FC Barcelona's pursuit of Julian Alvarez has reached a crucial stage after club president Joan Laporta confirmed that the offer made for the Atletico Madrid striker would not remain valid indefinitely.
Shortly after beginning his latest presidential term, Laporta made Barcelona's position clear.
"We have made an offer, but this offer is not unlimited in time."
Later, while in New York supporting the Spanish national team during the final stages of the World Cup, he narrowed the timeframe even further.
"The deadline for the offer is between the last week of July and the first week of August," he added.

#made #laporta #alvarez #atletico

Robert Lewandowski wanted to remain at Barcelona for another season, and club president Joan Laporta was equally keen for him to stay.
That is according to the striker's agent, Pini Zahavi, who explained the circumstances behind Lewandowski's departure in an interview with Sebastian Staszewski for SportoweFakty (via SPORT).
Zahavi discussed the reasons behind the forward's exit, the offers he received and why he ultimately chose to continue his career in Major League Soccer.
He also suggested that Lewandowski could one day return to Barcelona in a different role, following a conversation with Laporta.
Zahavi, who maintains a close relationship with the Barcelona president, revealed that Laporta was eager for Lewandowski to remain at the club.

#laporta #zahavi #remain

After more than a week of waiting for his transfer to become official, Karim Adeyemi has finally completed his first training session as a FC Barcelona player under Hansi Flick.
The German winger had remained in Barcelona since last week, unable to join his new teammates while the final administrative details of his move were completed.
That wait ended on Thursday, when the club officially unveiled him before he posed for photographs with president Joan Laporta and addressed the media for the first time as a Barça player.
Today, the morning after his presentation, Adeyemi arrived at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper shortly before 8:45 a.m., this time not as a guest but as a fully registered member of the squad.
Having already met his teammates during his stay in Barcelona, the 24-year-old was finally able to train alongside them, taking part in his first full session in club training gear as he begins adapting to Flick’s methods and building his fitness ahead of the new season.

#adeyemi #flick #joan

With Detroit Lions training camp starting soon, the PUP list will be announced shortly by the team. Whether a player shows up on the list or not will give us some information as to the status of the injury recovery.
The following are two of the most likely Lions to be placed on the PUP. For the rest of the candidates, visit Lions 2026 PUP-tentials with Sam LaPorta Surgical Update.
Branch had his Achilles rupture in December of 2025, which puts his expected return to action around October or November. Thus, there may be nothing to see throughout all of camp for Branch. He’ll likely start camp on the PUP list and stay there into the season.
At some point during training camp, Joseph will fully test his knee to see if it is able to handle football. Will that happen early in camp or late? An extra couple weeks of rest won’t make any difference at this point - 10 months since his last game action in October 2025.
Joseph might start camp on the PUP list although I’m not sure what value that would provide. It just delays the inevitable make-or-break testing of his knee. Might as well start ramping things up immediately to see how it goes.

#training

One of the major health questions for the Detroit Lions entering training camp involves star TE, Sam LaPorta, who is recovering from herniated disc surgery in November of 2025. How well will he recover, and how reliable will he be? The answers will determine how impactful the TE room will be in 2026.
Here are the medical recaps of two of the key players in the Lions TE room, as taken from Lions 2026 Training Camp Medical Preview: Tight End.
(Age at start of season in parentheses.) Click on player name for full medical report if available.
Medical concern level: 9/10
LaPorta’s herniated disc injury was due to accumulated trauma over time and placed #4 on last season’s Top 10 Injury List.

#laporta #training #injury #herniated

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona has reached a deal to sign Borussia Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi, according to club president Joan Laporta.
Laporta spoke about the transfer on Sunday after arriving in Dallas to watch Tuesday's World Cup semifinal between Spain and France.
The transfer has not been made official yet but Barcelona's president told reporters that the deal was in place. He did not provide financial information or any other detail about the agreement.
The 24-year-old Adeyemi missed preseason fitness checks Sunday at Dortmund, which said the player was involved in transfer talks.
“We’re very excited about Adeyemi,” Laporta said. “We’ve liked him for a while. He’s dangerous and fast.”

