Tottenham boss Thomas Frank sent a ‘welcome here anytime’ message to club legend Harry Kane in a recent press conference, but the England star may not be the only player who could seal a move to N17 in 2026.

Thomas Frank wants Harry Kane to make Tottenham return

News of a £54 million release clause in his Bayern Munich contract, which becomes active next year (BILD), has resulted in plenty of speculation about a potential homecoming for Kane.

The 32-year-old left tears in the eyes of all Lilywhites supporters after his £86 million move to Bavaria in 2023, which brought an end to his near-lifelong Spurs stay off the back of an incredible 280 goals in 435 appearances.

Since departing North London, Kane has led Bayern to a league title and German Super Cup, all whilst finishing both of his full campaigns as the Bundesliga’s top goalscorer with 36 goals in 23/24 and 26 in 24/25.

He also rounded off 2024’s Champions League as the competition’s joint-top scorer with Kylian Mbappé (8), with the prospect of a return to Tottenham being kept alive by Frank.

Not only does Kane’s deal include the release clause, which is active from January (BILD), but The Telegraph also reported in February that ex-chairman Daniel Levy negotiated a ‘first option agreement’ in potential talks for the 32-year-old.

For the first option to be valid, Bayern would have to agree to the move, as would Kane, but it is something he could seriously consider.

England’s all-time best goalscorer had his eyes on Alan Shearer’s Premier League goalscoring record for years, and is just 47 strikes away from equalling the Newcastle legend’s tally.

Alan Shearer

260

Harry Kane

213

Wayne Rooney

208

Mohamed Salah

188

Andrew Cole

187

Sergio Agüero

184

Frank Lampard

177

Thierry Henry

175

Robbie Fowler

163

Jermain Defoe

156

We’re likely to see more and more reports linking Kane with a senstional move back to N17, with his contract expiring in 2027, but another Bayern player could seal a switch to Tottenham before him.

£135,000-per-week midfielder Joao Palhinha has been a revelation for Spurs since joining on an initial loan deal. However, if the club don’t trigger Palhinha’s £27 million buy-option, he’s due back in Germany once the season ends.

Joao Palhinha wants to seal Tottenham transfer next year

That being said, there appears to be a willingness from all parties to extend his stay indefinitely.

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, via GiveMeSport, Palhinha is keen to seal his move to Tottenham in 2026 and was insistent on the buy-option clause to be inserted into any deal.

The Portugal international has resurrected his career back in the Premier League after a very difficult debut season at Bayern, with Palhinha winning plenty of admirers through his robust, tough-tackling style which has added serious steel to Frank’s midfield.

The 30-year-old’s dominant display away to Man City earned a ‘wow’ from Spurs’ manager, and supporters will be hopeful the best is still yet to come.

Rory McIlroy has named an “under-appreciated” England legend as his favourite footballer growing up.

McIlroy became the sixth man to complete a Career Grand Slam earlier this year, with the Northern Irishman finally getting his hands on The Masters back in April, and he is now gearing up for the Ryder Cup, which is due to take place from September 26th – 28th in New York.

The 36-year-old has revealed he has knocked back the opportunity to captain Europe in the past, given the difficulties of combining that role with being a player, saying: “I’ve been asked to do that and I’ve turned it down. The idea of me being a playing captain sometime soon has come up and I’ve shot it down straight away.

That said, given that the current World No. 2 is the only European player in the top five of the rankings, he will still have a huge role to play later this month.

While McIlroy ended up going to be one of the greatest ever golfers, one of his first loves growing up was football, supporting Manchester United, and he has previously described an England legend as his favourite-ever player.

Speaking on The Overlap, McIlroy said: “I loved (Wayne) Rooney, he just worked so hard and he’d run everywhere, and you just felt exhausted after watching him for 90 minutes. To be that good, but also to have that work ethic and track back when someone loses the ball or if you lose it. To me, he just looked like he loved football and I loved watching him play.”

The Grand Slam winner also suggested the Manchester United legend is still underrated, saying: “It’s amazing to think that, all the great stuff that he’s done, you would say like under-appreciated in some way.”

Rooney was a "once in a generation" player

It is perhaps surprising that McIlroy didn’t opt for Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi as his favourite player, given that the Manchester United and Barcelona legends have a whopping 13 Ballon d’Ors between them.

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However, Messi himself has previously made it clear just how highly he rates Rooney, saying: “Wayne Rooney is for me a once in a generation player. One of those special players, who is not comparable to any other. There are many special players, but Rooney has exceptional quality and technical ability as well as being one of the strongest players I have faced with an exceptional work rate – there is nobody like him.”

