Super-agent Jorge Mendes has wasted no time in expediting a Bruno Fernandes move to Barcelona from Manchester United after the playmaker admitted he would consider his future after the European Championships.

Fernandes has been brilliant for United ever since his arrival from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020 and has been one of few positives in a difficult second season for Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford, contributing 15 goals and nine assists in all competitions

But having previously said he was committed to United after positive talks with new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, when asked by DAZN Portugal about his future this week, Fernandes said he would wait until after the Euros in Germany this summer to make his decision.

“Obviously, it doesn’t just depend on me, does it?” Fernandes said. “A player always has to want to be here, but at the same time, you have to want him to stay. At the moment, I feel there’s that on both sides.

“I’m not thinking too much about the future, not least because, obviously, this season hasn’t been at the level I’d hoped for, either individually or collectively, so far.

“So, if you want me to be very honest, if I have to think about not continuing in the Premier League, it won’t be until after the Euros because nothing will be able to take my focus away from the FA Cup final and the Euros, as there’s nothing more important than that at the moment.”

It is no secret that FC Barcelona is not in the most ideal of positions. The Catalan giants are unable to compete as they would like to, neither on or off the pitch. However, if Barcelona are to make a proper comeback, they need to make adequate sacrifices.

As you have obviously heard by this time, Xavi changed his mind, and decided to stay at FC Barcelona after all. It will be interesting to see the team responds now, starting with a big fixture against Girona on Saturday. They don’t have any new injury concerns at this time, but do have three players who are at risk of suspension, due to yellow card accumulation.

Ilkay Gundogan, Andreas Christensen and Oriol Romeu are all a booking away from getting hit with a match ban.

FC Barcelona at Girona FYIs

Kickoff: Sat. May 4, 6:30 CET, Estadi Montilivi, Girona, Spain

Preview Material:  Team News for Both Clubs    Barca Starting XI Prediction

Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America:

La Liga Standing, Form: Girona  3rd, 71 pts, WDWWL  FC Barcelona 2nd,  73 pts, WLWWW

Google Result Probability:  Girona  35%    Draw  25%   FC Barcelona 40%

With that in mind, here is how we see Xavi shaping up his team for the weekend clash that could go a long way towards determining who finishes second this season.

FC Barcelona Starting XI Prediction at Girona

Marc-Andre ter Stegen; Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Joao Cancelo; Pedri, Ilkay Gundogan, Andreas Christensen; Joao Felix, Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski

Something of a concerning development stemming from Barcelona’s meeting with Valencia on Monday has come to the fore online.

Despite there being some rumours about his future, Robert Lewandowski has no plans to leave Barcelona and sees himself fit enough to be able to compete at the elite level for another couple of years.

The veteran megastar backed up his claim with a hat-trick against Valencia, which ended up handing Xavi’s side all three points despite a fairly average display.

It has been even suggested that the Pole suspects that Barcelona might be putting pressure on him to either leave or reduce his salary this summer even though he has no intentions of leaving.

Now, though, according to SPORT, Barcelona have decided that they will accord to the Polish international’s wish to stay for another year.

While he has a contract at the Catalan giants until 2025 with an option to extend for one more year, Lewandowski’s next campaign at Barcelona will be his last.

The Blaugrana are feeling the pinch of his lucrative salary, but they will be able to sustain it for another year before amicably parting ways with their star striker.

Lewandowski has always signalled his intent to see out his contract with the club in spite of repeated rumours linking him with an exit.

And there will be no departure this summer as well, with Barcelona ready to respect his decision and not sell him in the summer. However, the 2024/25 campaign might end up being his last.

Lewandowski staying will be a blessing in disguise for Barcelona

Lewandowski is perhaps the most experienced striker in Europe at the moment.

Although there has been wide criticism surrounding his abilities, he has struck 23 times and assisted nine goals in all competitions this season and promises to be a vital cog in Xavi’s plans in the 2024/25 campaign too.

Barcelona will not be in a financial position to fully replace the 35-year-old next season owing to their financial difficulties. Vitor Roque, despite showing potential at his new club, has stagnated.

Lewandowski, in this regard, will be particularly important as he can continue plying his trade whilst mentoring a player with the potential to succeed him from next year.

Lewy to leave Europe at the end of his Barcelona contract?