Club football is demanding the spotlight on a day of busy offices, pre-seasons underway, and boardrooms burning up.
The ball starts rolling. Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid and FC Barcelona officially begin their pre-seasons today. With all eyes on the new 2026/27 campaign, the three La Liga giants are starting medical check-ups and the first training workloads ahead of a demanding season.
Joan Laporta has made a big splash in the market. When asked about Atlético de Madrid's interest in Julián Álvarez, the Barcelona president warned: "We're not going to dance to anyone else's tune, we set the rhythm." He also officially confirmed the signing of Karim Adeyemi and Raphinha's stay, while keeping some uncertainty over Ferran Torres.
Paolo Maldini is taking on a historic mission. One of the living legends of defensive football has been named the new technical director of the Italian Federation (FIGC). His main objective is to rebuild the foundations of the Azzurra and return the team to the absolute elite after the heavy blow of missing their third consecutive World Cup.
A spectacular twist in the Premier League. Switzerland international Johan Manzambi, the undisputed breakout star of the World Cup, is one step away from becoming a new player for Unai Emery's Aston Villa. The Birmingham club have managed to **** the signing from Newcastle when negotiations had seemed all but done.

FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed that a deal to sign Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund is nearing completion.
"We are very excited about Adeyemi," he told reporters in Dallas (via World Soccer Talk).
"We've liked him for a while now. He is dangerous and fast, and the signing was handled very well by [sporting director] Deco. The news came out exactly when it was supposed to."
Borussia Dortmund confirmed on Sunday that Adeyemi had been granted permission to hold talks with another club.
According to reports, Barcelona are paying €22 million plus up to €7 million in bonuses for the German attacker.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has once again stoked speculation surrounding a potential move for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez.
He insists the Catalan giants have already made an offer but will not be drawn into an endless negotiation.
Laporta arrived in Dallas ahead of the World Cup semi-final between France and Spain.
However, questions quickly turned towards Alvarez, who has been one of Argentina's standout performers in the tournament.
He enjoyed a superb season at Atletico, registering 10 goals and four ****** ists in 15 Champions League appearances, while also contributing eight goals and four ****** ists in 29 La Liga matches.

Joan Laporta has touched on a host of topics surrounding Barcelona, offering updates on transfers, the futures of key players and the club's contingent at the World Cup.
The Barcelona president was speaking to the media in Dallas, where he arrived to watch the semifinal between Spain and France, and he did not hold back on the biggest issues of the summer.
Perhaps the most eye-catching update concerned the imminent arrival of Karim Adeyemi, with Laporta confirming the club's enthusiasm about the deal.
"We are very excited about Adeyemi. We've liked him for a while. He's dangerous and fast, and Deco handled the signing very well. The news came out when it was meant to," Laporta said (h/t Mundo Deportivo).
The president also shut down any speculation surrounding Raphinha, insisting the Brazilian remains central to the club's plans despite the arrivals in attack.

With the San Francisco 49ers wrapping up their organized team activities and skipping mandatory minicamp, Kyle Shanahan's team is on their long break before training camp at their SAP Performance Facility later this month.
This down time across the NFL provides an excellent opportunity for the fans and media to discuss where players and teams stand before the start of the season.
One example of that is ESPN's annual coaches, executive top 10 lists for each position. On Friday, they released their top 10 tight ends, and 49ers tight end George Kittle came in at No. 3, falling one spot from last year.
"Injuries and durability are becoming a concern, but when he's healthy, he's still the most versatile, dominant, complete tight end," an NFC executive told ESPN. "He's still the gold standard for blocking, running and catching."
Brock Bowers and Trey McBride were the only two tight ends ranked above Kittle, while Sam LaPorta, Tyler Warren, Tucker Kraft, Colston Loveland, Kyle Pitts, Mark Andrews and Travis Kelce rounded out the top 10.

Despite his season ending early with a back injury, Sam LaPorta is still considered one of the best tight ends in the NFL.
In ESPN's most recent release of their top-10 players at each position, as voted on by executives, coaches and scouts around the league, LaPorta checked in at No. 4 among his contemporaries.
"He's got great hands—he'll make a lot of circus, contested catches, especially in the red zone—and his blocking is high level," an NFC scout had to say about LaPorta. "Just an all-around problem."
LaPorta's third season in the league was his least productive from a statistical standpoint when it came to receptions (40), receiving yards (489), and touchdowns (3), but that can be attributed to playing in just nine games in 2025—also a season low for the third-year tight end. But looking at LaPorta's efficiency numbers reveals why he's still considered a top-5 player at his position.
No player among the top-10 tight ends generated more yards after first contact per reception than LaPorta (2.25), and his 6.9 yards after the catch per reception ranked first among all NFL tight ends. His 12.2 yards per reception, 69.4% success rate, 54.3 receiving yards per game, and 81.6% catch rate were all season highs for LaPorta in 2025.