The United legend won 17 trophies during his time at Old Trafford, while also amassing 120 caps for the Three Lions, second only to Peter Shilton on the all-time list, showcasing that he is undoubtedly one of the best players England has ever produced.

MatériaMais Notícias

Palmeirase Atlético-MGse enfrentam nesta quarta-feira (9), às 21h30 (de Brasília), no Allianz Parque, em São Paulo, pelo jogo de volta das oitavas de final daLibertadores. Na ida, em Belo Horizonte, o Verdão venceu por 1 a 0 com gol de Raphael Veiga e agora tem a vantagem do empate. O Galo, por sua vez, precisa vencer por um gol de diferença para levar a disputa para os pênaltis ou por dois para se classificar de forma direta.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasVocê lembra? Veiga castigou o Galo no Allianz Parque no dia em que Abel Ferreira chegou ao PalmeirasPalmeiras08/08/2023NotíciasLibertadores: aposte R$ 10 e ganhe R$ 40 se Palmeiras e Atlético-MG balançarem as redesNotícias08/08/2023DicasPalmeiras x Atlético-MG: odds, estatísticas e informações do jogo de volta das oitavas de final da LibertadoresDicas08/08/2023

+ Veja tabela da Libertadores-2023 clicando aqui

Na última rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, a equipe mineira derrotou o São Paulo por 2 a 0, no Morumbi, e venceu a primeira partida no comando do técnico Felipão. Já o Verdão foi derrotado por 2 a 1 pelo Fluminense, no Maracanã, tendo entrado em campos com time misto visando justamente o duelo contra o Atlético-MG.

+ Tem promoção sinistra pra esse jogo! Para ambos marcarem no Allianz: aposte R$10 e ganhe R$40! E aí, vai ficar fora dessa?

+ Que tal aproveitar e fazer uma fezinha nesse jogão?! A Lance! Betting preparou odds turbinadas para você apostar. Corre lá!

O único jogador que Luiz Felipe Scolari não poderá contar é Zaracho. O argentino foi susbtituído ainda no primeiro tempo da partida de ida contra o Palmeiras e foi diagnosticado com uma nova lesão na posterior da coxa. Já Abel Ferreira não poderá contar com Atuesta, que ainda se recupera de cirurgia no joelho direito.

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Veja todas as informações da partida:

PALMEIRAS x ATLÉTICO-MG

Local:Allianz Parque, em São Paulo (SP)
Data e hora:9/8/2023, às 21h30 (de Brasília)
Árbitro:Fernando Rapallini (ARG)
Assistentes:Juan Belatti (ARG) e Facundo Rodríguez (ARG)
VAR:Jorge Baliño (ARG)
Onde assistir:Globo (TV aberta) e Paramount+ (streaming)

PALMEIRAS:Weverton; Mayke, Gustavo Gómez, Murilo e Piquerez; Zé Rafael, Gabriel Menino e Raphael Veiga; Artur, Dudu e Rony.Técnico:Abel Ferreira.

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Desfalques:Atuesta (lesionado)

ATLÉTICO-MG:Everson; Saravia, Igor Rabello, Jemerson e Guilherme Arana; Battaglia, Otávio e Hyoran (Igor Gomes); Pavón, Paulinho e Hulk.Técnico:Luis Felipe Scolari.

Desfalques:Zaracho (lesionado)

Tem promoção exclusiva para você abrir sua conta agora na Lance! Betting. Aposte R$50 e receba mais R$50 de bônus. Clique aqui e aproveite!

Tudo sobre

Atlético-MGLibertadoresOnde assistirPalmeiras

The SRH batter felt he had edged a leg glance to the wicket-keeper even though technology did not detect an edge

