Rafael Marquez is set to return to Barcelona as head coach of the Blaugrana's B team, club president Joan Laporta has confirmed.

The former defender, widely considered one of Mexico's greatest ever players, won La Liga four times and lifted the Champions League trophy twice with Barcelona between 2003 and 2010. 

He also won 147 caps for his country and appeared at five consecutive World Cups between 2002 and 2018, making his final professional appearance in El Tri's round-of-16 loss to Brazil in Russia four years ago.

The 43-year-old is now set to follow in the footsteps of Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique by coaching Barcelona B, who play in the third tier of the Spanish league system.

Speaking at an event in S'Agaro, Laporta said: "Rafa in principle had [agreed] to be the coach of Barca Atletic last year, [but] he had a situation that prevented him from doing so.

"Now this has already been resolved and Rafa will be the coach of Barca Atletic next season. 

"I am especially happy because I had Rafa as a player, he is a person with a great personality, captain of the Mexican team, and who was part of one of the best Barca [teams] in history."

Barcelona president Joan Laporta insists the club have "no intention" of selling Manchester United target Frenkie De Jong, but says the midfielder may have to accept a salary adjustment to remain at Camp Nou.

De Jong, who emerged as one of European football's hottest properties under Erik ten Hag at Ajax before joining Barca in 2019, has been strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford since his former boss took over at United.

The Netherlands international said in May that his preference would be to remain at Camp Nou, which he labelled his "dream club", but the Blaugrana's financial difficulties have given rise to speculation he could depart.

Barcelona's desire to recruit wantaway Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski has only amplified such rumours, but Laporta believes De Jong is happy at the club and could stay – if an agreement over his salary can be reached.

"Frenkie de Jong is a Barca player and is recognised as one of the best players in the world," Laporta told reporters.

"We know of clubs that want him, not only United, and we have no intention of selling him. The player, I get the impression, wants to stay. 

"He is comfortable at Barca and I will do what is in my power so that Frenkie stays here, but it is also a salary issue and it would have to be adjusted.

"What is certain is that the salary levels of some players are not in line with the salary levels that the board of directors that I have the privilege of presiding over have set."

De Jong made 47 appearances for Barcelona during the 2021-22 season, scoring four goals and boasting the best passing accuracy (91.18 per cent) of any of the club's midfielders to play at least 20 games in all competitions.

Laporta refused to be drawn on Barcelona's interest in Lewandowski, however, only affirming his respect for the Poland international's current club. 

"He is a Bayern player," he said of the striker, who plundered 50 goals for the Bundesliga champions last season. 

"Everyone knows that he is a great player, but I would prefer to be reserved because he is a Bayern player. 

"We know that he has publicly stated that he wants to come to Barca and we are very flattered, but we have respect for Bayern Munich, which is one of the best clubs in the world. Between clubs, we respect each other."

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed the club have been in talks with Leeds United regarding Raphinha, who "wants to come" to Camp Nou.

The 25-year-old looks poised to leave Leeds amid a fierce battle for his services, with Chelsea widely reported to have had a bid accepted, while Arsenal have also been attributed with an interest.

Barcelona have long been seen as the favourites, however, though there have been questions as to whether the club could afford the winger due their financial problems – though they were boosted by a TV agreement this week.

Laporta has now confirmed that Raphinha does indeed want to move to Barcelona.

"We've spoken to Leeds, I don't think they will be offended. We have communication and we have spoken personally," he told reporters on Saturday.

"What happens is that there are other clubs that want Raphinha and are making their proposals. He wants to come."

Laporta also confirmed that two deals are set to be made official this week, with Barcelona landing Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen on free transfers following the expiration of their deals with Milan and Chelsea respectively.

He added: "We will present Kessie on Wednesday and Christensen on Thursday."

The club are also expected to announce a new contract for Ousmane Dembele, who is reportedly ready to accept a wage reduction in order to remain with Xavi's side.

Barcelona have given themselves a major financial boost that should see their salary cap increase significantly after selling 10 per cent of their LaLiga TV rights for the next 25 years to an investment firm.

Last week, club president Joan Laporta promised to activate the "levers" that would ease Barcelona's financial concerns, and Thursday's announcement is the first such step.

The deal sees Barcelona generate capital gains totalling €267million, with Sixth Street Partners making an initial investment of €207.5million.

The investment group will subsequently receive 10 per cent of Barca's domestic TV rights revenue until 2047.

Barca's need for a financial injection was urgent due to their financial year ending on June 30 – their accounts at the end of Thursday would have impacted the salary cap for the upcoming season.

