Author name: admink

In an attempt to find the perfect replacement for Sergio Busquets’, Barcelona have stumbled back on a certain Marcelo Brozovic. The Inter Milan ace was on the Catalans’ radar for the summer before he ended up signing a contract extension.

Brozovic was the undisputed starting defensive midfielder for Inter up until last season, but has received a ton of competition from a certain Hakan Calhanoglu this season.

The Turkish international has become Simeone Inzaghi’s choice for the lone pivot, playing in between Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Nicolo Barella. He even started over Brozovic in the Italian Super Cup final against AC Milan in a 0-3 win.

As such, Barcelona want to take advantage of Brozovic’s decreasing importance with the Italian giants. They had proposed a like-for-like swap deal involving Franck Kessie, but it was rejected by all three other parties involved.

Now, according to GDS, as relayed by SPORT, Inter are not ready to let Brozovic leave during this winter market. They have, however, opened the door for his exit in the summer.

Most recently, reports suggested that Barcelona were weighing up a loan move for the veteran, which would include a permanent option to buy him in the summer.

At 30, the Croatian does not provide a ton of cover for Busquets in the long term, but is deemed the ideal stop-gap by the club. Also, he seems to be the only unanimous choice between the coaching staff and the administration.

Xavi prefers Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi as the successor, while Joan Laporta has developed a liking for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Ruben Neves.

A move for either of them is ruled out this winter, though, given the price tag. Zubimendi will cost no less than his €60 million release clause, while Neves is priced at around €40 million despite one year remaining on his contract after this summer.

In an attempt to find the perfect replacement for Sergio Busquets’, Barcelona have stumbled back on a certain Marcelo Brozovic. The Inter Milan ace was on the Catalans’ radar for the summer before he ended up signing a contract extension.

Brozovic was the undisputed starting defensive midfielder for Inter up until last season, but has received a ton of competition from a certain Hakan Calhanoglu this season.

BARÇA NEWSSerie A giants ready to let Barcelona target leave in the summer, winter move unlikelyPublished 25 seconds ago on 22/01/2023By Udhav Arora
Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images
COMMENTTWEET
In an attempt to find the perfect replacement for Sergio Busquets’, Barcelona have stumbled back on a certain Marcelo Brozovic. The Inter Milan ace was on the Catalans’ radar for the summer before he ended up signing a contract extension.

Brozovic was the undisputed starting defensive midfielder for Inter up until last season, but has received a ton of competition from a certain Hakan Calhanoglu this season.

The Turkish international has become Simeone Inzaghi’s choice for the lone pivot, playing in between Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Nicolo Barella. He even started over Brozovic in the Italian Super Cup final against AC Milan in a 0-3 win.

As such, Barcelona want to take advantage of Brozovic’s decreasing importance with the Italian giants. They had proposed a like-for-like swap deal involving Franck Kessie, but it was rejected by all three other parties involved.

Now, according to GDS, as relayed by SPORT, Inter are not ready to let Brozovic leave during this winter market. They have, however, opened the door for his exit in the summer.

Most recently, reports suggested that Barcelona were weighing up a loan move for the veteran, which would include a permanent option to buy him in the summer.

BARÇA NEWSSerie A giants ready to let Barcelona target leave in the summer, winter move unlikelyPublished 25 seconds ago on 22/01/2023By Udhav Arora
Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images
COMMENTTWEET
In an attempt to find the perfect replacement for Sergio Busquets’, Barcelona have stumbled back on a certain Marcelo Brozovic. The Inter Milan ace was on the Catalans’ radar for the summer before he ended up signing a contract extension.

Brozovic was the undisputed starting defensive midfielder for Inter up until last season, but has received a ton of competition from a certain Hakan Calhanoglu this season.

The Turkish international has become Simeone Inzaghi’s choice for the lone pivot, playing in between Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Nicolo Barella. He even started over Brozovic in the Italian Super Cup final against AC Milan in a 0-3 win.

As such, Barcelona want to take advantage of Brozovic’s decreasing importance with the Italian giants. They had proposed a like-for-like swap deal involving Franck Kessie, but it was rejected by all three other parties involved.

