Barcelona are reportedly on the lookout for a long-term replacement for stalwart Jordi Alba.
The Catalan giants have earmarked the left-back position as an area they want to strengthen this summer.
Manager Xavi currently has La Masia graduate Alejandro Balde in his ranks as cover, but is keen to bring in an experienced full-back as a replacement for 33-year-old Alba.
So who could Barcelona target?
Sergio Reguilon (Tottenham)
It would undoubtedly be a controversial move given Reguilon’s previous ties with Real Madrid.
The 25-year-old Spain international has a £27.5 million buy-back clause for him to return to the Santiago Bernabeu, but could soon find himself in Catalonia.
He has made 67 appearances for Tottenham over two seasons, including 22 Premier League starts this term.
Since the arrival of Antonio Conte, however, he has been playing second-fiddle to both Ryan Sessegnon and Matt Doherty, and is behind the pair in the pecking order.
Marcos Alonso (Chelsea)
Alonso looks set to depart Stamford Bridge this summer despite having one year left on his current contract.
The 31-year-old managed just 45 minutes in the first half of Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Wolves on May 7, with boss Thomas Tuchel revealing the decision to substitute him was tactical.
Tuchel has since played down a bust-up with the player, but Barca are said to be pushing forward with negotiations after "receiving encouragement" from the full-back’s representatives.
Alonso’s father, Marcos Alonso Pena, who spent five years with the Catalan giants, is keen for his son to grace the turf of the Camp Nou in the near future.
Javi Galan (Celta Vigo)
Galan has established himself as one of the most reliable left-backs in La Liga during the past two seasons.
He impressed for Cadiz before they were relegated in 20/21, but made the move to Celta Vigo last summer. The 27-year-old could well be on the move again, however, with both Barca and Sevilla interested.
Galan has missed just two games while chipping in with three assists in 34 outings thus far, and proved a pivotal figure for the Galician club this season.
It could be a shrewd piece of business by Xavi should the Blaugrana snap him up, but the player does have a contract with Celta until 2026.
Alejandro Grimaldo (Benfica)
Barcelona could launch a bid to bring Grimaldo back to the club.
The 26-year-old came through La Masia before leaving for Benfica in 2016, and has been a standout performer for the Lisbon club.
His contract at the Estadio de Luz ends in the summer of 2023, and his current employers previously slapped a £35m pricetag on him.
The asking price is likely to have dropped considerably due to the length of time left on his deal, and player is understood to be keen on a return to Catalonia.
Jose Gaya (Valencia)
Gaya, 26, has been a long-term target for Barca.
When previously quizzed on his future, the Valencia captain said in an interview with Mundo Deportivo: “This isn’t the time to talk about my future, I love these fans, Valencia is my club. It always will be and they’re in my heart.”
His contract at the Mestalla expires in the summer of 2023, and it is likely the Spain international will be on the move.
Gaya’s release clause at Valencia is currently a staggering £85m, but given he’s only got a year left on his contract he could be made available for as little as £8.5m.
Angelino (RB Leipzig)
Barcelona have previously been linked with the ex-Manchester City full-back.
The 25-year-old is regarded as one of the best left-backs in the German top-flight, having successfully settled into the RB Leipzig set-up. He has 88 competitive appearances to his name, scoring 11 goals while providing 27 assists.
Angelino is a versatile player, as he is capable of featuring as a left-winger and even as a central midfielder if required, so would give Xavi various options throughout the pitch.
He has a contract with the German side until 2025, but could be available for £25m.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Race card:
6.30pm: Maiden; Dh165,000; 2,000m
7.05pm: Handicap; Dh165,000; 2,200m
7.40pm: Conditions; Dh240,000; 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap; Dh190,000; 2,000m
8.50pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed; Dh265,000; 1,200m
9.25pm: Handicap; Dh170,000; 1,600m
10pm: Handicap; Dh190,000; 1,400m
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Sweet%20Tooth
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Hot%20Seat
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Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
Mane points for safe home colouring
- Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
- Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
- When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
- Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
- If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
ELECTION%20RESULTS
%3Cp%3EMacron%E2%80%99s%20Ensemble%20group%20won%20245%20seats.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20second-largest%20group%20in%20parliament%20is%20Nupes%2C%20a%20leftist%20coalition%20led%20by%20Jean-Luc%20Melenchon%2C%20which%20gets%20131%20lawmakers.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20far-right%20National%20Rally%20fared%20much%20better%20than%20expected%20with%2089%20seats.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20centre-right%20Republicans%20and%20their%20allies%20took%2061.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
more from Janine di Giovanni
MATCH INFO
Austria 2
Hinteregger (53'), Schopf (69')
Germany 1
Ozil (11')
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
Racecard
%3Cp%3E%0D5pm%3A%20Al%20Maha%20Stables%20%E2%80%93%20Maiden%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(Turf)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E5.30pm%3A%20Al%20Anoud%20Stables%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3E6pm%3A%20Wathba%20Stallions%20Cup%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(PA)%20Dh70%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E6.30pm%3A%20Arabian%20Triple%20Crown%20Round%202%20%E2%80%93%20Group%203%20(PA)%20Dh%20300%2C000%20(T)%202%2C200m%0D%3Cbr%3E7pm%3A%20Liwa%20Oasis%20%E2%80%93%20Group%202%20(PA)%20Dh300%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%0D%3Cbr%3E7.30pm%3A%20Dames%20Stables%20%E2%80%93%20Handicap%20(TB)%20Dh80%2C000%20(T)%201%2C400m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
