Barcelona
Jan Virgili: Mallorca Move, Barça Feelings and a Route Back to Camp Nou
Jan Virgili says he would struggle to refuse Barcelona if the club reopened the door to him. indeed.
Jan Virgili has emerged as a bright young winger for Mallorca after leaving Barcelona last summer, and he has made clear that a return to his boyhood club would be difficult to turn down.
“If Deco called, it would be hard saying no,” Virgili said when asked how he would respond to Barça’s sporting director. He added that wearing the Blaugrana shirt remains a long-term ambition. “Yes, of course,” Virgili said. “That was my dream and is my dream and I think it will always be my dream. I’ve been a Barça fan all my life and in the end, if one day the opportunity arrives, that Barça’s doors open up to me again, in the first team, I’d be delighted obviously.”
Virgili spent a year at La Masia and was part of the U-19 side that completed a treble, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Youth League. His performances carried him into regular appearances for Barça Atlètic in the opening months of 2025, but the B side’s relegation changed his prospects.
He trained with the first team under Hansi Flick at the start of preseason and had hoped to be included on the Asian tour. “When I started the preseason with the first team, I had the hope of going on the [Asian] tour,” he said. “At least to try to impress or having the chance to play with the first team, but it wasn’t to be.” With Mallorca’s offer arriving in the summer, Virgili opted for a new path. “These are things that happen and in the end, Mallorca’s offer arrived and I gambled for a change of path.
“Barça Atlètic got relegated and, even if being at Barça is a privilege, I think staying at [Barça B], more so at a lower division, Mallorca was a train I couldn’t let pass by. I always say you have to search for the path you want and if it’s outside of where you want it to be, you must follow the chosen path.”
Mallorca signed Virgili for $4 million (€3.5 million) last summer, with Barcelona retaining 50% of his rights and a right to match any future offer. The retained interest and matching right provide a clear mechanism that could facilitate a future return.
Separately, Barcelona and Marcus Rashford reportedly share a mutual desire to extend his loan beyond the initial year, but Manchester United are insisting on Barcelona triggering the $35 million (£26 million) buy-option. Joan Laporta has suggested an alternative is unlikely this summer, complicating any deal.
Arsenal
International break leaves major clubs counting the cost of fresh injuries
A crowded international break brought fresh injuries for leading Premier League and European stars across several clubs.
The September and October international windows were meant to ease the strain of the autumn schedule, but they have instead added to it. Across a long list of top-level names, the break delivered fresh fitness concerns for clubs already bracing for a demanding 2026/27 campaign.
Manchester United were among the hardest hit. Before the break even began, Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo withdrew from England duty, while Benjamin Šeško also pulled out with Slovenia. Matters deepened as the window went on, with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus saying Bruno Fernandes was “playing through pain” with a “complicated” injury that ruled him out against Norway. Fernandes remained with the national side and has since recovered. Patrick Dorgu was not as fortunate, returning to Manchester after a hamstring injury with Denmark, while Noussair Mazraoui also picked up a problem in Morocco’s win over Lesotho.
Arsenal had their own worries. Declan Rice withdrew from England’s squad before matches against Spain, Croatia and Czechia, and Kai Havertz later suffered a hamstring issue while with Germany. Martin Ødegaard was also unsettled after a challenge from Portugal’s Bernardo Silva, then missed training before Norway faced Wales, although he stayed with the squad. Ezri Konsa was not training ahead of England’s meeting with Czechia and was an unused substitute in the 2–0 win, though he remained with the team.
Kylian Mbappé provided the biggest scare of the break when he appeared to suffer a knee injury for France and played only 59 minutes before leaving the squad. The positive for Real Madrid is that he appears to have avoided a major setback and is expected back for domestic action. Ibrahima Konaté also sustained a knee injury with France, described by the French Football Federation as “mild.”
Barcelona were again affected when Raphinha suffered a thigh injury in Brazil’s 4–2 win over Australia and returned to Catalonia. Eric García also withdrew after a knee issue with Spain.
Liverpool, too, had reason for concern when Alexander Isak lasted only one game for Sweden before coming back to Merseyside with a thigh issue.