In playing for Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, Lewandowski has proven himself as one of the very best strikers of this generation.

However, he might move away from Europe next summer with the MLS and Saudi Arabia being considered hot future destinations for the forward.

There is no clarity just yet as to what may be his pick, but the news for now is that Lewandowski’s Barcelona future next season is firm and secure.

The Catalan giants are preparing for another campaign with Xavi Hernandez in charge after the club legend performed a shock U-turn and opted to stay at the helm next term.

However, Barcelona are still bracing themselves for a summer of transition, with several players set to leave the club after a disappointing campaign.

The Athletic has alleged that Barcelona are looking to sanction several big departures at the end of the season, with the likes of Robert Lewandowski said to be among those potentially set to leave.

While the Poland international has netted on 23 occasions this term, including 16 La Liga goals and eight assists, Xavi has favoured Ferran Torres up front on various occasions.

In turn, Lewandowski, who is said to want another year at Barca, has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League and MLS.

Speaking on the 35-year-old’s future Xavi said: “I am not going to speak about anyone’s future as I don’t think it’s helpful for us. I am happy with Robert.

“The work he does for the team is extraordinary, an outstanding footballer and an example for the dressing room on the way he conducts himself.

“That’s why he scored a hat-trick. I am delighted for him.”

Indeed, The Athletic’s report also claimed that only three players are considered “untouchable” at Barcelona at present – La Masia graduates Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi and Gavi.

Yamal, who is still only 16, has been a revelation for the Catalan club since making his debut a year ago, with his performances having also earned him a place in Luis de la Fuente’s Spain side.

Meanwhile, 17-year-old centre-back Cubarsi has impressed for Xavi’s men since breaking into the side earlier this term and is tipped to sign a new long-term deal with the club.

Robert Lewandowski fired a warning to Harry Kane after the Bayern Munich striker claimed that his Bundesliga scoring record is “within reach”.

Former Bayern star Lewandowski’s remarkable feat of 41 goals in a single season during the 2020-21 campaign shattered Gerd Muller’s long-standing record. However, Kane’s prolific form for Bayern in the domestic league this season has reignited the race for supremacy in Bundesliga goal-scoring history.

In his very first season in Germany, Kane finds himself within striking distance of Lewandowski’s record-breaking tally as he has already found the net 35 times in the league. The England skipper needs six more from his final three games to rewrite history. The striker himself believes in his abilities and said: “It’s possible, but I have to hurry, I have to score a few goals in the next few weeks. As I said, it’s there, it’s within reach. But it will depend on the last three games.”

Aware of the challenge posed by Kane, Lewandowski acknowledged the Englishman’s remarkable debut season at Bayern Munich but also cautioned him against underestimating the difficulty of surpassing his Bundesliga milestone.

Lewandowski told Sport BILD: “What Kane has achieved in his first season at Bayern is incredible. Nobody could have expected that. As for the record… Kane needs to score 6 goals in 3 games. It will be very difficult.”

Lewandowski, who now plays for Barcelona, scored 41 goals in 29 games for Bayern when he broke Muller’s record, after being injured from matchday 27 to 30, which he believes gives the achievement more weight.

“I thought to myself that I’ve scored 41 goals in 29 games that season. That’s the figure I had in mind,“ he explained. “I had broken the record by playing 29 games. I want to be honest and say that I appreciate this record even more. I’m proud of it. 41 goals in 29 games. I saw it more in that context and not whether the record would be broken or not.”

With Bayern scheduled to face Stuttgart and Hoffenheim away, and Wolfsburg at home, Kane has a narrow window of opportunity to etch his name into Bundesliga folklore. Moreover, his quest for personal glory must walk hand-in-hand with Bayern’s aspirations in the Champions League, where they were held to a 2-2 draw in the first leg of their semi-final against Real Madrid. All eyes will be on Thomas Tuchel as he will decide whether Kane will get the full 90 minutes on Saturday against Stuttgart in a dead rubber, which comes just a few days before Bayern face Madrid in the second leg of their European tie.

Chelsea’s pursuit of the Barcelona youngster might have hit a roadblock after Barcelona closed the door on any pursuit by the club as they are close to handing the teenager a new contract with a colossal release clause, which will be impossible for the Blues to activate in the summer window.