Last year, Barca's financial woes saw their salary cap slashed by €280m to just €97m for the 2021-22 campaign – to put that into context, six clubs had larger wage limits. Real Madrid were top of the pile with a cap of €739m.

That was ultimately the reason they could not sign Lionel Messi to a new contract, but the capital injection on Thursday will allow Barca to end this financial year with a profit, thus ensuring a salary cap increase that should be significant.

The club are also expected to sell almost 50 per cent of the Barca Licensing and Merchandising (BLM) part of the business, but that is now less urgent.

Speaking after the TV rights deal was announced, Laporta said: "We are activating economic levers and executing on our patient, sustainable, and efficient strategy to strengthen the club's financial footing.

"Sixth Street is a proven supporter of football, an experienced investor across global sports and media, and a partner that will contribute significant knowledge and resources while allowing us to independently manage our operations."

Barca are still yet to confirm the arrivals on free transfers of Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie, who have been strongly tipped to join.

The club are also keen on signing Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, while Manchester City's Bernardo Silva and Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde are reportedly key targets.

Thursday's news should allow the club greater room for manoeuvre in the transfer market.

While criticising Joan Laporta's management, Ronald Koeman has claimed Barcelona are caught up in their own history as football evolves beyond their identity on the pitch.

The former Barcelona head coach claims Laporta placed unnecessary pressure on him before his dismissal in October last year.

Xavi taking over from the 59-year-old formed part of a narrative that the financially embattled club would return to their roots both on and off the pitch, as part of Laporta's second stint as club president.

In an interview with Esport3, Koeman suggested such a sentiment is ultimately impractical and ignorant of football's evolution, while defending his own tactical choices in charge of the Blaugrana.

"I am in favour of dominating the game," he said. "If you play with three central defenders, you cannot say that it is a defensive system. With this system for three or four months, we played the best games in recent years.

"The clearest example was the [2021 Copa del Rey] final against Athletic. Barcelona lives in the past, from 4-3-3, to Tiki-taka. Football has changed. Now it's faster, more physical.

"You can't live in the past. If you have Xavi, Iniesta... and Messi, who by the way, they took from me. This was a very hard one to take."

Koeman also hinted to the weight lifted off his shoulders after his dismissal, especially within the context of leaving the Netherlands national team to take Barcelona over during a period of significant financial and political upheaval at the club.

Laporta was elected as Barcelona president three months after Koeman's replacement of Quique Setien in 2020.

Set to take over the Netherlands from Louis van Gaal after this year's World Cup, Koeman insists life has become less complicated since leaving, but harbours no regrets about his return to the club he won a Champions League with as a player.

"Leaving was a bit of a liberation," he said. "It was a difficult time for the club, without a president, with Laporta's doubts about the coach.

"You want to be a coach and you know that if you don't win you have problems. I made an effort, I left the national team and if it happened again, I would do it again. I don't regret it.

"As president, you can always have doubts but if you say them to the public, everyone doubts. It was a big mistake on his part."

Barcelona have confirmed their stadium move for the 2023-24 season while Camp Nou undergoes renovations and revealed they will play in the city's Olympic stadium.

A significant venture for the Catalan side is currently under development, with the 'Espai project' seeing major works conducted at both Camp Nou and the club's wider complex.

Barcelona will remain at Camp Nou for the 2022-23 season but the following year, in 2023-24, will take temporary shelter at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.

Formerly the home of Espanyol, the Estadic Olimpic Lluis Companys is the fifth-largest stadium in Spain with a capacity of 60,713 and hosted the Olympic Games in 1992.

Barcelona's redevelopment of Camp Nou will see the capacity increased from its current 99,000 to 110,000 – making it the third-largest stadium in the world – and a roof will also be constructed to boost sustainability by utilising a heating and cooling system.

Confirming the move, President Joan Laporta said: "Barcelona will have the privilege to play at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in the 2023-24 season during the recently approved Espai Barca work.

"Work begins on the first and second levels this summer and when major work is done on the third level and roof, we’ll play here."

Arch-rivals Real Madrid played their home matches away from the Santiago Bernabeu, which is under redevelopment, during the 2020-21 season. They hosted games at their reserve stadium, Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano.

Barcelona followed the eye-catching signing of Lucy Bronze by adding Brazil striker Geyse Ferreira to their star-packed squad on Sunday.

The 24-year-old Geyse was joint top scorer in last season's Primera Division, matching Barcelona's Asisat Oshoala with 20 goals.

