Atleti appear to mock Barca's attempts to sign Alvarez
Latest from Your Site News' Adrian Kajumba:
Atletico Madrid have appeared to mock Barcelonas attempts to sign their striker Julian Alvarez.
The club have responded to social media posts about an imminent Barcelona bid for Alvarez by mocking up parody posts of their own about Barcelona players.
Atletico, who insist Alvarez is not for sale and value him as high as 130m, have posted images on X of Barcelona stars Lamine Yamal, Pedri and Raphinha in Atletico shirts.
The posts also included joke derisory bids for each player, including the offer of concert tickets, an annual subscription and bag of sunflower seeds for Yamal.
Alongside a picture of former Leeds winger Raphinha in their shirt, Atletico included the caption:
Dont believe everything you see, especially if its related to Barca.
Barcelona declined to comment when contacted by Your Site News.
Oldham sign Nevitt on a free
Oldham have confirmed the signing of Elliott Nevitt on a free transfer.
The striker will officially join the Latics on July 1 after his contract at Gillingham comes to an end.
Nevitt, 29, has inked a two-year deal.
Azeez: I will do 'whatever I can' to get to the Premier League
Atleti hit back at Barca on X over Alvarez pursuit
Thomas signs new Coventry deal
Bobby Thomas has signed a new contract at Coventry.
The length of the contract has not been disclosed.
The 25-year-old joined the club from Burnley in 2023 and has since gone on to play 129 games, scoring 10 goals.
The most important of those was against Blackburn towards the end of 2025/26, which sealed the Sky Blues' return to the Premier League.
He told the club's official website: "Ive really enjoyed my time here and it has been amazing to be a part of such a historic achievement in helping the club get back to the Premier League.
Those memories will live with me, my friends and my family forever and Im excited for whats ahead!"
Lincoln make joint head coach appointment
Lincoln have moved swiftly to replace Michael Skubala after he left the club to join Bristol City, with Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw appointed head coaches.
The pair previously worked as assistants to Skubala.
The Imps' Sporting director Jez George said: Chris and Tom were very close to being in these roles already, with autonomy to lead every training session, unit meetings and taking responsibility for devising individual game plans.
"Under Michaels watch, they also designed, developed and finessed the game model.
We know this goes against convention, but our job is to do what we think is right for Lincoln City at this time.
"This provides us with maximum continuity for squad that achieved 103 points last season and clarity at a crucial time leading up to the opening of the transfer window.
I have experienced working with Danny and Nicky Cowley, who as brothers were as close as you could get to head coaches and when we discussed the way in which this will operate with Chris and Tom, it was disingenuous to portray the relationship as head coach and assistant as it is genuinely a 50/50 partnership.
"They have worked together, as equals, for two years and will continue to do so. Therefore, they are both our head coaches, and they will operate in the same way as last season except they will also now have ultimate responsibility, between them, on selecting the team.
Bristol City appoint Skubala
Bristol City have appointed Michael Skubala as their new head coach.
The 43-year-old - who guided Lincoln to the Sky Bet League One title in 2025/26 - has signed a three-year contract at Ashton Gate.
Roy Hodgson was in charge of the Robins for the final two months of the season, but Skubala is the permanent successor to Gerhard Struber, who was sacked in March.
Speaking to the club's official website, he said: Im delighted to take up this exciting opportunity. Ive had some really positive conversations with the board and James Ellis, who have been very clear about the clubs ambition.
"Im ready for the challenge ahead and looking forward to meeting the players, staff and supporters. Preparations for pre-season are well underway and we have an important and exciting few months ahead.
'Gordon's versatility and CL form attracted Barcelona'
Your Site News' Keith Downie:
"What's interesting is the two clubs who were fighting for his signature are from the continent - Barcelona and Bayern Munich - and I think a lot of that would be down to what he's done in the Champions League this season.
"Only Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane scored more goals than Gordon's 10. It's a brilliant return. In that competition, his numbers have been sensational. His numbers haven't been quite as good in the Premier League.
"Yes, he scored six, taking his total to 17 which, on paper, looks good. But clearly his best form this season has been reserved for the Champions League.
"He can play a number of positions, too. Ordinarily, he's played off the left-hand side in a 4-3-3, but he's also been used a lot through the middle, to devastating effect at times.
"Barcelona have got an abundance of riches, with the likes of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha. Robert Lewandowski is leaving, so perhaps that provides an opening for him through the middle. That ability to play in a number of positions is the thing that has attracted Barcelona.
"He's got blistering pace, he scores all sorts of goals and he's improved greatly as a Newcastle player since arriving from Everton. He's 25, he's an England international and I can see him fitting into the lifestyle over there, the style of football.
"Newcastle fans will be disappointed they are losing one of their star players, however I think it's easier to take losing him to Barcelona than it would have been if they were to have lost him to Arsenal, who were interested, and Liverpool, who almost signed him two years ago."
How can Barcelona afford new signings?
Your Site News' Lyall Thomas:
The imminent 69.3m signing of Anthony Gordon and the big-money pursuit of Julian Alvarez has raised questions over how Barcelona can afford such expenditure.
The Spanish giants were unable to register new signings until the last minute a year ago, but now they seem to have an abundance of cash for three key positions: striker, winger and centre-back.
The financial rules around how much clubs can spend in Spain work slightly differently from the UK. It is based on revenue and a squad-cost ratio, but they are set by LaLiga on a bespoke basis.
The key to Barcelonas ability to spend now is a return to what is called the 1:1 rule. Every Euro the club saves can be reinvested directly back into the squad on either transfer fees or wages. It was not the case before, when just a fraction of anything saved could be re-spent.
Another crucial change is that Robert Lewandowski has left the club and so they are now saving around 40m a year in wages, while they are currently not having to factor in covering any of Marcus Rashfords wages next season.
That might change, but Barcelona are also looking to sell some players too, which will free up more finances. They offered Ferran Torres, for example, informally to Atletico as they seek a solution to signing Alvarez.
But it is not just the vacation of previously allotted funds that has changed things it is also increased revenue due to the growth of the Spotify Camp Nou. The stadium has been renovated and will soon reach a new capacity of 80,000, while the final capacity is expected to be more than 100,000.
That projected future revenue, as well as the sponsorship from Spotify, as well as winning LaLiga again, is all factored in when the budget for Barcelonas spending is set by the league and means they have money to throw at some exciting players this summer.
