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Barcelona controversially managed to register summer signings Dani Olmo and Pau Victor due to their deal to lease out 475 VIP seats for a period of 30 years. That deal was later removed from La Liga’s salary limit calculations, putting the Blaugrana back in the red. If they can move back within their salary limit though, then they could be able to commit to signings this transfer window.
The VIP seats deal saw a 30-year lease signed with Fortia Advisors and New Era Visionary Group to the tune of €100m, which increased Barcelona’s salary limit sufficiently to register Olmo and Victor, until then registered under an emergency injury ruling. However after auditors Crowe established they could not include the deal in this year’s accounts as the product did not yet exist, that €100m was removed again.
Barcelona submit documents proving VIP seats exist
The latest development, as per Marca, is that constuctor Limak has completed the building of those VIP seats, and given documents certifying this fact and a receipt to the club. Barcelona have in turn submitted these documents to Crowe, in hope that they will update the club’s accounts, and they can then submit the fresh numbers to La Liga to increase their salary limit again. If it is accepted, then Barcelona could be back in the so-called ‘1:1 rule’.
Marc Casadó is on the verge of renewing his Barça deal until 2030. @sport
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) May 26, 2025
La Liga suspicions over VIP seats deal
La Liga challenged the registration of Olmo and Victor, and reportedly have suspicions over the business connections between Barcelona, Fortia Advisors and New Era Visionary Group. There has also been some suggestion that La Liga may include the deal in their calculations, but on a pro rata basis. That would see the money earned from the deal divided by every year the lease is active. reducing its impact dramatically ahead of next season, and altering Barcelona’s plans.
Barcelona plan to be back in September
There does appear to be general progress with the stadium though, with the grass laid and plans to return to a partially open Camp Nou at a capacity of around 60,000 in September. They intend to test out the stadium in July to see if it is ready for action.
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Crystal Palace could move for Man United target to replace Marc Guehi
Crystal Palace have started thinking about Marc Guehi’s replacement at the club next year. The England international defender is expected to leave Selhurst Park next year with some of the biggest clubs in the world interested in his services. The likes of Liverpool, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United have all been linked with a move for the Palace defender and considering he is set to become a free agent next summer, the clubs see him as a bargain option. Guehi was on the verge of joining Liverpool in the summer transfer window but Palace changed their mind at the last minute and decided to keep the defender, struggling to replace him late in the transfer window. With the Eagles now starting their planning ahead of time, they have identified the defender they want to target to replace their influential captain. Crystal Palace identify Marc Guehi replacement Crystal Palace are preparing to revisit their pursuit of Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande in the January transfer window, according to Portuguese outlet A Bola. The Eagles attempted to sign the highly rated centre-back during the summer, and with changes looming in their defensive department, their interest has now intensified. Palace see Diomande as a long-term successor to Guehi, who is expected to leave Selhurst Park in 2026. Sporting rejected an approach from Palace in the summer, despite the London club being willing to pay €55 million (£48m) for the Ivory Coast international. The 21-year-old has since continued to establish himself as one of the most promising young defenders in Europe, combining physical strength with impressive composure and ball-playing ability. Man United are also targeting Diomande Man United are now strongly monitoring the centre-back, largely due to Ruben Amorim’s familiarity with the player from their time together at Sporting. With Harry Maguire’s long-term future uncertain and United preparing for a defensive rebuild, Diomande has been identified as an ideal target by the Portuguese manager. Sporting, however, are reluctant to sell mid-season. The Lisbon giants are pushing to tie Diomande to a new long-term contract over the coming weeks. While the club do not plan to raise his €80m (£70m) release clause, they want to strengthen their position and signal that they will not entertain cut-price offers in January. What Crystal Palace expect to happen with Marc Guehi amid Liverpool Man Utd transfer interest
Packers Receive Disappointing Injury News Before Vikings Matchup
Jayden Reed’s anticipated return to the practice field for the Green Bay Packers will have to wait a little longer. Despite some growing hope earlier this week that the dynamic wide receiver could begin the next phase of his recovery, head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed Wednesday that Reed will not open his 21-day practice window yet. “He’s not practicing today,” LaFleur said ahead of Sunday’s critical matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. When pressed for a clearer timeline on the second-year standout, who remains on injured reserve with collarbone and foot injuries, LaFleur deferred to the medical staff. “I don’t know. As soon as medical clears him, he’ll be out there,” LaFleur said. “I know he’s excited to get back. As am I.” The optimism had spiked in recent days. On Monday, LaFleur indicated there was a chance Reed and/or rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd could start their practice windows this week. Reed himself fueled the excitement Tuesday by sharing a photo of himself dressed in full uniform on social media. Those plans, however, are now on hold. Reed’s surgically repaired foot seems to have healed satisfactorily, but the collarbone—fractured on a diving attempt during the first half of Green Bay’s Week 2 victory over the Washington Commanders—still needs additional time. For a wide receiver whose job involves regular physical contact and the risk of landing hard on the shoulder, the medical staff is requiring clear imaging evidence that the bone is strong enough before green-lighting a return. The cautious approach echoes the Packers’ handling of Aaron Rodgers’ similar collarbone injury in 2017, when the former quarterback sat out seven games while waiting for full healing. Nearly 10 weeks removed from the injury and having already missed eight contests, Reed could still require another one to two weeks before doctors are comfortable clearing him for football activities. That timeline keeps a potential return for the Thanksgiving night clash with the Detroit Lions or the following week against the Chicago Bears realistically in play. Before the injury, Reed had established himself as Green Bay’s top receiving weapon. He paced the team in receiving yards in both 2023 and 2024, and in the two games he played this season while managing the foot issue, he recorded three receptions for 45 yards and a touchdown. The Green Bay Packers will continue their Week 12 preparations without their leading wideout on the practice field, with LaFleur and the organization prioritizing full recovery over a rushed comeback.