Geyse achieved her feat while playing for lowly Madrid CFF, who finished 13th in the 16-team competition, and now joins a team who won all 30 of their league matches.

Barcelona club president Joan Laporta saw the deal over the line alongside women's football director Xavier Puig, as Geyse signed a two-year contract.

England defender Bronze was revealed as a major new recruit by Barcelona on Saturday, with the former Best FIFA Women's Player arriving after her contract expired at Manchester City.

Geyse is relishing her new challenge after swapping the Spanish capital for a new home.

"Like every big team, I have always enjoyed playing against Barca," Geyse told Barcelona's website. "I am happy to have been joint top scorer with Oshoala and that I am going to be her team-mate next season.

"I am here to help the team achieve its targets."

Barcelona won a domestic league and cup double last season but fell short in Europe, denied a successful defence of the Women's Champions League title when French giants Lyon upset them 3-1 in the final in Turin.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has committed to giving Lionel Messi some sort of tribute at the club, stating he deserves "eternal recognition" for his illustrious career.

The club's all-time record goalscorer left on a free transfer to join Paris Saint-Germain last year upon the expiration of his contract, with Barcelona unable to secure a renewal due to the club's financial issues.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Messi could not bid farewell to Barcelona fans in person and admitted in November he was "hurt" following his exit.

Laporta admitted during Barca's Extraordinary General Assembly that he was "sad" at the sequence of events but vowed to still pay tribute to the club legend somehow, who won 45 trophies during his stint with the Blaugrana.

"I will support, lead and back anyone that finds solutions that lead to a tribute to Messi, for all that he has given to Barca," he said.

"We have to give him an eternal recognition for all that he has done.

"For me, Leo will always be at Barca. Circumstances made us do what we did but that can't spoil the recognition we have to give him and sooner or later, I hope sooner, we can pay tribute to this player who has given us so many years of glory.

"Without him, the last 20 years of Barca would not be understood."

Barcelona may choose to honour Messi in 2024, the club's 125th anniversary, which could also coincide with the player's exit from PSG as he penned a two-year deal with the option of a further year in the French capital.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has committed to giving Lionel Messi some sort of tribute at the club, stating he deserves "eternal recognition" for his illustrious career.

The club's all-time record goalscorer left on a free transfer to join Paris Saint-Germain last year upon the expiration of his contract, with Barcelona unable to secure a renewal due to the club's financial issues.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Messi could not bid farewell to Barcelona fans in person and admitted in November he was "hurt" following his exit.

Laporta admitted during Barca's Extraordinary General Assembly that he was "sad" at the sequence of events but vowed to still pay tribute to the club legend somehow, who won 45 trophies during his stint with the Blaugrana.

"I will support, lead and back anyone that finds solutions that lead to a tribute to Messi, for all that he has given to Barca," he said.

"We have to give him an eternal recognition for all that he has done.

"For me, Leo will always be at Barca. Circumstances made us do what we did but that can't spoil the recognition we have to give him and sooner or later, I hope sooner, we can pay tribute to this player who has given us so many years of glory.

"Without him, the last 20 years of Barca would not be understood."

Barcelona may choose to honour Messi in 2024, the club's 125th anniversary, which could also coincide with the player's exit from PSG as he penned a two-year deal with the option of a further year in the French capital.

Barcelona are confident of tying star teenager Gavi to a new contract at Camp Nou, according to Joan Laporta.

Gavi enjoyed a breakout season with the Blaugrana in 2021-22, starting 36 matches and appearing in 47.

The 17-year-old is the youngest of a number of exciting talents at Xavi's disposal, with only Borussia Dortmund striker Youssoufa Moukoko – also 17 – scoring in Europe's top five leagues at a younger age this term.

In netting against the Czech Republic last week, Gavi became Spain's youngest ever scorer, taking the record from Barca team-mate Ansu Fati.

But the midfielder is only under contract in Catalonia for another 12 months, meaning Barca must act swiftly – as they are doing.

Laporta, the club president, told reporters: "We're optimistic, because we want Gavi to stay at Barcelona.

"We are very excited about him staying, he's from our academy. The player and his agent, who we know, also want to stay at Barcelona.

"We are very close to reaching an agreement."

However, Laporta did not have quite such positive news on the future of out-of-contract winger Ousmane Dembele – once a club-record €105million signing.

"Dembele has an offer to stay, but we have no news that he's accepted it," the Barca chief said. "We haven't had a reply from him."

Barcelona will not be able to sign wantaway Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski without raising funds via player sales or wage cuts, Blaugrana's economic vice president Eduard Romeu admitted.

