Arteta ‘lived in La Masia’ with Xavi and IniestaPremier League clubs cannot sign U18s from overseas Mikel Arteta believes it is “impossible” for Arsenal’s academy to produce as many top players as Barcelona’s famous La Masia setup owing to regulations imposed on English clubs. Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly have broken into Arsenal’s first team this season after coming through the academy and should feature against Brighton on Saturday. Arteta started his career at Barcelona and shared a dormitory with Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta and Victor Valdés at La Masia. But he suggested he had been frustrated in attempts to recreate the same environment at Arsenal because of certain rules, including restrictions on signing young players from overseas until they are 18. Continue reading...

Barcelona once had the chance to beat Liverpool to the signing of Darwin Nunez, with the Uruguayan now being linked with a move away from Anfield after failing to live up to his lofty price-tag

Barça are seasoned in the art of rejigging finances to get transfers done but they have been denied over Olmo and Pau Victor – for now Rarely can a trademark have fitted so well, even if it wasn’t exactly the way Dani Olmo intended it. Not long ago the Barcelona midfielder lodged his own brand with the European Union; it includes the goalscoring celebration, borrowed from the Milwaukee Bucks basketball player Damian Lillard, in which he stands pointing at his wrist, asking what time it is. Over the past few days, the image has been everywhere and everyone else has been asking the same question, staring at their watches, waiting as the seconds tick by. The answer of course is: Olmo Time. Or it was supposed to be. Instead, time has run out on him. Signed from RB Lepizig on a deal worth almost €60m, Olmo has five months later been removed from the squad after the 31 December deadline passed without Barcelona meeting the league’s salary limit rules. By the following morning Olmo and the forward Pau Víctor – who was entitled to spend New Year’s Day hopping about shouting: “Hello?! I’m here too!” – had disappeared from La Liga’s website. Neither will be able to play for Barcelona again this season. They will have to wait until the summer to be registered – if the club can meet the financial fair play rules then. Continue reading...

Barcelona have been trying to raise funds so that they can register Dani Olmo, who could be free to leave with Manchester United circling, but the Spanish club look to have found the cash

Frenkie de Jong has spent much of this season on the bench, leading to speculation that the former Manchester United transfer target could quit cash-strapped Barcelona in January

Barcelona are struggling to register Dani Olmo for the second half of the season and Manchester United are among the sides ready to make a move if the player becomes available on a free transfer

The 2025 January transfer window is finally open and clubs in the Premier League including Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United could be busy amid talk over Trent Alexander-Arnold, Marcus Rashford and Viktor Gyokeres

Club also hope to obtain licence for Pau VíctorBarça have struggled to convince of compliance with FFP Barcelona applied for new players’ licences for Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor with the Spanish FA (Rfef) on Tuesday, while the club denied claims of requesting any delay from governing bodies for their registrations. The announcement was made hours before the midnight registration deadline. Continue reading...

There are concerns over Arsenal's squad depth after going nine points behind league leaders Liverpool and fans will be crying out for more additions next month to help them get back in the title race

Dani Olmo looks set to become a free agent in the January transfer window as Barcelona struggle to register the Spanish international, having paid £51m to sign him in the summer

Spain and Barcelona star Lamine Yamal remains linked with a move to the Premier League but the youngster has been sent a strong message about his future by agent Jorge Mendes

Jurgen Klopp warned Philippe Coutinho against moving to La Liga - which is advice Trent Alexander-Arnold ought to heed as his move to Real Madrid edges closer

Court denies request to register player beyond DecemberBarça have three days to comply with La Liga FFP rules Barcelona have three days to find a way to comply with La Liga’s financial fair play rules or they will not be able to register Dani Olmo for the rest of the season – and face the prospect of him leaving as a free agent just six months after joining in a €55m (£45.6m) transfer. On Friday, a court in Barcelona published its decision to deny a lawsuit that the club had brought against the league’s rules, in which they requested a legal order to extend the player’s registration beyond 31 December. Continue reading...

Manchester United could be set for a busy January transfer window, with a number of players potentially set to leave Old Trafford as Ruben Amorim revamps his squad