Author name: admink

As we inch closer to Barcelona’s next La Liga match against Athletic Club, there are contradicting reports emerging on the fitness and condition of superstar forward Ousmane Dembele.

Only a while ago, SPORT reported that the 25-year-old was very close to returning to action and was not completely ruled out of the clash against Athletic. It was further stated that the winger would be 100% fit for the Clasico next week.

But now, a fresh report from Ferran Martinez of Mundo Deportivo is claiming that Dembele is all but ruled out of the trip to San Mames to face Athletic while he is also a doubt for the Clasico versus Real Madrid.

The report states that Dembele was expected to return to group training this week with the hope of getting some minutes under his belt against the Basque club on Sunday.

However, after conducting tests on the Frenchman today, the medical department at the club have decided to not risk the possibility of a relapse and have asked for the forward’s return to be delayed.

The idea is that Dembele stays fully fit for the final stretch of the campaign without any risk of the injury relapsing, which is why they are erring on the side of caution for now.

The medical department have reportedly cited the example of Pedri’s injury troubles last season as the midfielder had recurring problems in the same leg and do not wish for Dembele to go through a similar issue ahead of the crucial period in the season.

Xavi is keen on recovering his key forward who had been in fine form before getting injured. But following the recommendations from the medical department, everyone has decided to stay calm and not risk anything, which means that Dembele is very much ruled out of the Athletic Club match and is a doubt against Real Madrid.

Sevilla had become of the sides to reckon with in La Liga under the tutelage of Julien Lopetegui over the past few years. They finished in the Champions League places every season under the Spanish coach, and even lifted the Europa League in 2020.

However, after a massive clearout in the summer of 2022 that saw Jules Kounde and Diego Carlos depart to Barcelona and Aston Villa, respectively, Sevilla were struggling to mirror their best form this season.

Eventually, Lopetegui was sacked while Los Nervionenses were sitting in relegation places, with Jorge Sampaoli replacing him. And while they are currently out of the bottom-three, Sevilla are still just sitting 16th in the table, one point clear off the drop.

In an attempt to reinforce their team ahead of the new season, sporting director Monchi wants to bring in young attack-minded players in the summer. One of his targets is Barcelona’s Ilias Akhomach, as per a report by Culemania.

At 18, Ilias is one of the key players for Barcelona Atletic. He is also the captain of the Spanish U-19 team, and is among the players next in line to be promoted to the senior team if push comes to shove.

Unfortunately, though, the teenager’s contract with Barça is set to expire in the summer, and the player has not shown an intention to renew it. He is, therefore, free to negotiate with any team he wants right now and sign a pre-agreement.

This also means that Barcelona have chosen not to call him up for the senior team right now, even though Ousmane Dembele and Robert Lewandowski’s injuries have cleared up space in the squad.

Instead, Angel Alarcon and Estanis Pedrola have been summoned to the first-team for the game against Valencia tomorrow.

Leeds United are also reportedly interested in signing Ilias in the summer, and have reached a four-year agreement over personal terms with the player. This makes Sevilla’s task even tougher, especially with their current attack massively misfiring.

Alberto Moleiro is one of the hottest prospects in the Spanish second division right now. Currently plying his trade for Las Palmas, the exciting attacking midfielder has racked up eight assists in the league so far, helping the Canaries remain on top of the league table.

Moleiro’s performances have not gone unnoticed either, with Barcelona among the clubs reportedly interested in his services.

However, the Catalans are set to face immense competition from not only Real Madrid but also Premier League clubs, as we approach the summer transfer window.

This has been confirmed by Las Palmas president Miguel Angel Ramirez, during an interview with Que’ T’hi Jugues. “Apart from Barça and Real Madrid, there are other teams interested in signing Moleiro. Several teams in England, for example,” he said.

The increased competition for Moleiro does not bode well for Barcelona, especially knowing the fact that money could be a major factor, as far as the youngster’s pursuit is concerned.