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Apr-20251:28

Aaron and Knight stumped by Kishan’s ‘bizarre’ dismissal

Ishan Kishan was dismissed in curious circumstances during Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) home game against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Wednesday, even as technology suggested he may not have been out.Kishan tried to glance a length ball from Deepak Chahar that was swinging down the leg side, failed to make proper contact, and then began to walk off even though none of the MI players had appealed for a caught behind after wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton “caught” the ball.Umpire Vinod Seshan first began to raise his arms sideways to signal a wide, but then dropped one arm and raised the other hesitantly to signal out as he spotted Kishan walking off. MI captain Hardik Pandya ran up to Kishan and patted him on the helmet for his decision to walk without waiting for the umpire’s decision.However, when the Ultra Edge replays were shown on the broadcast a few deliveries later, there was no spike to indicate an edge as the ball passed the bat.It was the second time Kishan had fallen caught by the wicketkeeper down the leg side this season. On this occasion, he was dismissed for 1 off 4 balls, leaving SRH 9 for 2 in 2.1 overs after being asked to bat. They subsequently slipped further to 35 for 5 by the ninth over of the innings before posting 143 for 8, which was far from enough for MI.SRH are currently ninth in the points table in IPL 2025, having won only two of their first eight games, above only Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Their next three fixtures are against Chennai Super Kings (April 25), Gujarat Titans (May 2) and Delhi Capitals (May 5).MI are third with five wins from eight games. They play Lucknow Super Giants next (April 27), followed by Rajasthan Royals (May 1) and Gujarat Titans (May 6).

Glasgow Rangers had one of their better afternoons of the 2025/26 campaign on Saturday when they beat Hibernian 2-0 to reach the semi-finals of the League Cup.

Goals from Nicolas Raskin and Bojan Miovski secured the win for Russell Martin’s side, after Martin Boyle had a goal disallowed at 0-0 in the first half.

It has been a frustrating season for the Light Blues, with no wins in the Scottish Premiership to date, and there have been issues all over the pitch under the new head coach, particularly in the left-back position.

Why Rangers have struggled at left-back this season

It was evident that Martin was not happy with Jefte and Ridvan Yilmaz as his options at left-back at the start of the season, because right-footed right-back Max Aarons started the campaign in that position.

Once it was clear that having a player out of position at left-back was not working, Jefte came into the side for a few games before the club decided to sell him to Palmeiras, shortly followed out of the door by Yilmaz, who returned to Besiktas.

Having sold their only two natural full-backs, Rangers brought Jayden Meghoma in on loan from Brentford. A young player who had only started 11 league games in the 2024/25 campaign, all on loan at Preston in the Championship.

The English defender has lost 56% of his duels and failed to register an assist in three appearances for Rangers in the Premiership to date, per Sofascore, and the club may rue that they let go of a star who was once compared to Lionel Messi.

Rangers fumbled their own Lionel Messi

Back in 2019, Croatian coach Davor Rupnik compared Borna Barisic, who was at Ibrox at the time, to Barcelona and Argentina’s legendary attacker.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

Rupnik said: “Many people don’t know he is a superb free kick and set piece taker. He has a left foot like Lionel Messi. He has improved massively and he is also an exceptionally hard worker. He used to ask for extra gym work in the evening after training.”

Of course, this does not mean that Barisic was dribbling past four or five players and scoring two or three goals every week, like the World Cup-winning icon, but he did have a left foot that consistently delivered quality at the top end of the pitch.

23/24

17

3

22/23

29

10

21/22

19

3

20/21

30

7

19/20

22

8

18/19

15

3

Total

132

34

As you can see in the table above, the Croatia international provided a big threat in the final third as a creative force from left-back throughout his Premiership career.

The left-footed star created 12 or more ‘big chances’ in all competitions in three of his last five seasons at Ibrox, which shows that he was still at the top of his game from a creative perspective up to the point that he was released at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

Looking back, given what has happened in the left-back position up to this point, Rangers may regret alowing Barisic to move on because he was a proven Premiership performer who made a big impact at the top end of the pitch.

Unfortunately, for the defender, he suffered a cruciate ligament injury for Leganes in LaLiga in January and is currently without a club, having been released by Trabzonspor whilst dealing with that horrendous injury in the summer.

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Ultimately, though, Rangers lost a star who was “like Lionel Messi” on a free transfer, and their current left-back situation shows that they are still looking for his replacement over a year on from his departure.

Key takeaways

Despite having the same points as table-toppers Abahani Limited, but behind on net run rate, Mohammedan Sporting Club finished the first phase of the Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League 2024-25 with a psychological edge. On Sunday, Mohammedan beat Abahani after nine years in the Dhaka derby, thus breaking an 11-match losing streak. Both Abahani and Mohammedan qualified for the tournament’s Super League phase, where the top six teams will play each other again to decide the champions.Gazi Group Cricketers (third) and Legends of Rupganj (sixth) also enter the next stage of the competition, along with Gulshan Cricket Club and Agrani Bank Cricket Club, who surprisingly progressed despite being promoted from the lower Dhaka First Division Cricket League only this season.Meanwhile, big spenders Prime Bank Cricket Club and Dhanmondi Sporting Club (formerly Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club) ended up having disappointing seasons, as they both failed to reach the Super League stage.