Now, according to GDS, as relayed by SPORT, Inter are not ready to let Brozovic leave during this winter market. They have, however, opened the door for his exit in the summer.

Most recently, reports suggested that Barcelona were weighing up a loan move for the veteran, which would include a permanent option to buy him in the summer.

At 30, the Croatian does not provide a ton of cover for Busquets in the long term, but is deemed the ideal stop-gap by the club. Also, he seems to be the only unanimous choice between the coaching staff and the administration.

Xavi prefers Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi as the successor, while Joan Laporta has developed a liking for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Ruben Neves.

A move for either of them is ruled out this winter, though, given the price tag. Zubimendi will cost no less than his €60 million release clause, while Neves is priced at around €40 million despite one year remaining on his contract after this summer.

Symbols have a special place in our world. They represent good and bad, and ominous and auspicious things alike. Symbols provide quick access to meaning, not to mention often holding more than the things they represent.

Yes, we think of symbols as primarily being objects, but more often than not, people take on these roles too. Think of your favourite musician or actor, what do they symbolize? It could be anything from the days you spent listening to them in your youth, or the times you watched their movies as a mature adult.

OPINIONSSempr3 Gerard Pique: An everlasting legacy at BarcelonaPublished 2 months ago on 11/11/2022By Jan-Michael Marshall
Photo by JOSEP LAGO/AFP via Getty Images
COMMENTTWEET
Symbols have a special place in our world. They represent good and bad, and ominous and auspicious things alike. Symbols provide quick access to meaning, not to mention often holding more than the things they represent.

Yes, we think of symbols as primarily being objects, but more often than not, people take on these roles too. Think of your favourite musician or actor, what do they symbolize? It could be anything from the days you spent listening to them in your youth, or the times you watched their movies as a mature adult.

The same applies to athletes; they may symbolize the teams they play for, but the best go beyond that. As a teary-eyed Gerard Pique left the Camp Nou for the final time, one cannot help but think of his legacy.

After 616 appearances, 36 trophies, and two La Manitas, what does Pique leave behind, and what does he symbolize for Spanish football, Barcelona, and the sport as a whole?

Here’s the story and legacy of Pique, a player that means more to Barcelona – and culés – than we realize.

An instant success
Pique’s illustrious career at Barca started in La Masia, where he played from as young as ten years old. But, when the time for promotion to the senior side came, he opted for a move to Manchester United.

Under Sir Alex Ferguson, Pique won the Premier League and Champions League, amongst various domestic cups. It was an overall successful spell for the young Spaniard, who was developing well under the bright lights of Old Trafford.

Nevertheless, he lacked a path to consistent playing time, given the dominance of centre-backs Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand.

As such, he returned to his boyhood club in the summer of 2008, marking one of Pep Guardiola’s first transfers as a manager.

Pique was an instant success – a rare feat for a young centre-back. He made 45 appearances in his first season, including starting the Champions League final against Manchester United, which the Catalans won 2-0.

As the 2009/10 season came, he took over the starting centre-back job alongside Carles Puyol. In their few seasons together, they represented an envied mix of power and finesse and would go on to lead Barcelona to a plethora of trophies, including another Champions League in 2011.

On the national level, Pique made his first appearance for Spain in 2009, and was an integral part of the most successful era in La Roja history, winning the Euros and World Cup back-to-back.

While he missed out on the Euro 2008 victory, he and Puyol were starting centre-backs throughout the 2010 World Cup. He also started alongside Sergio Ramos throughout Euro 2012 – playing every single minute in the tournament.

According to SPORT, Barcelona are bracing themselves with a couple of busy weeks ahead as they look to sign a replacement for the departed Memphis Depay.

Xavi Hernandez has made it clear that he wants someone to alleviate the loss of the Dutch attacker, and one of the options Barça are considering is Hakim Ziyech.

The Chelsea attacker has offered himself to Camp Nou as he looks to put an end to his disappointing spell at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea themselves appear to be open to sanctioning the sale of the Moroccan international, and perhaps even an exchange deal involving Franck Kessie.