This is because Moleiro already has a release clause worth €30 million embedded in his current contract. That figure could increase up to €60 million if Las Palmas secure promotion to La Liga next season, which is likely the case.

The Canaries are currently leading the table in the second division, with a three-point lead over second-placed Levante, even though the latter have a game in hand.

In addition to revealing competition for Moleiro, Ramirez confirmed the player’s botched move to Camp Nou last summer, adding, “I haven’t talked to Barça about Moleiro since last summer. There was an agreement in principle with Barça last summer, but financial FairPlay didn’t allow us to find a solution.”

Barcelona are expected to find similar economic issues this time around as well. But with key players being subjected to a move away from Camp Nou, it remains to be seen whether or not the Catalans can balance the books in order to afford the Las Palmas starlet.

Barcelona secured a vital advantage over their arch-rivals Real Madrid in the semifinal of the Copa Del Rey after they registered a 1-0 victory at Santiago Bernabeu last night.

One of the driving forces behind Barça’s victory was Frenkie de Jong, with the Dutchman producing one of his best performances of the season and masterfully controlling the midfield throughout the ninety minutes.

According to Reshad Rehman, De Jong’s performance was another indicator of his growing importance in the Barcelona team.

The former Ajax starlet, who was an unwanted prospect in the Barcelona first-team before the season’s start, has become one of the most crucial components in Xavi’s setup this term. He has performed consistently as well, establishing himself as an indispensable figure in the middle of the park.

Rahman claims de Jong is even considered one of the top five players in the Barcelona team. This has resulted in him gaining powers within the squad, which is hardly surprising as Barça eventually look to move out of the leadership of their old guards such as Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Sergi Roberto.

Busquets, for one, is likely to depart Camp Nou at the end of the season, which could further accentuate the need for someone like de Jong.

The player himself feels comfortable in Barcelona as well, amid reports suggesting that Manchester United may come looking for him once again in the coming summer.

Should Busquets depart, de Jong would become the seniormost midfielder in the Barcelona squad. This could lead to new responsibilities for the Dutchman, especially with youngsters such as Gavi and Pedri comprising Barça’s rest of the midfield workforce.

However, it will be interesting to see who the club bring in, as part of their plans to reinforce the ranks in midfield. One of the targets is Ilkay Gundogan, with the Catalans reportedly in pole position to sign the German international on a free transfer this summer.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has been coming down hard on Barcelona over the Financial Fair Play regulations.

The head of the Spanish top flight has time and again issued warnings to the Catalan giants about them needing to reduce their wage bill by a massive amount before the summer.

Tebas has also been vocal against the registration of Gavi as a first-team member and La Liga are set to challenge the same in the court.

Now, the 60-year-old has once again made a bleak prediction about Barcelona’s summer, stating that La Liga will not allow them to sign any players in the upcoming window just like they did in January unless the financial situation changes.

Issuing a stern warning to the La Liga leaders about their prospects for the summer, Tebas said (h/t Radio Estadio):

“Barça haven’t been able to sign players during the winter transfer window… We didn’t let them. Next summer will be the same, they will not be able to sign players!”

As iterated earlier, this is not the first time Tebas and La Liga have come down hard on Barcelona.

The La Liga supremo’s actions have led to a very frosty relationship between him and Barcelona president Joan Laporta, with both at loggerheads over several issues including FFP and the European Super League.

It will certainly be interesting to see if there is any response from Barcelona to the latest comments made by Tebas threatening to block the club from signing players in the upcoming transfer window.

Barcelona loanee Ez Abde showed his talent and potential once again last night as he helped Osasuna to a 1-0 win over Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg.

The Moroccan international winger scored the only goal of the game on Wednesday night to take Jagoba Arrasate’s men one step closer to the final of the cup competition.

The talented Barcelona youngster now has three goals and two assists across all competitions for his loan club as he continues to gain valuable experience and enhance his reputation away from Spotify Camp Nou.

Abde’s performances at Osasuna have caught the attention of teams from England ahead of the summer window. Indeed, it has previously been reported that Chelsea have shown an interest in the 21-year-old.