Best batters

Anamul Haque finished the first stage as the tournament’s highest run-getter, with 655 runs at an average of 72.77. He also finished as one of six batters to score two hundreds each. Mohammad Naim (618 runs at 61.80) and Parvez Hossain Emon (569 runs at 71.12) were impressive too and followed Anamul in the run charts. Shadman Islam, known more for his red-ball experience, was also among the top five run-getters.

Best bowlers

Left-arm spinners Rakibul Hasan and Taijul Islam ended as joint-leading wicket-takers with 23 wickets each. Three bowlers were joint-second, including offspinner Mosaddek Hossain, and medium-pacers Shoriful Islam and Asaduzzaman Payel. Against Brothers Union, Shoriful picked up 6 for 40, which were the best bowling figures of the tournament.

Best match

Gulshan beat Dhanmondi by two wickets in a chase that went into the last over. Tailenders Moinul Islam and Nihaduzzaman took Gulshan to victory with two balls to spare after senior pro Naeem Islam’s half-century kept the 259-run chase afloat. Earlier in the game, Asaduzzaman and Mehedi Hasan took three wickets each to restrict Dhanmondi to 258 for 9 in 50 overs.

Points to ponder

While the top six teams enter the Super League, two of the bottom three sides – Partex Sporting Club, Brothers Union and Shinepukur Cricket Club – will be relegated. Partex finished with six points, and thus tenth among the 12 teams after beating Dhanmondi in their last match, but there have been some reported infighting in their setup.Meanwhile, Shinepukur, who ended at the bottom of the table, also have another problem to deal with, with the BCB investigating a controversial stumping during their match against Gulshan.Partex, Brothers Union and Shinepukur will play each other to decide which team continues in the tournament and which of the two will be relegated.

Players to watch

Three batters aged under 22 finished with more than 300 runs in the tournament: Brothers Union’s Mahfijul Islam (406 runs) and Aich Mollah (302 runs), and Partex captain Ahrar Amin (365). While Mahfijul made a century and three half-centuries, Mollah struck two fifties and Amin three.Among the young bowlers, Mahfuzur Rahman took 14 wickets for Abahani. Tofael Ahmed, meanwhile, was the most impressive among the pace-bowling allrounders, as he took ten wickets and scored 269 runs for Gazi Group.

Ollie Watkins was taken off at the break during England's 3-0 win over Wales on Thursday night. The Aston Villa striker was deputising for Harry Kane on the frontline in the friendly at Wembley but had to be replaced at the break following a nasty collision with the post. It now remains to be seen whether Watkins will be fit to face Latvia on Tuesday night.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Watkins started brightly against Wales

  England raced into an early lead against Wales on Thursday night as Morgan Rogers fired the Three Lions ahead against the Dragons. Aston Villa teammate Watkins then added England's second shortly after, before Bukayo Saka bagged a fine third as Thomas Tuchel's side blitzed Wales early on.

  While England were unable to add a fourth, they ran out routine winners at the expense of Craig Bellamy's side at Wembley. Next up for the national team is a trip to Latvia on Tuesday night as they look to maintain their 100% start to 2026 World Cup qualification.

  However, it remains to be seen whether Watkins will play any part for England in Riga next week after he was withdrawn at the break against Wales. Watkins attempted to get onto the end of a cross before sliding at speed into the post.

  Watkins attempted to carry on after the nasty collision but was replaced by on-loan Barcelona forward Marcus Rashford for the second half.

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• Watkins Latvia involvement no in doubt

  It now remains to be seen whether Watkins will be available to face Latvia next week as England look to make it six wins from six in World Cup qualifying. Goals from Reece James, Harry Kane and Eberechi Eze saw the Three Lions cruise to a 3-0 win in the reverse fixture at Wembley earlier this year.

  And Watkins would have hoped his goal may have been enough to keep his spot in the side having deputised for the injured Kane at in midweek. Kane missed the 3-0 win against Wales owing to an injury he picked up with Bayern Munich.

  "[Kane] got a kick in his last match with Bayern Munich. It was too risky he gets another kick and be in an up and down situation pain-wise. We gave him the chance that everything calms down," Tuchel said of Kane earlier this week.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  'He'll be ready for the match against Latvia'

  Tuchel did also add that the England captain is expected to recover in time for Tuesday's game in Riga, stating: "We are convinced he'll be ready for the match against Latvia."