Romeu also hinted star talents such as Frenkie de Jong could be allowed to leave if their departures would allow Barca to strengthen Xavi's squad.

Barca have been strongly linked with a move for Lewandowski amid a contract dispute with the Bundesliga champions, declaring on Monday: "My story at Bayern is over".

But Barca's attempts to sign the Poland international, who scored 50 goals in 46 appearances for Bayern in the 2021-22 season, were left in doubt earlier this week when LaLiga president Javier Tebas said the Blaugrana must sell star players to fund such a move.

Tebas said on Tuesday: "They know what they have to do, sell assets. Barca have had many accumulated losses in recent years, some that could have been avoided."

Blaugrana president Joan Laporta responded by hitting out at Tebas for "wanting to harm Barca's interests" in a message shared by the club's social media accounts.

Romeu, though, acknowledges the need to raise funds to fund the high-profile signing, almost a year on from Barca losing club legend Lionel Messi after struggling to meet LaLiga's salary limits.

"Currently the norm is one to three for financial fair play," he told radio station RAC1. "If we are able to get three times more than the cost of the transfer plus amortisation, he can be signed, but first we have to do the job of closing levers.

"If we don't do it, as we are at the moment, by regulation it is not possible to sign him."

Romeu then revealed Barca are to begin talks with players over salary cuts, as they look to trim a bloated wage bill to make room for new arrivals. 

"We have a wage bill of €560million, compared to Bayern it is double, they have €300million and [Real] Madrid €400million," he continued.

"Negotiations with the squad will be individual. With the veterans, it will depend on the technical interests and where there is more interest for the club. The most expensive contracts have to be negotiated beforehand."

Barcelona's continued need to balance the books has led to rumours De Jong could be sold, with the Dutch international linked with a reunion with former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, and Romeu did not rule out a sale of the talented midfielder.

"It is the players' own decision, the players have some agreements that someone has signed for them," he added.

"They haven't committed any sin, we can't afford certain situations, but we have to make an assessment, they haven't cheated anyone and Barca has respected their agreements, another thing is that we have to negotiate with them.

"Right now, we don't have a budget for the sale of players. What is being talked about is a technical issue. About Frenkie de Jong, one thing is that you get money, and another that you [can] use [it] for other payments."

Romeu also followed Laporta's lead in hitting out at Tebas, insisting he was partially responsible for the financial crisis that engulfed Barcelona during Josep Maria Bartomeu's tenure as president due to his leniency with the previous Blaugrana regime.

"The situation Barca has is its own fault, but this man [Tebas] is co-responsible for Barca's situation," Romeu claimed.

"He has looked the other way and has allowed the current situation. He said amen to everything, against the interests of Barca."

Joan Laporta has hit back at Javier Tebas' suggestion Barcelona cannot afford to sign Robert Lewandowski as he claimed the LaLiga chief wants to hurt the Blaugrana's interests.

Barca appear the favourites to sign Bayern Munich talisman Lewandowski after he declared his "story was over" with the Bundesliga giants.

Poland star Lewandowksi has made clear his preference to join Barca, but Tebas suggested the Blaugrana must sell one of their prized assets to be able to fund the transfer.

"Barca already know what they have to do if they want to sign Lewandowski," Tebas told Europa Press Sports Breakfasts.

"They know our economic control rules perfectly. It's to avoid major economic problems. I don't know if they will sell [Frenkie] de Jong or Pedri.

"They know what they have to do, sell assets. Barca has had many accumulated losses in the last tax years, some of which could have been avoided and they have to stock the pantry. 

"Just as Madrid have stocked up, Barcelona have emptied it. Today they cannot sign him [Lewandowski]."

But Barca president Laporta has not taken kindly to Tebas' advice, asking the LaLiga boss to stay out of matters that do not involve him.

"Regarding the statements by the president of the league saying that we cannot sign a player, I would like to remind him that his job is to watch over the interests of the league and the clubs," Laporta said in a message posted on Barca's Twitter.

"So with all due respect I ask that he abstains from commenting on whether or not we can sign a certain player, because he is obviously harming the interests of FC Barcelona.

"I don't know if he makes these comments voluntarily or involuntarily. If he does so voluntarily, it is very obvious that he is wanting to harm Barca's interests.

"And if he does it involuntarily, it is further proof of his verbal incontinence and the desire that the president of the league wants to take the limelight, and with all due respect, that is not his place."

Xavi is hopeful Barcelona will be able to announce a new contract for Gavi "in a few days". 

