Riqui Puig says Barcelona "hurt" him by making him train alone ahead of his transfer to Los Angeles Galaxy and criticised their approach of putting pressure on players to leave.

The 23-year-old midfielder made something of a surprise switch to Major League Soccer this month after being deemed surplus to requirements at Camp Nou.

Puig made his Galaxy debut as a substitute on Friday in a 3-3 draw with Seattle Sounders following his arrival on a three-and-a-half year deal.

While Barca spent their pre-season in the United States, the former Spain youth international was left back at home with other players they were looking to move on.

Puig felt he deserved to be treated with more respect.

"It was a tough month because I had never seen that before, leaving players behind in Barcelona and going on a tour without them," he stated.

"Perhaps I understand the club's position, they want to put pressure on players to leave, but there are other ways to do it.

"It was really difficult being in Barcelona, training alone, with four other team-mates who were also there with me.

"After seven years at the club, being in Barcelona when all my team-mates are in Los Angeles playing matches, well, the truth is that it hurt me a lot.

"It's a difficult situation and sometimes you have to make decisions and they have made this decision but I don't agree with it."

Unai Emery says Juan Foyth wants to stay at Villarreal but knows he could join Barcelona before the transfer window closes.

Barca have targeted defender Foyth after missing out on Cesar Azpilicueta, who decided to stay at Chelsea.

Villarreal vice-president Jose Manuel Llaneza warned the Catalan giants they would have to meet the €42million release clause in order to sign the Argentina right-back.

Emery reiterated that former Tottenham full-back Foyth is not looking to leave, but the Villarreal head coach accepts there are no guarantees he will stay.

"Barca's interest is real," Emery told Cadena SER's 'El Larguero'. "It's a position they need and it fits for them. The issue is whether the player wants it or not, he has always told me that he is very happy.

"He does not contemplate leaving and wants to stay. From here, I don't know to what extent circumstances will go one way or the other.

"He's an important player for us and he's grown a lot in recent years. I don't rule out that at any given moment the surprise will be against us, but the most normal thing is that he stays at Villarreal."

Emery is hoping to add to his squad by signing striker Edinson Cavani, who is also wanted by Valencia.

The former Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal boss said: "I spoke to Edinson Cavani – we have a good relationship, he wants to come to Spain. It's possible."

Bernardo Silva will stay at Manchester City despite Barcelona's interest in signing the midfielder, according to the Premier League champions' chief executive Ferran Soriano.

Barcelona have enjoyed a busy transfer window as they attempt to close the gap on last season's LaLiga and Champions League winners Real Madrid, signing Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie, while they also hope to bring in Marcos Alonso from Chelsea.

But the Blaugrana have also been credited with a strong interest in Silva, who refused to rule out a move earlier this month when declaring City "know what I want".

Silva could make a Camp Nou appearance on Wednesday when City take on Barca in a friendly arranged to raise funds to fight motor neurone disease, but Soriano is adamant the Portugal midfielder will not be returning to Barcelona on a more permanent basis.

Speaking to El Chiringuito de Jugones, Soriano said: "Of course, I can say that Bernardo Silva will stay at Man City."

Pep Guardiola has also affirmed his desire to keep Silva on multiple occasions.

Silva made 50 appearances for City in all competitions last season, a tally only bettered by Joao Cancelo (52), with the 28-year-old scoring 13 goals and providing seven assists.

Meanwhile, only Kevin de Bruyne (129) and Jack Grealish (78) created more chances for City than Silva's 76 last term, and he got off the mark for the new campaign by scoring the equaliser in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Newcastle United on Sunday.

Chelsea lost 3-0 to Leeds United on Sunday and it would appear that defeat has sparked the Blues into action.

New owner Todd Boehly has been keen to make his mark since arriving at Stamford Bridge, bringing in Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella among others.

But head coach Thomas Tuchel wants more. Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana is a priority target for the defence, while last week Chelsea had two bids rejected by Everton for Anthony Gordon.

Now it would appear the Blues are confident of completing the signing, while they are also reportedly in talks to land a second attacker.

