Barcelona director eyes summer move for 31-year-old Manchester City v… — and more

Despite being in the decisive stretch of the 2025/26 season and amid the upcoming presidential elections at Barcelona, the club’s sporting department, led by director Deco, continues to work on planning the squad for next season.

As has been well-established by now, a new left-footed centre-back is one of the priority signings for Barça, with names like Alessandro Bastoni and Micky van de Ven being touted as possible targets for the La Liga champions.

Deco eyes Nathan Ake of Manchester City

However, according to SPORT, one of the defenders most appreciated by Deco is Nathan Ake, currently under contract with Manchester City until 2027.

The 31-year-old Dutch international is viewed internally as a player who could fit both sporting and financial requirements for the Blaugrana.

Ake offers versatility, being able to play as a left-sided centre-back or left-back, which suits the needs of coach Hansi Flick.

Nathan Ake remains on Deco’s radar. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Moreover, within club offices, there is a belief that Manchester City might be open to negotiating his departure, considering the depth in the centre-back department.

After all, Ake has not been a regular starter under Pep Guardiola this season, playing 1,129 minutes across 24 matches, with only 12 starts, many of them in the cup competitions.

As such, Barcelona see Ake as a possible market opportunity in the club’s complicated financial context. Although the club recently received positive news regarding its salary limit, significant financial caution is still required.

The priority investment is expected to go toward signing a centre-forward, meaning that a relatively affordable defensive option could be attractive.

Barcelona already considered signing Ake during the winter transfer window after the long-term injury to Andreas Christensen. Ultimately, the club opted to bring in Joao Cancelo on loan instead. Even so, he remains on Deco’s shortlist.

Am Wochenende startet die Formel 1 in die neue Saison. Zeit, einen Blick auf die Favoriten zu werfen.[mehr]

Summer could bring renewal to Liverpool’s midfield.

Arne Slot has been reliant on the same cast of midfield options for the last two seasons - and it’s clear change is coming. Curtis Jones and Wataru Endo are both out of contract in 2027 and Richard Hughes may well listen to offers.

Then there are contract deals to be sorted out for the other senior midfielders - Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister.

The clock is ticking - all three are out of contract in 2028 - and the off-season could see one or more moved on if no new contract is agreed.

We could see the Premier League champions move for a midfielder - and a long-standing target could be revisited.

Liverpool like Andre of Wolves

The Anfield side were heavily linked with a move for Andre before the then-Fluminense midfielder transferred to Wolves in 2024. But in January links re-emerged - suggesting that the soon-to-be-relegated side were prepared to listen to offers.

And Andre’s match-winning performance against Arne Slot’s side on Tuesday night may have been enough to win over any recruiters inside the club who might not have been sold on the idea of signing him.

The 24-year-old inflicted huge damage on Liverpool’s Champions League hopes - striking in the last minute to secure a 2-1 win for the Premier League basement boys. But the 13-cap Brazil international did much more besides in a man-of-the-match display.

Andre passes Liverpool audition

Andre was the best midfielder on show - even up against Liverpool’s star-studded trio of Gravenberch, Mac Allister and Szoboszlai.

Across 90+ minutes he completed 43 of 45 passes attempted - including 14 of 14 in the opposition half. He had a total of 67 touches - carrying the ball 13 times and making four progressive carries.

In the engine room he made nine defensive contributions - including winning three of five attempted tackles, making two interceptions.

The Wolves No7 also made one clearance and blocked one shot in a performance that featured 11 recoveries.

The midfielder went into 10 ground duels - winning seven - and gave away only one foul while drawing two. Into the bargain, Andre was not even dribbled past once.

All stats per Sofascore.