Along with the Blues, Nottingham Forest are another club to have set sights on the Moroccan ace.

In fact, Mundo Deportivo is reporting that Nottingham Forest have already asked about the possible signing of Abde from Barcelona in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Meanwhile, Osasuna are also keen on retaining the former Hercules starlet’s services for another season on loan after having been impressed by what he has shown in the current campaign.

Abde will return to Barça at the end of the season and manager Xavi Hernandez sees the potential within the winger.

However, considering the club’s financial situation, the report states that the possibility of cashing in on Abde in the summer is not ruled out.

The 21-year-old has a contract with the Blaugrana until 2026. Given his age and potential, Barcelona could fetch a sizeable sum from his sale in the summer if they do decide to go down that route.

Barcelona are set to enter the market for another creative midfielder in the summer according to reports, having found it tricky to perform at their best in the absence of Pedri.

The 20-year-old’s recent injury-enforced absence has coincided with back-to-back defeats for the Blaugrana, with the team looking devoid of any creative influence, especially in the last game against UD Almeria.

So, manager Xavi will likely seek another midfielder of a similar profile to Pedri in the summer. And, according to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona continue to retain an interest in Spanish youngster Alberto Moleiro.

The 19-year-old plays for Las Palmas, the same club from where Barcelona signed Pedri back in 2019. The young attacking midfielder has been in good nick over the past couple of campaigns and has played a key role in the Canary Islands outfit’s ascent to the top of the La Liga 2 table.

In 28 appearances in the league, Moleiro has registered as many as eight assists.

Barcelona have had the teenager on their radar for a while now, with his creativity, technical ability and ball control attracting a lot of attention.

The Blaugrana could have signed him last year for a fee of around €10 million (fixed) plus €15 million in variables. However, they deemed the valuation to be too high and passed up on the opportunity.

While they continue to hold an interest in Moleiro, signing him now could be much more tricky as he signed a new contract with Las Palmas until 2026.

The deal includes a release clause worth €30 million, which will rise to €60 million if the club achieve promotion to La Liga – a prospect that is looking very likely.

Barcelona’s economic conditions prevent them from paying the €30 million to sign him up and it will only get more challenging if Las Palmas are promoted and the clause doubles up.

Barcelona take on Real Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal on Thursday night in a rather difficult situation. Xavi Hernandez will be without his top guns including Pedri, Ousmane Dembele and Robert Lewandowski at Santiago Bernabeu and it is safe to say that the Catalans are in trouble.

The Polish striker’s absence from the game was announced yesterday and leaves Xavi with few options in attack. Ansu Fati’s expected return, however, comes as the one silver lining.

According to a surprising report from Adria Albets, the young forward has still not returned to training with the group. The idea is for Fati to join training tomorrow and directly play the Clasico on Thursday night.

The one clear deduction from the situation is that the player is still not 100% fit. It appears that the club are rushing his return just to ensure that the manager has options available for the vital game at Santiago Bernabeu.

Fati does not have the best of histories with injuries in his short career. The youngster spent the better part of two years on the sidelines and had to undergo repeated surgeries to make a comeback to professional football.

The Clasico is indeed important, but fielding Fati with just one training session under his belt could prove costly for Xavi in the long run. Given the trying times in Catalonia, the manager just cannot afford to lose another player to a long-term injury.

The first leg of the tie will be played at Santiago Bernabeu on Thursday night and the second leg is scheduled close to 40 days later.

Notably, however, the two rivals will face off against each other in La Liga once between the two legs. For Barcelona to stand a chance on all fronts, Xavi’s man-management will be one of the most crucial components.

Following their loss to UD Almeria last night, things continue to get bad for Barcelona as star striker Robert Lewandowski is understood to have picked up a knock that will rule him out for two weeks.

This claim comes from the reliable Toni Juanmarti, who states that Lewandowski sustained the knock during the Blaugrana’s game against Almeria last night.

More tests will be conducted to determine the extent of the striker’s injury. However, as things stand, the 34-year-old is expected to be sidelined for a period of fourteen days.