TOP STORY - CHELSEA IN FOR GORDON AND LEAO

The Times reports that Chelsea will this week push ahead and match Everton's £50million asking price for winger Gordon, who scored four goals in a breakthrough Premier League season last term.

Everton boss Frank Lampard stressed the importance of Gordon to his plans, and played the 21-year-old against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, but also suggested that a decision might have to be made if a bid was too good to turn down.

Gordon might also be joined in moving to Stamford Bridge by Milan star Rafael Leao. The Portugal international scored 11 times for the Rossoneri as they won Serie A last season, and the same report claims that Chelsea are in talks with the Italian champions over a move for the 23-year-old.

ROUND-UP

- Several outlets are reporting that West Ham have struck a deal with Chelsea to sign left-back Emerson Palmieri for around £13million.

- Eric Bailly is close to joining Marseille on loan from Manchester United, according to Fabrizio Romano.

- The Telegraph claims Newcastle United have been told they must pay £30million to buy striker Joao Pedro from Watford.

- Villarreal coach Unai Emery told El Larguero that Edinson Cavani could join the club, while he also said that Juan Foyth is of interest to Barcelona.

- Everton were hoping to have Idrissa Gueye and Mohammed Kudus signed but have bumped into difficulties with Paris Saint-Germain and Ajax respectively, says The Times.

- Fabrizio Romano also reports that Fulham and Roma will hold further talks this week over Justin Kluivert.

- Barca defender Samuel Umtiti will join Lecce, says Gianluca Di Marzio.

Pavel Nedved has confirmed Barcelona forward Memphis Depay is a target for Juventus.

Barca are reported to have agreed to terminate Depay's contract just over a year after he arrived at Camp Nou as a free agent.

The Bianconeri are the favourites to sign the Netherlands forward, who has also been linked with Premier League clubs Tottenham and Newastle United.

Juventus vice president Nedved says the Serie A giants are interested in Depay, but he is not the only target on their radar.

He told DAZN: "There is no need to speed up the process, that is never a good idea. We are evaluating, we are vigilant about what the market offers.

"We must evaluate well, looking at training and injuries; we are considering entering the market.

"Depay can play with with Dusan [Vlahovic] or in his place, I agree. He can play with [Moise] Kean and play as a wing, but he is only one of the names we are evaluating."

Depay was an unused substitute in Barca's goalless LaLiga draw with Rayo Vallecano and the 4-1 thrashing of Real Sociedad.

Villarreal vice president Jose Manuel Llaneza has issued Barcelona with a hands-off regarding 24-year-old right-back Juan Foyth, saying they will not negotiate any figure below his €42million release clause.

Foyth, who has made 15 international appearances for Argentina since his first senior cap in 2018, previously spent three years with Tottenham before they loaned him to Villarreal for the 2020-21 season, before the Spanish side ultimately opted to make the deal permanent for €15m.

The 187cm defender, who can play both centre-back and right-back, has accumulated 70 appearances for Villarreal over the past two seasons, including 10 starts in last season's Champions League during his side's march to the semi-final against Liverpool.

Speaking to DAZN before Villarreal's 2-0 win against Atletico Madrid, where Foyth played all 90 minutes, Llaneza said if Barcelona have interest in the Argentine then they can meet his release clause.

"Villarreal aren't prepared for [Foyth to leave]," he said. "[Barcelona will have] to pay the clause with LaLiga, we're not open to negotiating for any player, especially not Juan."

He went on to say he does not believe Barcelona are willing to fork out the hefty figure.

"There has not been the need to do anything," he said. "It's similar to Lo Celso, he wants to play for Villarreal, he wants to be here.

"Naturally, if an offer comes from a big club, it has to be studied, but I have spoken with his agents and there's nothing that indicates that will happen."

Barcelona head coach Xavi has admitted he is frustrated not to have Jules Kounde registered, but hopes to be able to welcome him to the fold next week.

The Catalan side secured the services of Kounde from Sevilla for a reported fee of €55million prior to the start of the season, swooping to land the France international ahead of Premier League side Chelsea.

