obviously be ridiculous. Lewandowski arrived in Chicago with more than 700 goals for club and country, so his story is unlikely to end with two blank stat columns. Barça still cannot lose the narrative: if Robert struggles, the club was right to move him on. If he starts scoring, four years in Barcelona clearly prepared him to conquer America. Either way, the story delivers.