Intrigue over Barcelona great Putellas' next move amid interest from Kang's club in London

OSLO, Norway (AP) — As speculation swirls around the next move of Alexia Putellas, an intriguing scene played out as the great Barcelona captain went to collect the Women’s Champions League trophy on Saturday.

Putellas’ walk along the receiving line toward the trophy passed by OL Lyonnes owner Michele Kang. Reports in England and Spain suggest Kang could soon be the Spain star's next employer.

Kang's other club in Europe, the fast-emerging London City Lionesses, is widely expected to be in the market to make a statement signing.

A major personal investor in women’s soccer globally, Kang seemed to take a step back as Putellas moved along into a hug with Barcelona official Rafa Yuste.

Putellas is out of contract next month at the club where she has spent 14 years, won four Champions Leagues and two Ballons d’Or as the world’s best player.

The 32-year-old’s emotional departure from the field did little to dispel the idea her time at Barcelona is nearly over. The idea also was fueled by her attending a Lionesses game in London in January.

“You will all see,” Putellas told a reporter from Catalunya Radio when asked, “When will we know what you will do next season?”

Club official Yuste also refused to comment on her future when asked by reporters immediately after the final.

Putellas seemed teary eyed when also speaking to broadcaster Disney+ on the field, acknowledging: “I don’t look it, or people don’t believe it, but I am a sensitive person.”

Again, she declined to address her plans for next season, with Barcelona still having two Spanish league games to play over the next week though the title is secured, her 10th with the club.

“Today we have to be present, to savor this moment, because it is so difficult to get here,” she said. “It is a day to be proud of this team and all we have done over the years.”

Together with those teammates, the trophy at their feet and the turf strewn with sparkly confetti, Putellas joined in a rousing version of the Barcelona club anthem with the emphatic “Barca! Barca! Barca!” crescendo.

Before Barcelona collected the trophy and medals, applauded graciously by Kang, Kang had warmly consoled Lyon midfielder Lindsey Heaps. The United States captain is definitely on the move, returning home to join NWSL expansion team Denver Summit.

Minutes later, Kang walked from the field and was handed her dark sunglasses by an aide. The American businesswoman then left the celebratory scene to the star-studded new champions.

AP writer Joseph Wilson in Barcelona contributed.

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Michele Kang, owner of OL Lyonnes, comforts Lyonnes' Lindsey Heaps after the Women's Champions League final soccer match between FC Barcelona and OL Lyonnes, in Oslo, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Michele Kang, owner of OL Lyonnes, stands on the tribune next to UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, right, during the Women's Champions League final soccer match between FC Barcelona and OL Lyonnes, in Oslo, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Barcelona's Alexia Putellas runs with the ball away from Lyonnes' Lindsey Heaps, right, during the Women's Champions League final soccer match between FC Barcelona and OL Lyonnes, in Oslo, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Michele Kang, owner of OL Lyonnes, comforts Lyonnes' Lindsey Heaps after the Women's Champions League final soccer match between FC Barcelona and OL Lyonnes, in Oslo, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Barcelona's Alexia Putellas, left, and Marta Torrejon celebrate with the trophy after winning the Women's Champions League final soccer match between FC Barcelona and OL Lyonnes, in Oslo, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Saturday that a deal with Iran, including opening the Strait of Hormuz, has been “largely negotiated” after calls with Israel and other allies in the region.

Announcing progress on social media, Trump said final aspects and details of the deal are being discussed and will be announced “shortly.” He was not more specific about the timetable for an announcement.

Trump said he had spoken with leaders from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, along with Israel.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — The United States and Iran are closing in on a deal to end the war in the Middle East, a regional official with direct knowledge of the Pakistan-led mediation efforts said Saturday, as the U.S. has weighed a new round of attacks on the Islamic Republic.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door deliberations, said the parties have made “significant progress” in talks, but cautioned that “last-minute disputes” could blow up the efforts. This is not the first time in recent weeks that a deal has been described as close.

He said the potential deal would include an official declaration of the war's end, with two-month negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. The Strait of Hormuz would be reopened and the U.S. would end its blockade of Iran’s ports. He did not give details.

Earlier, two regional officials and a diplomat expressed hope that a final decision on the Pakistan-prepared draft could come within 48 hours as both sides review it. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Iran, meanwhile, signaled “narrowing differences” in negotiations with the U.S. after Pakistan’s army chief held more talks in Tehran, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told journalists in India that “there’s been some progress made” and “there may be news later today.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has been hearing a range of opinions on what a person familiar with the latest White House and Middle East allies’ deliberations called the proposed 60-day ceasefire extension. Regional players are divided on whether the extension is a good idea, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe the deliberations.

Trump spent Saturday out of sight and largely silent on social media.

Both Iran and the U.S. emphasized their key positions and have warned of the risks of resuming attacks and disrupting their ceasefire. Rubio repeated the U.S. stance that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon and must turn over its highly enriched uranium, and the Strait of Hormuz must be open.

Iran state TV quoted Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei as describing the draft as a “framework agreement” and adding: “We want this to include the main issues required for ending the imposed war and other issues of essential importance to us. Then, over a reasonable time span, between 30 to 60 days, details are discussed and ultimately a final agreement is reached.”

He said the Strait of Hormuz is among the topics discussed.

Positions have moved closer in recent days, Iran’s official IRNA news agency quoted Baghaei as saying.

“Over the past week, the trend has been toward narrowing differences,” he said. “We will have to wait and see what happens over the next three or four days.”

Baghaei said nuclear issues are not part of the current negotiations, as Tehran first seeks to end the war before discussing its nuclear program that has long been at the heart of international tensions.

“Our focus at this stage is on ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon,” Baghaei said, adding that lifting sanctions on Tehran “has explicitly been included in the text and remains our fixed position.”

The Iranian-backed Hezbollah’s Al-Manar TV reported that the Lebanese militant group's leader, Naim Kassim, received a letter from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying Tehran will not abandon its allies. There is a fragile, U.S.-brokered ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon, a conflict that began two days after the Iran war started.

Limiting Tehran's support for armed proxies in the region has been a stated goal in the war, along with targeting its ballistic missile program.

Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the lead negotiator in historic face-to-face talks with the U.S. last month in Islamabad, said Iran has rebuilt its military assets and if Trump resumes attacks, the result would be “more crushing and more bitter” than at the start of the war.

State TV said he spoke after meeting with Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir, who also met with Araghchi, President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials. Qatar sent a senior official to Tehran to support Pakistan’s efforts.

Trump earlier said he was holding off on a military strike against Iran because “serious negotiations” were underway, and at the request of allies in the Middle East. Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed off.

The U.S. and Israel sparked the war with attacks on Feb. 28, cutting short nuclear talks with Iran. Tehran retaliated by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for the region’s oil, natural gas and fertilizer, causing global economic pain.

The U.S. then blockaded Iranian ports. The U.S. Central Command on Saturday said U.S. forces had turned away more than 100 commercial vessels and disabled four since the blockade began April 13.

Magdy reported from Cairo and Lee from Washington. Associated Press writers Darlene Superville and Aamer Madhani in Washington and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, right, shakes hands with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Gen. Asim Munir during their meeting in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, May 23, 2026. (Hamed Malekpour/ICANA via AP)

In this photo released by the Iranian Presidency Office, President Masoud Pezeshkian, right, speaks with Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Gen. Asim Munir in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)