Barca president Joan Laporta this week publicly stated the club were frustrated by the delay in the 17-year-old signing a renewal. 

Laporta suggested Gavi's agent Ivan de la Pena – a former Barcelona team-mate of Xavi – was comparing the offer to others, with the Spain international only having one year left on his deal. 

However, Xavi was optimistic Gavi will put pen to paper in the near future after Barca beat the A-Leagues All-Stars 3-2 in Sydney on Wednesday. 

"These things take time, but I'm hopeful that in a few days we can announce something," said Xavi. 

The Barca boss was far less convincing when asked about the future of Frenkie de Jong. 

De Jong has been linked with a move away to help the club finance a move for Robert Lewandowski. 

Xavi said of the Netherlands midfielder: "He is a key player for us and he will continue to be, but everything depends on the financial situation of the club. We'll see what happens." 

Ousmane Dembele is considering a move away from Barcelona, but Joan Laporta hopes the winger will decide to stay put. 

Barcelona paid an initial €105million to sign Dembele from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 and the five-year contract he received is set to run out next month.

Bayern Munich and Chelsea are reported to be keen on the World Cup-winning winger, who could be available on a free transfer.

Laporta acknowledged that Dembele is intrigued by the interest being shown in him, but the Barcelona president believes he could well choose to stay at Camp Nou.

"He wants to stay but is very tempted by other options that offer conditions that may be considered better than ours," Laporta told Radio Catalunya.

"The offer has been on the table for some time. They will respond when the season is over. We would've liked to have an answer sooner, but we can't force it.

"The coach likes him and I like him. We've made a very important effort to make him stay. He looks very comfortable and has a good relationship with everyone. Auba [Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang] has come, and they are very good friends.

"He has representatives who are in control of the situation, but I hope he stays. If not, we will reinforce that position."

Laporta sounded more confident on the prospects of teenage midfielder Gavi signing a contract extension after an impressive breakthrough campaign with the first team.

"Let's let the technical secretariat work. He has received an offer. I hope that Ivan de la Pena [Gavi's agent] responds favourably to the proposal," Laporta said.

A renewal for Dani Alves could also be on the cards as the 39-year-old right-back, who signed a cut-price deal to return to Barca, eyes a place in Brazil's World Cup squad.

Laporta said: "I would like him to continue. He adjusted a lot so as not to hurt us in the [financial] fair play issue. He is excited to play in the World Cup and if he continues with that attitude, he doesn't endanger our accounts. We'll see."

Barcelona will return to their revered footballing blueprint under Xavi and the Blaugrana faithful should be excited over a "team to dream about", according to Ronald Araujo.

The Uruguayan was speaking at Camp Nou on Friday after committing his future to the club until the end of the 2025-26 campaign, with the 23-year-old set to play a big part in Barca's future.

Araujo has emerged as a key player this season, particularly since the arrival of Xavi following the dismissal of Ronald Koeman in October.

Xavi has overseen an upturn in fortunes with Barca climbing from ninth at the time of Koeman's sacking up to second in LaLiga, despite falling to three consecutive home defeats across all competitions in April.

Defender Araujo was quick to back Blaugrana boss Xavi as he suggested the Spaniard will restore Barca's principles to help them compete with LaLiga champions-elect Real Madrid, who need just a point to reclaim the title.

"I always work hard," he said. "I watch videos and talk a lot with Xavi about learning the Barca style. I believe in the project and we will get back up and start winning trophies again.

"I want Barca fans to feel excited about the team, because we are going back to the Barca DNA and we have a solid base of young and veteran players. We have a team to dream about."

Araujo's 39 appearances this term can only be bettered by Jordi Alba (40), Gavi (42), Frenkie de Jong (43) and Sergio Busquets (47) among Barca's outfield players.

The Uruguay international has made 78 appearances in total since joining from Uruguayan side Boston River in August 2018, contributing to 13 clean sheets across those games.

Araujo is keen to continue his progression with the Catalan giants as he looks to learn alongside the evergreen Gerard Pique and experienced Alba.

"I feel such immense joy," he said of his new contract.

"I have matured a lot. I couldn't pick any single moment from my time here, all I wanted was to renew my contract and be able to stay at Barca for a long, long time."

Barca president Joan Laporta also heaped praise on Araujo as he spoke alongside him on Friday.

"We want to thank Araujo for his character and commitment," Laporta said. "He has opened his heart.

"He is a footballer of the immediate present, but this also helps us to consolidate our short- and long-term plans. He is a very talented player who will help us to build a winning Barca."