  Kane is looking to maintain his flying start to the season having scored 11 goals and provided a further three assists in the opening six Bundesliga games of the season. The former Tottenham man recently made history having netted 100 goals in just 104 Bayern appearances, the quickest player to reach the milestone in one of Europe's top five leagues.

  And Kane has been England's top performer in World Cup qualifying having scored four goals in five appearances, a haul he'll look to add in next week's game against Latvia.

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• England dominating World Cup qualifying

  While some of England's performances under Tuchel have drawn criticism, the Three Lions are easing through World Cup qualifying. Indeed, England passed their toughest test with flying colours last month as they smashed Serbia 5-0 in Belgrade.

  England have scored 13 goals and are yet to concede in their five qualification games to date, a record they'll look to maintain in Latvia on Tuesday night. Latvia remain in the race for second in Group K ahead of Saturday's game against Andorra.

  Paolo Nicolato's side are currently just four points behind Albania, who make the tough trip to Serbia this weekend in a bid to close the gap to England to four points.

Lewis Hamilton has now decided between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, with the Formula 1 legend insisting he is a “big” fan of one of the players in the ‘GOAT’ debate.

Hamilton chooses between Ronaldo and Messi

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix is now on the horizon, with the eighth edition set to take place in Baku from September 19th to 21st, in what is round 17 of the Formula 1 season, and McLaren head into the race in a strong position to win back-to-back constructors’ championships.

McLaren are currently 337 points clear of second-placed Ferrari, courtesy of finishing second and third at Monza, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris collecting 617 points between them up to this stage.

Hamilton, on the other hand, hasn’t won in Azerbaijan since 2018, and Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur has admitted the 40-year-old has struggled after making his big move to the Scuderia.

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Vasseur said: “I don’t know if we underestimated the importance of the change. Probably, because he spent 10 years at McLaren, then 12 with Mercedes, but it was a kind of continuity – two teams based in the UK with the same engine, same environment.

“[Joining Ferrari] is a complete change for him, in his life, the culture of the team and everything. To do it in three test days in the winter period is quite difficult – and I think also the expectation was huge.”

The Briton will be looking to get back on track in Baku, after a mixed year so far, but there are no doubts over the fact he is one of the best F1 drivers of all time, having won a joint-record seven World Drivers’ Championships.

Alongside his clear love of F1, the Ferrari driver is also-well known to be a big football fan, having been a supporter of Arsenal growing up.

Hamilton has also decided between Ronaldo and Messi, claiming he is a fan of both players, saying:

Messi signs off in emphatic fashion in Argentina

The 38-year-old may no longer be playing in Europe, but he is still performing at the top-level, scoring a brace against Venezuela in his final home game for Argentina in the most recent international break.

Having racked up a remarkable 672 goals and 303 assists in 778 appearances during his time with Barcelona, while also winning eight Ballon d’Ors and the 2022 World Cup, it is difficult to argue with Hamilton’s assessment of the Rosario-born star being the greatest of all time.

Winning a second World Cup in 2026 could arguably end the debate, and Argentina have now sealed their place at the competition, which is due to take place across North America from next June until July.

Manchester City find themselves in a mini-rut after two successive defeats, though could be about to announce a statement signing ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline.

Manchester City suffer problematic defeat at Brighton

Despite being billed as one of the Premier League title favourites, Manchester City have lost back-to-back Premier League matches after falling to a 2-1 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Erling Haaland opened the scoring and looked set to send the Citizens on their way to a victory, though a penalty from James Milner and Brajan Gruda’s late strike left Pep Guardiola with much to ponder after a disappointing collapse on the South Coast.

Speaking after the loss, Manchester City star Rodri admitted his side ‘are not at the level’ that they should be and urged newcomers to step up quickly if they have designs on fighting for major silverware.

He told Sky Sports: “Disappointed because we are Manchester City and we come here to win, but this is the reality. We are not at the level for a long, long time.”

“We are missing the level. It is a matter of the team and the changes. New players have to adapt, and of course, when you change the team that much, it is difficult. This is our reality, it is not for excuses and we have to see that this is not the way to achieve things.”

Man City plan to submit record £130m offer to sign Ballon d'Or nominee

The Citizens are ready to break the bank.