Financial limitations have affected Barcelona, however, with Kounde yet to be registered – though fellow new recruits Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie have all been registered and have made their debuts.

Xavi is understandably frustrated by the situation but has praised the work being conducted by club director Mateu Alemany and hopes Kounde can be eligible to make his debut against Real Valladolid next Sunday.

"It's the situation we have, it bothers me not to have Kounde, those who don't come out depend on many things. It bothers me not to have Jules. Maybe he would have played today for sure," he said in a press conference after the 4-1 win against Real Sociedad.

"It bothers us all. Mateu [Alemany] is doing an extraordinary job. It bothers me because it is important, Mateu must be upset. The work the club is doing is extraordinary.

"It bothers me that he's training well and can't even play. Let's wait for next week."

Barcelona's ability to register Kounde hinges on outgoings at the club to balance the finances, with Samuel Umtiti, Sergino Dest, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Martin Braithwaite and Memphis Depay touted for exits.

Pedri heaped praise on Robert Lewandowski after the Barcelona striker scored twice in a 4-1 win against Real Sociedad to open his LaLiga account.

On the back of a frustrating goalless draw against Rayo Vallecano on the opening weekend, the former Bayern Munich frontman opened the scoring with just 44 seconds on the clock.

Aleksander Isak equalised for La Real, who had chances to take the lead, before the introduction of Ansu Fati in the second half inspired Barcelona to their first win of the campaign.

Fati provided the assist for Ousmane Dembele to fire Xavi's side ahead, then combined with Lewandowski for the striker's second before the favour was returned for Fati to score Barcelona's fourth of the night.

The win brings an end to a three-match winless streak for Barcelona, stretching back to last season, and, while Lewandowski's efforts came on his 34th birthday, Pedri made it clear he appears far more youthful.

"Even though he's 34, he looks like he's 20. It's crazy how many goals he scores and, above all, how he works for the team, he helps us a lot," Pedri told Movistar after the match.

Barcelona's win came after a less than inspiring performance in the first half. Xavi's changes proved to be decisive, while the head coach believes the win reinforces the style in which his team want to play.

"We talked at half-time that we had to attack the spaces more," Xavi said. "Last week was a blow and this victory reinforces us because this is about insisting and wanting. At times we have played well, at others not so much when we have lost control and complicated things for ourselves."

Robert Lewandowski opened his account for Barcelona after just 44 seconds in a 3-1 victory against Real Sociedad as part of a brace to celebrate his birthday.

Aleksander Isak wasted no time in equalising for the hosts, who forced Marc Andre Ter Stegen into some fine saves and saw a second-half goal ruled out for offside.

Ansu Fati provided the inspiration to end Barcelona's three-game streak without a win, coming off the bench to provide two assists in six minutes - Ousmane Dembele and Lewandowski the beneficiaries.

The Spaniard then added his name to the scoresheet after Lewandowski returned the favour, coolly slotting home to ensure all three points would come to Catalonia.

Barcelona's barren streak of 360 minutes without a goal came to an abrupt end, Lewandowski steering home after Alejandro Balde led a counter-attack for the visitors to celebrate his birthday with his first LaLiga goal.

The hosts took just five minutes to respond though, Frenkie de Jong dispossessed in midfield and David Silva feeding through Isak – who saw his finish loft over the head of Marc Andre ter Stegen after a deflection off Eric Garcia.

Seven minutes after the restart, the hosts thought they had taken the lead as Brais Mendez's free-kick found its way all the way past Ter Stegen but the offside flag was raised as Robin Le Normand impeded the German's view.

Fati provided an immediate impact after his introduction, backheeling into the path of Dembele to drill home into the far corner, then tapping a pass to Lewandowski to make it three.

Lewandowski then turned provider for Fati, flicking the ball through for the Spaniard to slot home and guarantee a first win of the season.

Jules Kounde has not been registered in time by Barcelona for Sunday's LaLiga clash with Real Sociedad, while Sergino Dest has also been overlooked by Xavi once again.

France defender Kounde has yet to feature competitively for Barca since joining from Sevilla in a €55million deal, having also sat out last week's stalemate with Rayo Vallecano.

