Barcelona sporting director Deco has formally sealed a new contract with captain Raphinha, shortly after tying down Xavi Espart, a rising talent from La Masia, the club’s famed academy, until June 2030. The Brazilian forward has already signed the official documents and will mark the deal at a ceremony with the club president in the coming days. The Catalan club are also planning to extend Marc Bernal’s contract until 2031. Arsenal are following the same blueprint: having reached agreement with Mikel Arteta, the London club are now finalising the details of a new long-term deal for Declan Rice.
The picture is very different at Getafe, where La Liga, Spain’s top flight, has blocked the signing of free agent Dani Carvajal. The Madrid club had agreed a salary of €500,000 per season with the defender, but La Liga’s finance department ruled that, given what he earned at Real Madrid, the figure breached the principle of financial fairness. Elsewhere, Julian Alvarez is planning to part company with his representatives. Nico Paz’s impressive form at Como, meanwhile, has made him the leading candidate to inherit Argentina’s No. 10 shirt, with Real Madrid holding an exclusive right to buy him back in the summer of 2027.