It means that the Poland captain is ruled out of Barcelona’s Copa del Rey semi-final first leg against Real Madrid coming up this week.

Along with that, the ace goalscorer will also miss La Liga matches against Valencia and Athletic Club over the next couple of weeks.

The report states that Lewandowski could return in time for Barça’s second Clasico of March against Real Madrid, which will be played on March 19 at Spotify Camp Nou in La Liga.

This development comes as a huge blow for Barcelona, who are already struggling due to the absence of key players like Pedri and Ousmane Dembele. Much like Lewandowski, the pair is also expected to be back for the La Liga Clasico on March 19.

This is Lewandowski’s first notable injury problem since he arrived at Barcelona in the summer. Even though he has been going through a rough patch of late, the former Bayern Munich superstar remains an integral player in Xavi’s plans.

Having him sidelined at a crucial juncture of the season, where important games are coming up will certainly be a big blow. This leaves Barça with just two fit forwards in Ferran Torres and Raphinha, although Ansu Fati is expected to be back in time for this week’s Clasico.

How Barcelona manage to deal with his absence over the next couple of weeks could decide how the rest of the season unfolds for them.

After seeing their 18-game unbeaten run snap earlier this week at the hands of Manchester United, FC Barcelona suffered their second defeat in a row as UD Almeria secured a shock 1-0 win over the La Liga leaders.

El Bilal Toure put the relegation-battling minnows ahead at the Power Horse Stadium in the first period. Barça huffed and puffed in search of a way back into the game but could not muster up enough clear-cut chances in the final third to equalise.

With the result, the Blaugrana missed a golden opportunity to stretch their lead atop the table to ten points after Real Madrid were held to a draw last night by Atletico Madrid.

It was a disappointing display overall from Barcelona and speaking after the match, manager Xavi Hernandez admitted that he was very angry at the result, and termed the performance as the worst of the season by his side.

“This was our worst match of the season. I’m very pissed off. It was too difficult. We weren’t there. We weren’t inside the match,” he said.

The Barça legend was honest in his assessment of the result, as he said: “There are no excuses today. We didn’t deserve to win and we have to take responsibility. I’m very pissed off.”

Xavi made as many as four changes to the starting XI today and explaining his decision to rotate, he added: “We noticed fatigue today. That’s why we did so many rotations. The players were tired and it was clear.”

“We want to say sorry to the fans. What we saw today is inexcusable. I don’t understand it,” he said, apologising to the fans.

Meanwhile, Xavi also took the responsibility for the result upon himself, saying: “I am the person most responsible. We failed. Luckily we have a cushion of points in La Liga. I always said that it was going to be extremely difficult to win it.”

“We lacked passion in the first half. In the second half, we tried everything… 3-4-3, Araujo as a striker… Nothing. It wasn’t meant to be. It was not enough.”

Further sending a warning to his players, the manager added: “If we don’t change our mental chip now, it will cost us the league title.”

Early in the second half, Xavi received a yellow card from the referee for protesting a decision. It was his fifth booking of the season, meaning he will be suspended for the game against Valencia. Talking about it, the manager said:

“I’ll be suspended for the next match, and that’s it. Sometimes I protest when I shouldn’t. It’s fine.”

Opening up on the La Liga title race, Xavi added that his team will recover, but the road ahead will not be easy for them.

“We’ll recover, but we won’t win La Liga comfortably. Nobody should think that. We’re competing against Real Madrid, the current champions of La Liga and the Champions League.”

Looking for positives from the outing, Xavi pointed at youngsters Pablo Torre and Angel Alarcon, who came on as late substitutes when Barcelona were chasing the game.

“Pablo Torre and Ángel Alarcón were good when they came on. Pablo is training well and he’s ready to play. He tried to play inside with Lewandowski, but it was difficult,” he said.

Discussing what went wrong for his team on the day, he added: “There’s nothing else to do but self-criticism. We lacked the intensity of Almería to win the match.”