FC Barcelona's pursuit of Julian Alvarez has entered a period of apparent calm, but negotiations remain very much alive behind the scenes.
The Argentine has already made his intentions clear by expressing his willingness to leave Atletico Madrid this summer.
Meanwhile, Barça president Joan Laporta has deliberately avoided fueling speculation in recent public appearances so as not to complicate the club's position, although he did confirm that the club had made an offer and that it remains on the table.
All parties have agreed to postpone any major developments until after the World Cup, when Barcelona intend to launch what they see as a near-decisive move for the Argentine striker.
Now, according to SPORT, Barcelona intend to submit an offer worth approximately €130 million after the World Cup.

FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta is planning to travel to the United States if Spain defeats Belgium in Friday's 2026 World Cup quarter-final and secures a place in the semi-finals, reports Mundo Deportivo.
Should La Roja advance, they will play on Tuesday, July 14, in Dallas, where they would face the winner of the quarterfinal between France and Morocco, which is scheduled to be played today in Boston.
Spain's squad includes as many as eight Barcelona players. Indeed, Joan Garcia, Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Pedri, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Lamine Yamal, and Ferran Torres are all part of Luis de la Fuente's squad.
With such a strong Blaugrana presence in the La Roja squad, the club president wants to attend the semi-final to support the players as they attempt to secure a place in the World Cup final.
Spain beat Portugal 1-0 in the Round of 16, courtesy of a stoppage-time winner from Mikel Merino. In the previous round, they had disposed of Austria with great ease.

Barcelona’s summer is taking shape in a way that feels familiar, a few necessary exits, one big attacking obsession and the usual balancing act between ambition and financial reality. The broad picture from The Athletic is clear enough. Barcelona want a new No 9, they are still pushing hardest for Julian Alvarez, and they know movement out of the squad will help determine how much they can really do.
That is the story. The rest is detail, and at Barcelona the detail always matters because the margins are so small. Every sale counts, every salary matters and every major incoming depends on the arithmetic lining up.
The clearest point in the report is that Barcelona’s centre-forward search revolves around one name. “The biggest goal is to bring in a new No 9 to replace Robert Lewandowski following his move to MLS side Chicago Fire.” That is the priority, and the club’s preferred answer has not changed. “Alvarez still remains their top priority and there is the expectation that Barca make another move after his participation at the World Cup.”
Photo IMAGO
There is another revealing quote in the report, and it came directly from Joan Laporta. He admitted Barcelona’s interest in the Argentina forward and said they sent a verbal proposal to Atletico Madrid which was rejected “because they had no replacement lined up”. Then he added: “That offer will stand from our end, but it won’t remain forever. Atletico know what our intentions are. There is an offer, Atletico have it and if there is an option to speak about it we would happily do it.”

Barcelona players have made it crystal clear to Julian Alvarez that he would be welcome at the Camp Nou this summer by taking it in turns to talk up the Argentina international.
Marc Bernal has now shared his thoughts on the Atletico Madrid star and has piled more praise on the forward.
"Personally, I like him a lot. He's a game-changer and he's had a great season at Atlético Madrid," he told Mundo Deportivo.
"Of course I'd like him to come, but that's not up to me. That decision rests with the club, the president, Deco, and Flick."
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has said an offer has already been made for Alvarez and the Catalans are expected to make an improved bid shortly.

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has delivered his clearest verdict yet on Julian Alvarez's future amid strong interest from Barcelona.
The Julian Alvarez Barcelona transfer saga has gathered pace in recent weeks after the Argentine forward informed Atletico Madrid of his desire to leave this summer in order to fulfil his ambition of playing for Barcelona.
Club president Joan Laporta has already confirmed that Barcelona opened talks with Atletico Madrid, although the Madrid side remain reluctant to strengthen one of their biggest domestic rivals.
Speaking to ESPN, Simeone made it clear how highly he rates the Argentine international, describing him as one of the best players in world football.
With Julian Alvarez transfer rumours continuing to circulate, Simeone explained just how important the forward remains to Atletico Madrid's plans.