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Sean Markus Clifford

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Undoubtedly, the lack of cohesiveness between Manchester City’s defence and goalkeeper James Trafford is one factor behind their shaky nature. £27 million was forked out on the stopper who joined from Burnley, while fan favourite Ederson looks set to depart before the window closes.

Needing a replacement with the wherewithal to become a rock behind Guardiola’s backline, Manchester City could now have found their man with time ticking before tonight’s deadline.

Manchester City set to sign Gianluigi Donnarumma

After weeks of speculation, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed on X that Manchester City are set to seal a deal to sign Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Ederson has agreed to join Fenerbahce, the renowned journalist added in his description, and the former AC Milan stopper is set for a medical this afternoon before an official announcement.

Weeks after Pep doubled down on Ederson’s importance to Manchester City, Donnarumma looks set to replace the Citizens’ legend between the sticks, though he hasn’t exactly had a simple journey of his own to get to this point.

Speaking about his situation at Paris Saint-Germain, for whom he kept 17 clean sheets in 47 appearances across all competitions last term, he admitted that he has been somewhat forced out at the Parc des Princes after protracted negotiations to extend his £212,000-a-week deal fell through.

Either way, that all appears to be water under the bridge and Manchester City will land an apt replacement for Ederson who will make a major difference between the sticks.

Barcelona sporting director Deco has suggested they will not sign a new striker to replace Robert Lewandowski, calling it “a mistake” to be obsessed with a No.9. Amid ongoing links to Erling Haaland and Serhou Guirassy, Deco insisted that Barca should focus on renewal and internal stability instead of pursuing high-profile transfers.

Barcelona director opens up on No. 9 situation

Barca director Deco has shut down speculation about the club’s search for a new No.9, despite increasing reports linking them with moves for Borussia Dortmund striker Guirassy and Manchester City star Haaland. The Portuguese executive, speaking to , stated that the club will not rush into signing a striker, especially while veteran forward Lewa remains under contract until 2026.

Deco’s remarks come amid growing uncertainty over Lewa’s long-term future. The 37-year-old Polish striker is in his fourth season at the club and has alternated duties with Ferran Torres, who has transitioned into a more central role under Hansi Flick. Yet, Deco insists that Camp Nou’s focus should not be on a replacement, but on strengthening the existing squad and managing renewals wisely.

AdvertisementDeco defends Barca's strategy

In his interview, Deco was direct about the club’s current transfer stance. “We shouldn’t be obsessed with signing a number 9,” he said. “Perhaps you can do without one. This isn’t the time to talk about signings. Ferran can play as a 9.” The sporting director went on to explain that chasing a marquee striker could distract from the team’s broader progress under Flick.

Deco also highlighted Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League-winning campaign as an example of tactical evolution. “PSG won the Champions League without a penalty-area player. Talking about a ‘9’ is a bit of a mistake, although there are good players,” he remarked. His comments underline a shift in the club’s approach, preferring adaptability and mobility in attack over a traditional target man.

Lewandowski's future still uncertain

While Deco was firm about transfer policy, he acknowledged that Lewa's future would be assessed in due time. “We’re not going to talk about renewals in October,” he said. “He’s one of the best forwards of recent years, a top-level player who’s helped us a lot. We’ll analyse that later. It’s time to talk about recovering injured players.”

The Polish striker remains a key figure for Flick, but his age and contract length suggest that Barca are already exploring long-term options. Despite rumours of interest in Guirassy and Haaland, Deco’s comments suggest the club’s financial constraints and new sporting vision may take precedence over another high-profile signing.

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GettyHaaland and Guirassy links persist

Despite Deco’s caution, Barca continue to be linked with top strikers across Europe. Reports in Spain claim that Borussia Dortmund are prepared to let Guirassy leave for €65 million next summer, while Haaland remains a long-term dream target for president Joan Laporta. While, City boss Pep Guardiola recently said: “Can you tell me one club that wouldn’t dream of Erling Haaland?” a reminder of how difficult such a deal would be, amid the high demand of the Norwegian when he's at his top form.

Meanwhile, Flick has shown confidence in Ferran Torres as a capable No.9, using him in rotation with Lewa. His versatility and energy suit Flick’s high-pressing system, aligning with Deco’s emphasis on internal solutions rather than external spending.

Barcelona’s focus now shifts to consolidating form under Flick as they continue to battle injuries and await their long-delayed return to the Spotify Camp Nou, as they are set to face Girona in La Liga but again in Montjuic. The club’s strategic direction under Deco and Laporta appears clear, renew key players, trust internal depth, and avoid hasty spending.