He is the only new signing yet to be registered by Barca, who have been forced to sell off non-playing assets and activate various 'levers' to meet LaLiga's salary rules.

While Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie are all available to face Sociedad, Kounde is not part of the travelling party.

Dest has also been left off the 23-player list for the second week running, with head coach Xavi indicating on Saturday that the full-back's future may lie elsewhere.

Manchester United are among the clubs to have been linked with United States international Dest, who made 21 appearances for the Catalan giants last season.

Xavi has also opted to leave out Samuel Umtiti and Martin Braithwaite, though Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Memphis Depay and Frenkie de Jong are all included.

Barca, who are without the suspended Sergio Busquets, have failed to win or score in their last three LaLiga matches – never before have they fired four blanks in a row.

However, they are unbeaten in their past six visits to Anoeta and have won the last two – only once have the Blaugrana won three in a row away to Sociedad in LaLiga.

Bernardo Silva's future at Manchester City has been the subject of speculation throughout the transfer window.

The 28-year-old has another three years remaining on his contract with the reigning Premier League champions.

Despite that, rumours about interest from elsewhere have swirled, though City manager Pep Guardiola is desperate to keep him at the club.

TOP STORY – CITY TO OFFER SILVA NEW CONTRACT TO KEEP HIM IN MANCHESTER

Manchester City are set to offer Bernardo Silva a bumper new deal to stave off rival interest, claims the Sunday Star.

Both Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain have been linked with the Portuguese midfielder over the past few months.

City slapped an £80million price tag on Silva to retain his services, but are now ready to offer him a new lucrative long-term deal.

ROUND UP

– Real Madrid are set to use the money generated by the sale of Casemiro to fund a deal for Borussia Dortmund's English midfielder Jude Bellingham, reports Marca.

– Chelsea and Everton are both weighing up a move for Brentford forward Ivan Toney, who has also been linked with Manchester United, according to The Sunday Mirror.

– Christian Pulisic will not be going to United, should he leave Chelsea, as he will only move to join a club playing in the Champions League, claims the Mail.

– Fabrizio Romano says Arsenal and Nice are deep into negotiations on a loan deal for Nicolas Pepe. Sevilla have been linked with Pepe but are yet to made a bid.

– Ismaila Sarr is close to a move from Watford to Aston Villa with the two clubs having a verbal agreement over a deal, according to Foot Mercato.

Barcelona coach Xavi has hinted Sergino Dest's future may lie elsewhere amid reports linking the United States international with a move to Manchester United.

With Aaron Wan-Bissaka out of favour and Diogo Dalot struggling during a torrid start to the Premier League season for United, Erik ten Hag's side have been touted as potential suitors for the right-back.

Dest, who made 21 appearances as Barca finished second in LaLiga last season, was left out of the Blaugrana's squad for an opening-day draw with Rayo Vallecano last week.

Xavi moved natural centre-back Ronald Araujo to the right for that match, and Barcelona were strongly linked with a move for Cesar Azpilicueta before he signed a new two-year contract with Chelsea.

Speaking ahead of Sunday's trip to Real Sociedad, Xavi claimed Barca were well-stocked in Dest's position, insisting: "We were very clear with the planning. We wanted to sign Azpilicueta, but it couldn't be, and now this is the situation. 

"There are people in the squad to cover this position. We have Araujo, who was good the other day, Sergi Roberto and even [Jules] Kounde."

Asked specifically about Dest, Xavi simply added: "He already knows what the situation is."

Frenkie de Jong was another Barcelona player linked with a move to Old Trafford, although United's imminent capture of Real Madrid enforcer Casemiro could signal the end of their long-running pursuit of the Netherlands international.

And Xavi, who labelled De Jong an "important player" earlier this month, has backed the classy midfielder to shine should he remain at Camp Nou.

Drawing a comparison between De Jong's playing style and his own, Xavi said: "I see him facing the game. It happens to him like me. I, with my back to the game, was not comfortable. 

"Facing the game, he is a spectacular footballer. He divides, he has strength and physical power, arrival, passing... He can be adapted to different positions. 