We are well into the Top 10 of Lions Injury News of the 2025 Season. Today, I present the number four ranked story on the list.
The following is excerpted from Lions Top 10 Injury News of 2025: #4 Sam LaPorta Spinal Disc:
One of the elite tight ends in the NFL had a sudden and shocking end to his 2025 season, meriting a spot at #4 on the Top 10 Injury News of 2025. Here is the timeline and ***** ysis of Sam LaPorta’s herniated disc, along with his his future outlook.
November 9, 2025: This play in Week 10 vs the Commanders was the penultimate of his season…
It’s uncertain how much impact this play had on his injury as LaPorta later revealed that the disc problem was actually an accumulation injury.

ESPN's bold predictions for the 2026 NFL season zeroed in on a key figure in the Detroit Lions' organization.
While some think a long-term contract extension could still get ironed out with Lions tight end Sam LaPorta before next season starts, ESPN's Ben Solak predicts that LaPorta will get traded to the Carolina Panthers instead.
The Lions have been busy inking its stars to long-term deals over the past two years. The organization inked receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, offensive tackle Penei Sewell and franchise quarterback Jared Goff to extensions in 2024.Then, beginning with safety Kerby Joseph in April of 2025, the Lions locked in long-term deals with wide receiver Jameson Williams, edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson and just inked linebacker Jack Campbell to a contract extension.
But, with extensions still to be done with safety Brian Branch, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and LaPorta, it's fair to wonder if there's an odd man out.
Here's some of Solak's thoughts:

Barcelona have made a transfer offer for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez, the Catalan club's president Joan Laporta said Wednesday.
The Spanish champions are aiming to sign the Argentina international to replace departed striker Robert Lewandowski, who joined MLS side Chicago Fire this week.
Barca have been heavily linked with Alvarez in recent months and, after being sworn in as Barca chief following his reelection in March, Laporta said they have made an offer for the 26-year-old.
"(Barca sporting director) Deco made an offer for a certain amount of money -- we know the player has wanted to come for some time, since he was at (Manchester) City," Laporta told reporters.
"(Atletico) said in principle, they weren't planning to sell him, because they didn't have an alternative. The offer is firm and we'll keep it on the table until we consider otherwise suitable."

World football shows no mercy on this 1 July 2026. International front pages are bowing to France’s masterclass at the World Cup, while on the domestic front, the Spanish national team fine-tunes its machinery and Barça grabs all the headlines with a historic day of boardroom moves and departures.
The Spanish national team is in the spotlight after the close of the group stage. With Cucurella taking center stage in As under the slogan "We can be unstoppable," the 'La Roja' dressing room is channeling the criticism it has received to arrive fired up and ready for its decisive clash against Austria, according to Sport.
A day of major movement at Camp Nou. Joan Laporta officially begins his third presidential term, facing colossal challenges for the future, such as the completion of Spotify Camp Nou.
On the sporting side, Sport confirms the definitive "Goodbye Ansu": the academy graduate brings his Barça spell to an end and heads to Monaco for 11 million euros.
The World Cup day crowns the big favorites. France swept aside Sweden with a commanding 3-0 win in the round of 32 thanks to a stellar brace from Kylian Mbappé and the magic of Olise, a result that leads the front pages of L'Équipe and Olé and ends the Swedish dream in Sportbladet. Les Bleus now await Paraguay in the next round.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has teased a move for Julian Alvarez amid speculation he will leave Atletico Madrid for the Catalans this summer.
Alvarez has confirmed he wants a transfer away from Atletico but has stopped short of mentioning Barcelona explicitly, saying only that he wants to "fulfill a dream."
Laporta hasn't mentioned Alvarez explicitly either but did talk transfers with El Chiringuito as he celebrated his birthday on Monday.
"It's clear that dreams come true if you work hard and fight for them," he said. "Most players, and this fills us with pride, want to come to Barça.
Laporta was then asked about players with "unfulfilled dreams" and responded: "Hopefully, we can fulfill the dreams of the players who want to come to Barça."