Texas HC Steve Sarkisian gives bold claim on job rumors
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian has been a popular name in both the NFL and college football coaching cycles. It makes sense, too. He's brought Texas back to being competitive and in the championship hunt, but he also has a wealth of great experience as an assistant in both college and the NFL. He's about as well-rounded a candidate as you'll find, so of course, programs like the Florida Gators, LSU Tigers or even the New York Giants may be interested to see if he's interested. The thing is, though, he's not. Or, at the very least, that's what he's telling the media. He's all-in with the Longhorns, according to comments he made on a recent SEC teleconference call. “I’d like to comment something before I get into our team that has been bothering me now over the past few weeks. That is people reporting that are insinuating that there’s a possibility I could leave the University of Texas, and that is absolutely false and untrue," Sarkisian said (h/t On3). "I’m not going anywhere. Never do I do this because I never want to be a distraction, so I never address these things. At this point, I feel like this is important that I do this because it’s important for our team. It’s important for our university." Steve Sarkisian has deep roots in Austin and is all-in with Texas As if that weren't clear enough, Sarkisian said that he has not had any discussions with anybody about coaching elsewhere. He even went as far as to say that even his agent hasn't spoken to anyone. Sometimes coaches can say publicly that they aren't talking about any opportunities while, in the meantime, their agents are working backchannels and putting something together. He could be lying, of course, because college football history is full of head coaches saying one thing and doing another. A full-throated statement like this seems to be a pretty clear indication that Sarkisian is serious about what he's saying, though. Heck, he went as far as calling Austin home, which is a pretty big deal for a coach to say. Those guys aren't used to staying in one place for too long. With that said, Sarkisian does have two kids actually enrolled at Texas, one on the football team. He has a third kid he wants to go to Texas in the near future. He also just had a baby. Sarkisian has roots in Austin. He also has high aspirations for the Longhorns. “We came here to win championships," he said. "We’ve built a damn good football program over the five years that we’ve been here. We’ve been to two College Football Playoffs. We won a Big 12 Championship. We went to the SEC Championship game in Year 1. We’ve had 23 players drafted the last two years, which is more than any other school in the country and our team GPA is at an all-time high. “Can we please stop putting things out there that you have absolutely zero evidence on? Can we please stop retweeting and putting it back out there as if it’s true? As if it’s the gospel? It is not true."
Pelicans' Derik Queen lives up to 'Baby Jokic' nickname vs. Nuggets
New Orleans Pelicans rookie center Derik Queen earned the nickname "Baby Jokic" during his college career at Maryland. He showed why on Wednesday night. The Pelicans hosted the Denver Nuggets and center Nikola Jokic at Smoothie King Center. Queen held his own in his second game against the three-time league MVP. Derik Queen had career night against Nikola Jokic and Co. In Denver's 125-118 victory, Queen — the 13th pick of the 2025 NBA Draft — scored a season-high 30 points on outstanding 12-of-18 shooting from the field. The 20-year-old rookie also had nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals. Jokic, meanwhile, scored 28 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field and had 12 assists and 11 rebounds. It was his third straight game with a triple-double, which is what fans have come to expect from one of the best players in the world. Queen, of course, has a long way to go to reach the heights that Jokic has in his career. He still may never do so. The 30-year-old veteran is at the pinnacle of the sport. The Nuggets standout has earned five first-team All-NBA selections and won a championship in 11 seasons with Denver. In a list published on Nov. 10, The Athletic ranked him as the NBA's fifth-best player since 2000, behind former Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, former San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan, Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Lakers forward LeBron James. While he may never approach the same tier as Jokic, Wednesday night's performance should make the Pelicans feel they took the right guy in Queen. He's beginning to showcase the skills that had many scouts believe the 6-foot-9, 250-pound center could be a star. "Queen's deep repertoire of post moves, excellent touch with both hands and strong footwork make him one of the class's most reliable interior scorers, even without elite vertical athleticism," wrote Bleacher Report's NBA staff in its pre-draft scouting report. The Pelicans need Queen — who was averaging 10.4 points per game entering Wednesday — to stay on this trajectory. That would give New Orleans (2-13) a player it can keep building around. Plus, it would prove he's deserving of his moniker.
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