"I see him more on the inside [of the midfield], but he can also be a pivot. I can't imagine him playing on the side."

Barca are looking to maintain their strong record in San Sebastian when they face La Real in their first away match of the new season on Sunday, having gone unbeaten through their last six league trips to Anoeta.

Barcelona head coach Xavi has called for the transfer window to close before the start of the LaLiga season in the future amid uncertainty over a number of players in his squad.

Despite their delicate financial situation, the Catalans have moved to sign Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen this window.

Barca's focus is now on offloading players to help balance the books, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Memphis Depay and Frenkie de Jong all being linked with moves away.

According to widespread reports on Saturday, Chelsea are engaged in talks with Barca over a deal for Aubameyang, who only arrived from Arsenal earlier this year.

De Jong continues to be touted as a target for Premier League sides, meanwhile, and Depay is reportedly closing in on a switch to Juventus.

However, Xavi confirmed at a press conference ahead of Sunday's game with Real Sociedad that he intends to continue selecting those players while they remain at the club.

"It's not a comfortable situation," Xavi said when asked about the final two weeks of the transfer window. "The market should be closed before the competition starts.

"I think it's poorly organised. In the end, nobody can work in peace. You prepare for a match with a player and he may end up leaving, so it's clearly not an ideal scenario."

When probed on rumours that Chelsea are closing in on a deal for Aubameyang, Xavi said: "The market ends on August 31 and we don't know what will happen.

"We'll have to see. Right now he's our player and I'm counting on him. For now he's an important player for us, but let's see what happens.

"At the moment nobody mentioned has left. Tomorrow we can use Memphis and Aubameyang. If an offer arrives for either of them, we'll assess what to do.

"Right now the priority is to sign up Jules [Kounde]. From there we can decide if we need to make a move or not."

Kounde is the only new signing yet to be registered by Barca, who have been forced to sell off non-playing assets and activate various 'levers' to meet LaLiga's salary rules.

Providing an update on Kounde's situation ahead of the trip to Anoeta, where Barcelona are unbeaten in their past six visits, Xavi said: "We are waiting. We have time. 

"Tomorrow we will give the list, but right now everything is on stand-by. There is nothing new to tell you.

"I've spoken to Jules and given him my idea of the game. He is a very classy centre-back and has experience, leadership and can win duels. He is an extraordinary footballer."

Barca started their season with a goalless draw at home to Rayo Vallecano last week and will be looking to hit back against Sociedad. 

The Catalan club's 21 shots on matchday one were the most they have registered in the league without scoring since a stalemate with Malaga in November 2016 (29 shots).

"The match against Rayo was a football disgrace," Xavi said. "We deserved to win the match and played well, but we lacked effectiveness.

"Now we face Sociedad, who are a team that can do a lot of good things. They have talent in midfield and fast attackers, while their defenders and goalkeeper are strong."

Barca, who are without the suspended Sergio Busquets, have failed to win or score in their last three LaLiga matches – never before have they fired four blanks in a row.

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire could be on his way to Stamford Bridge amid reports that Chelsea have enquired about including him in a swap for Christian Pulisic.

Chelsea have been aggressive in their hunt for centre-backs during this transfer period after Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen left the club.

But while they have secured the services of Kalidou Koulibaly, they are still after at least one more, having previously enquired about Matthijs de Ligt, Martin Skriniar and a number of others.

Pulisic has been a recurring name when it comes to players Chelsea are seemingly willing to part ways with, and while a loan move has been weighed up, a swap for Maguire could solve problems for both clubs if United feel he is no longer part of Erik ten Hag's vision.

TOP STORY – BLOCKBUSTER SWAP COULD SEND UNITED CAPTAIN TO CHELSEA

Chelsea have made their interest in 21-year-old Leicester City centre-back Wesley Fofana clear, but if they are not willing to meet the gaudy £85millon asking price, a swap deal for a player surplus to requirements would be far more palatable.