With OTAs and mandatory minicamp in the books, Detroit Lions players now have a month before training camp report dates.
That means it's not long before football and the NFL season takes center stage. Training camp could also provide the information and opportunity for the Lions to make some big final offseason decisions.
As the offseason winds down, ESPN proposed final offseason moves for the Lions and all 32 NFL teams. For Detroit, ESPN proposed contract extensions for two young Lions stars in safety Brian Branch and tight end Sam LaPorta.
Much like their division rivals, the Lions could use more veteran help on the edge, but they also have some big contract decisions to make. The good thing about drafting multiple stars in the same draft is that they play really well. The bad thing is that you must pay them all at once. The bill is coming due for the Lions' fantastic 2023 draft class.
They already extended linebacker Jack Campbell, and they get an extra year to decide on running back Jahmyr Gibbs thanks to the fifth-year option granted to first-round picks. However, both Branch and LaPorta are set to become free agents at the end of this season. The worst scenario is probably getting to the 2027 offseason and having to decide how to sign both Branch and LaPorta while also extending Gibbs. - Aaron Schatz, ESPN

After enjoying a brief break with the Barça Legends a few weeks ago, sporting director Deco returned to Barcelona to continue planning the squad for next season.
The Portuguese executive is shaping up to be one of the club’s most important figures this summer.
According to AS, for the first time since taking charge of Barcelona’s sporting department, Deco is expected to operate under La Liga’s long-awaited 1:1 financial rule, giving the club significantly greater flexibility in the market.
And, inside the club, there is considerable confidence in Deco’s work heading into what promises to be a crucial summer. He has earned the full trust of Joan Laporta and the board.
As per the report, Barcelona are expected to have well over €100 million available for transfers, not including any income generated through player sales.

Lamine Yamal announced his arrival at World Cup 2026 on Sunday with a goal after just 11 minutes of his first start against Saudi Arabia. La Roja looked a different team with the Barcelona teenager back in the starting XI after injury and went on to cruise to a 4-0 win.
World Cup debutants Cape Verde sprinkled more magic over the tournament by picking up another impressive point. After pulling off a huge shock by holding Spain in their opener, the Blues Sharks made more waves by drawing with Uruguay. A place in the knockout stages is not out of the question now.
Time to check out the best goals of Day 11….
Yamal made his first start of World Cup 2026 against Saudi Arabia and took very little time to get his name on the scoresheet. Mikel Oyarzabal fizzed in a cross from the left and Yamal slid in at the far post to score his first ever World Cup goal.
Spain quickly made it 2-0 from a corner. Aymeric Laporta flicked on a wayward shot by Dani Olmo to Mikel Oyarzabal to fire home.

Last week, Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell provided a vague injury update for Lions safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, along with tight end Sam LaPorta.
“They’re all improving. None of them are practicing,” Campbell said ahead of the third OTA practice for the team. “It’s the best I can tell you.”
At this point, there is no clear timeline for any of those players’ returns to the field, but this week we did get some visual progress for Branch.
The Lions’ Pro Bowl safety suffered a torn Achilles in early December, and it’s basically been radio silence since. However, a couple of Instagram pages this week shared photos and videos of Branch’s rehab process. First, the Instagram page _rockofficial shared a pair of photos of him working with a medicine ball and flipping a tire.
That account belongs to Christian Van Buren, a former college football player and current “performance specialist.”

Two of the top three scoring offenses will meet on 'Thursday Night Football,' providing quite the NFL DFS player pool for the Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions matchup at 8:15 p.m. ET. Detroit is a 3-point home favorite, while the over/under is 54.5, the highest on the board in Week 14. Dak Prescott, Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs and CeeDee Lamb are names known to casual football fans and names very familiar with being included in NFL DFS lineups. However, Detroit could be shorthanded with Sam LaPorta on the IR and Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) a game-time decision after not practicing this week. George

Two of the top three scoring offenses will meet on 'Thursday Night Football,' providing quite the NFL DFS player pool for the Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions matchup at 8:15 p.m. ET. Detroit is a 3-point home favorite, while the over/under is 54.5, the highest on the board in Week 14. Dak Prescott, Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs and CeeDee Lamb are names known to casual football fans and names very familiar with being included in NFL DFS lineups. However, Detroit could be shorthanded with Sam LaPorta on the IR and Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) a game-time decision after not practicing this week.
Wideo

The next step for Lions TE Sam LaPorta? 'See the game from the quarterback’s perspective'