GOAL

Barcelona have been invited to play in Ligue 1 by a die-hard fan of the club – the French prime minister Manuel Valls!

A referendum on the issue of Catalan independence looms, and Javier Tebas – the chief executive of La Liga – has previously stated that Barca could be expelled from the division if the referendum is passed.

'If Catalonia became independent, taking into consideration the Sports Law that would be enforced by the rest of Spain, Barcelona wouldn't be allowed to play," Tebas said.

As such, Valls has extended an offer to the current La Liga champions, insisting that they could join Monaco and PSG in the French top-flight.

"Monaco play in Ligue One, so why not Barcelona? I'm a huge football fan, a Barca fan,” he told French political magazine Challenges.

“They're in my blood. France knows it and they ask me about it on the streets."