For United, who are reportedly operating under a stricter budget, landing a 23-year-old with 19 goals and 10 assists over the past three Premier League seasons in exchange for a 29-year-old centre-back could be exactly what they are looking for, but it all depends on how Ten Hag values Maguire.

According to the Daily Mail's report, there is a belief Maguire may be dropped from United's team set to play Liverpool this weekend, which would only add fuel to the fire.

ROUND UP

– The Athletic reports that Chelsea have offered £15million plus left-back Marcos Alonso to Barcelona in their bid for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

– According to the Telegraph, Real Madrid are considering a move for Tottenham's Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as a potential replacement for Casemiro.

– 90min claim Newcastle United and West Ham are monitoring United's Scott McTominay if he is squeezed out by the arrival of Casemiro.

– Leeds United are hoping to secure a £4m move for 18-year-old FC Zurich striker Willy Gnonto, who became Italy's youngest ever senior international goalscorer in a loss to Germany in June.

– Mail Online reports that Arsenal expect Bukayo Saka to sign a new contract at Emirates Stadium, despite interest from rival clubs including Manchester City.

A disappointing opening weekend for Barcelona saw Xavi's men held to a goalless draw against Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou, with plenty to improve upon.

Having seen the transfer window dominated by discussions around the club's transfer additions and the battle to get them registered in time, there was no saving Barcelona from a forgetful opening clash.

Next up is a trip to the Basque country to tackle Real Sociedad, who opened their campaign with a 1-0 victory on the road against Cadiz and will be encouraged by Barcelona's inability to get going.

Despite Barcelona's dominance in this fixture, it will be far from an easy encounter and the hosts will be keen to pile further pressure upon their Catalan opponents.

Barcelona Basque-ing in glory

Real Sociedad have failed to win any of their last 12 LaLiga matches against Barcelona, drawing twice and losing 10, which is their second-longest winless streak against the Blaugrana in the top-flight after a 17-match winless streak between November 1952 and October 1960 (D3 L14).

Barcelona travel to San Sebastian unbeaten in their last six LaLiga visits to Sociedad (W4 D2) and have won two on the bounce – but the club have only had three or more consecutive away wins against La Real once, four in September 1955.

If Barca do break the deadlock, it could open the floodgates. Since 1955, Real have conceded six or more goals at home in two matches - both of which came against Barcelona, the most recent of which was a 6-1 defeat in March 2021.

It is unlikely La Real will ever have a better opportunity of securing revenge against Barcelona.

Dembele leading the way

In the opening weekend, Barcelona attempted 21 shots on goal without finding the net – their highest total of shots in a game without scoring since drawing a blank against Malaga in November 2016 (29 shots)

Ousmane Dembele, re-signed ahead of the season, was the most creative outlet with five goalscoring chances created, more than any other player in LaLiga, to continue his impressive year to date.

In total, Dembele has created 42 chances and sits behind only Athletic Bilbao's Iker Muniain (53) and Real Betis' Nabil Fekir (45) for chances created in 2022.

Barca's barren run

Barcelona prepare to face La Real having failed to win or even score in their last three LaLiga matches – a run that extends back to the end of the 2021-22 season, where Barcelona finished the campaign with a goalless draw against Getafe and a 2-0 loss to Villarreal.

Never in Barcelona's history has the club gone four LaLiga matches in a row without scoring and they will require a significant improvement on last week's showing if they are to avoid that unwanted record.

In order to find a breakthrough, Barcelona may look towards an aerial route as three of their last five goals against their Basque opponents have come via headers - a major change of approach, as just one of the last 29 against Real have been scored in this way.

With Dembele and Raphinha crossing into Robert Lewandowski, that return may be boosted further.

La Real's recovery

Victory against Cadiz last weekend made it three wins in four LaLiga matches for Sociedad, a significant improvement as they had previously failed to win any of their last four prior to the start of that sequence.

Their includes two wins over Cadiz and a triumph against Villarreal, with the sole defeat coming on the final day of last season with a loss at the hands of Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid.

That sequence was vital in securing a spot in the Europa League for La Real, who finished three points ahead of Villarreal and seven ahead of Basque rivals Athletic Bilbao.