Barcelona
Gabriel’s United exit stance points toward Europe’s elite
Gabriel’s wish to leave United is tied to the club’s decline, with Madrid and Barcelona possible moves.
JJ Gabriel’s desire to leave Manchester United is being framed as more than a simple contract dispute. According to the report, the teenager and those around him believe the club is too far removed from the standard he wants to chase, with their view shaped by United’s long decline in stature over the past 13 years.
The Daily Mail says that drop-off is the “driving force” behind Gabriel’s stance. The player is understood to want to “learn from the best,” and that assessment appears central to why an immediate exit has become the direction of travel. Earlier reports had linked his frustration to limited first-team opportunities, but this latest version of events places United’s wider decline at the heart of the issue.
Gabriel has already built a reputation for dominating at every age level, including the U-21s, where he scored twice in two appearances against players five years older. That background has made his case even more notable, especially as recent examples elsewhere show that teenagers can be trusted early. Lamine Yamal made his breakthrough at Barcelona as a 15-year-old, while Max Dowman had already featured for Arsenal in the Champions League and Premier League before turning 16.
The report says United are seen as “far away” from five of Europe’s elite clubs that Gabriel would consider joining. Barcelona and Real Madrid are both said to have been strongly linked with the player, who turns 16 in October and can move across Europe through an Irish passport. Gabriel’s father, Joe O’Cearuill, is believed to have already met with both Spanish clubs, with the preference thought to be Madrid.
That said, the report also notes a potential complication. Real Madrid are currently led by José Mourinho, a coach known for valuing experienced professionals over unproven youngsters. Barcelona, meanwhile, are under Hansi Flick, who has two teenagers in his starting XI and regularly places trust in La Masia. Whether Gabriel would break through there remains an open question.
Barcelona
Barcelona explain why Gordon was preferred over Rashford
Barcelona preferred Anthony Gordon to Marcus Rashford, with Deco citing fit, intensity and Flick’s plan.
Barcelona sporting director Deco has given a clear explanation for why the club moved for Anthony Gordon rather than making Marcus Rashford’s loan permanent.
Barcelona had the chance to sign Rashford for €35 million ($40 million) at the end of a season-long loan, but decided against it and instead pursued Gordon, who cost around €80 million ($93 million) including add-ons. The choice has already looked justified on the pitch, with Gordon producing four assists in four games as Barcelona have opened the 2026/27 season unbeaten.
Deco said the club believed Gordon was a better match for Hansi Flick’s style and specifically wanted more intensity in the attacking line. He was frank about the difference between the two wide players and insisted the decision followed a clear internal plan.
“We are extremely grateful to Rashford,” Deco told Catalan radio station RAC1 , discussing the differences between the two wide forwards.
“He contributed a lot last season, but our idea of play is much more linked to Anthony’s. His style fits with what the coach is looking for.
“In the case of Gordon, we saw that he was one of the figures we needed.
“When Raphinha wasn’t on the pitch, the team lost energy and with him we could solve it. The big advantage we had is that the player wanted to come and he was able to put on pressure [at Newcastle to be allowed to leave].”
He added: “We had a clear idea what we’re looking for. We needed more intensity. We analyzed a lot of wingers. Signing someone from the Premier League is almost impossible, but [Flick] was clear with what he wanted and we worked on a deal from there.”
The comments could be seen as a setback for Rashford, who has previously been criticised for his work rate in attack. After Barcelona chose not to keep him, his options narrowed, despite reported interest during the window, including approaches to United and from Turkish Süper Lig side Fenerbahçe.
Rashford has since returned to the United first team this season and has made two starts under Michael Carrick. Carrick praised him in August after the 5-2 win over Ipswich, saying: “He’s adding to the group for us; it’s pretty obvious,” United manager Carrick said of Rashford in August, following the 5–2 victory over Ipswich .
“I’ve known him for a while. He wasn’t here when I came back, and now he is. I think he’s making the most of that for us and for him as well, to have the opportunity to be here. He’s one of our own. He’s living his dream, playing here and trying to be successful and win.