According to Fabrizio Romano, (h/t Express), Barcelona are moving smoothly to make sure that they secure the future of the 17-year-old at the Spanish club, and once they agree to extend his deal, his release clause will stand at a mammoth £855 million (€1 billion).

The final details of his deal have been ironed out, and the Spanish club Sporting director Deco has been crucial in securing the future of the La Masia product, and the extension of his deal will soon be announced.

However, the Blues had a chance to secure the services of the 17-year-old, who had a £13 million release clause, and it seems like Barcelona are optimistic about warding off the interest of interested clubs.

Chelsea have been one of the top clubs in finding bright young talents, and Cubarsi’s emergence this season intrigued the Blues, who want to add the highly talented star to their young roster.

The La Masia academy player has become Barcelona’s preferred centre-back thanks to his incredible performance, where he gave the impression of a player with a lot of experience. His captivating performance this season has seen him become Xavi’s first-choice defender alongside Ronald Araujo.

Chelsea would have loved to add the centre-back, but now they face a difficult situation. Though they still hold a chance as Barcelona have yet to renew his contract, it will be very difficult, and they will first have to agree on personal terms with the player.

Cubarsi may have been an excellent replacement for Thiago Silva, who is set to leave at the end of the season. Despite his youth, Cubarsi doesn’t seem like a raw player when he plays. Despite his young age of 17, his on-field exploits are impressive, as he possesses immense potential to emerge as one of the top defenders in the game.

Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick in the second half to help his side fight back to claim a hard-fought 4-2 win on Monday over visitors Valencia, who were leading 2-1 when they were reduced to 10 men just before the break.

With five games remaining, Barca moved back to second in the La Liga on 73 points as they leapfrogged surprise package Girona, who are third with 71.

Those two teams will meet in a Catalonia Derby on Saturday which could decide a top-two La Liga finish and a place in the Spanish Super Cup.

Barcelona’s win postponed for a couple of weeks Real Madrid’s almost inevitable La Liga title celebrations as Carlo Ancelotti’s side sit atop the standings on 84 points.

Valencia stay eighth on 47 points, two points behind Real Betis and four off Real Sociedad in the battle for a European qualifying spot.

In Barca’s first game since boss Xavi Hernandez said he was reversing his decision to step down at the end of the season, they struggled on a wet surface after heavy rain turned the match into a frantic tussle marked by goalkeeping mistakes.

The visitors wasted a sitter from close-range through Peter Federico early and then allowed Fermin Lopez to head home from a Raphinha cross to put Barca in front after 22 minutes.

But Valencia’s Hugo Duro struck in the 27th, taking advantage of an error by keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Another mistake by Barca’s defence 11 minutes later saw Ronald Araujo bundle over Federico and Pepelu converted the penalty to give the visitors the lead.

However, Valencia were soon down to 10 men when keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili handled as he raced outside his area just before the break and was shown a red card as the last man.

Barca piled on the pressure after halftime and Valencia crumbled, with Lewandowski scoring with two headers from corners in the 49th and 82nd before netting a free-kick in added time.

“It wasn’t easy… In the first half we didn’t have much space,” Poland striker Lewandowski told DAZN. “But the important thing is that we are Barca and we know that, although we conceded two goals, we can score three and four goals.”

Robert Lewandowski’s hopes of winning a second straight Pichichi award received a huge boost on Monday night when he bagged a hat-trick against Valencia.

It’s the first time that Lewandowski has taken home the match ball after a La Liga match, and he’s now upto 16 goals for the season in Spain’s top flight.

Barca still have five games left to play this season, meaning there’s still plenty more opportunities for Lewandowski to add to his tally.

Let’s look at how the Pichichi race stands right now.

Artem Dovbyk (Girona) – 19 goals

Alexander Sorloth (Villarreal) – 17 goals

Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) – 16 goals

Ante Budimir (Osasuna) – 16 goals

Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) – 16 goals

Barcelona go on to play Girona next and then finish off with games against Real Sociedad, Almeria, Rayo Vallecano and Sevilla, with Lewandowski needing three more to match Artem Dovbyk at the top of the standings.

Lewandowski won the Pichichi last season after netting 23 goals from 34 league games. He may not reach the same tally this time around but he is in with a shout of finishing as Spain’s top scorer.