Barcelona fans are waiting for the official announcement of Lamine Yamal becoming the team’s new No. 10, with the ceremony set to take place in a few hours.

The youngster, who turned 18 last week, will officially sign his new contract with the Blaugrana in the presence of family and friends, and then be presented as the next #10.

Mural not vandalised
While the final preparations for the special event are underway, AS reported that Lamine Yamal’s mural in Barcelona has been vandalised.

The mural created by urban artist TV Boy in Joanic Square, located in the Gracia neighbourhood of Barcelona, was said to have been found vandalised with graffiti on Wednesday morning.

However, Beteve has now come forward with an update, stating that the mural is intact and not vandalised, contrary to what is being reported.

La primera foto la cree con IA hace 3 días y me doy cuenta hoy que muchos medios dicen que se ha vandalizado y utilizan la misma imagen que esta, alguien puede confirmar que en realidad lo han vandalizado? @sport @mundodeportivo @diarioas @marca pic.twitter.com/JbnGS8dUXh

An “X” user claimed that he had created this image with artificial intelligence and that the media had been running with it. And Beteve have confirmed after visiting the location that there has been no damage to the mural.

The artwork was painted to celebrate the 18th birthday of Lamine Yamal.

In the mural, the Italian-born artist, known for similar works featuring Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Andres Iniesta, and Alexia Putellas, depicted Lamine wearing a Superman costume. Instead of the iconic ‘S’ on his chest, the figure displayed an ‘L’.

The artist explained that his intention was “to do something related to his birthday. I thought about adding ’18’, but the next day it would be outdated.

“Then I thought of adding ‘L’ for Lamine, which is something more eternal. He’s a champion who’s here to stay.”

Barcauniversal.com

London (AFP) – Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic joined Bournemouth in a deal worth a reported £25 million ($33 million) on Wednesday.

Petrovic agreed a contract that will keep him at the Vitality Stadium until June 2030.

The 25-year-old had been at Chelsea since joining from MLS side New England Revolution in 2023.

Petrovic, who spent last season on loan at French team Strasbourg, made 31 appearances for the west London club.

“I’m really happy to be here. I came to Bournemouth because I want to grow and I want to play at the best level,” the Serbia international said.

“Together with this club, with these facilities, I think we can achieve it. I want to help the team get the results, improve every day and be a better player.”

Bournemouth had Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan from Chelsea last season.

The Spain keeper has since joined Arsenal on a permanent basis, while Cherries back-up Mark Travers signed for Everton on Tuesday.

France24.com

Napoli didn’t find a way to sign Darwin Nunez at somewhat manageable figures, so they accelerated for Lorenzo Lucca and shook hands with Udinese on Tuesday. The striker will take the medicals later this week and leave for the first summer retreat in Dimaro with the rest of the team, Fabrizio Romano reports (via SOSFanta).

The Partenopei and the Bianconeri agreed to a €35M price tag. The transfer will technically go down as a loan with a €9M initial fee and a €26M obligation to buy plus add-ons. The 24-year-old broke out at Palermo and Pisa in the lower leagues between 2020 and 2021 but didn’t live up to expectations at Ajax. He headed back to the Peninsula and has recorded 23 goals and 6 assists in 75 matches in Friuli. He has five caps with Italy.

Napoli have formally informed the Darwin Nunez camp that they won’t proceed with the negotiation after sealing the Lucca deal. President Aurelio De Laurentiis deemed the operation too pricey. They would have had to spend north of €50M for the Liverpool outcast, plus much richer wages. He could go to Saudi Arabia now.

Per Tuttomercatoweb, the newcomer will make €1.5M/2M annually. The savings will be directed toward Dan Ndoye, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, and Juanlu Sanchez.

Our Take on Napoli Adding Lucca Over Darwin Nunez
Things might have been different had they solved the Victor Osimhen saga in a timely fashion, but they were exposed them to other sides jumping in, like Atalanta, Milan, and Juventus. The investment might be larger than initially thought, but they got a favorable formula, which comes at a cost. It’s a perfectly fine choice for what they need, especially if it helps them reach their transfer market other goals.

Cultofcalcio.com