Kessie, a player who has struggled to make a mark since joining Barcelona in the summer, has been considered a potential target for Chelsea. The Blues were initially eyeing a move for Moises Caicedo, but Brighton & Hove Albion have appeared reluctant in offloading the man from Ecuador.

It has led to Chelsea’s interest in Kessie, who offers abundant experience at the highest level of football and has the versatility to succeed at Stamford Bridge. The report suggests Chelsea are ready to conduct a swap deal involving him and Ziyech.

Barcelona, though, are not expected to consider this option. The Catalan entity is favouring a loan agreement or separate deals due to their altercations with Financial Fair Play regulations.

Even then, there are doubts over this operation as Ziyech, for his part, has received offers from PSV Eindhoven and other clubs, whereas Kessie himself has shown no desire to leave Camp Nou in the middle of the season.

There is a chance that the Ivorian could be tempted by Chelsea, but only if the Premier League giants come up with a formal proposal. Either way, the likelihood of a direct swap deal involving Kessie and Ziyech might be close to zero.

With Memphis Depay set to join Atletico Madrid on a permanent deal, Barcelona will soon be forced to make the necessary provision to replace the Dutchman in the first-team.

The club have explored the option of signing a new player in this ongoing January transfer window

But it appears Xavi is also open to offering some of the academy youngsters the opportunity to make the breakthrough in the first-team, notably handing Angel Alarcon a professional debut against AD Ceuta.

The 18-year-old attacker played for ten minutes in Barcelona’s Copa Del Rey Round of 16 encounter. Although he did not have much time to make an impact, it was a glorious moment for the youngster, who is considered a potential plan B for Barça if they fail to sign a Depay replacement in the market.

To that end, the Catalans are already taking the necessary steps to safeguard Alarcon’s future at the club by giving him a contract extension, as per Mundo Deportivo.

The report suggests Barça want to tie Alarcon down to a long-term contract. The player’s current contract at the club expires at the end of the season, but there might be a possibility that the club have the option to renew his deal for two more seasons.

Barça are more than likely to utilise the option, if available. But in any case, the club are convinced of Alarcon’s potential, and are negotiating his renewal.

The youngster has notably impressed the onlookers by racking up three goals and three goals in the UEFA Youth League this term.

A contract renewal could serve as the first step in Alarcon’s bid to make a breakthrough in the first team. A lot of academy stars at Barça have already made solid impressions in recent years and there is no reason why someone like Alarcon cannot follow suit.

According to Alfredo Martinez on SPORT, Barcelona forward Ferran Torres has hired the services of a psychologist to help him get back to his best level.

The 22-year-old Spaniard has struggled to perform at the highest level this season and, as a result, has slid down the pecking order under Xavi Hernandez at Camp Nou.

A return of five goals and an assist from 22 matches across all competitions is not the best. When one looks at his numbers in La Liga alone – two goals in 15 matches – it makes for much more dire reading.

The Spanish international, in recent games, has appeared short on confidence and has often made uncharacteristic mistakes on the field, which have hurt the team.

The club’s coaching staff is doing its best to help Torres out of his slump. Along with that, the young forward is understood to have sought the help of a psychologist as he feels he is not in the best spot mentally.

Torres joined Barcelona a little over a year ago, arriving from Manchester City in a deal worth €55 million, which could rise up to €65 million including add-ons.

The former Valencia ace has shown glimpses of his potential and class at times, but those have come few and far between.

Given his poor performances, there have been reports that Barcelona could be open to listening to offers for him. But Torres has no desire to leave the club and wants to stay put and fight for his place.

With the support of the club’s coaches and the psychologist, Torres hopes to recover his best level and make the impact that was expected of him upon his arrival last winter.

Barcelona have yet to officially announce the departure of Memphis Depay, who is set to undergo a medical at Atletico Madrid after the two parties have reportedly agreed on personal terms.

Nevertheless, it appears to be only a matter of time before the transfer is official. Barça, in fact, had already kickstarted their search for a potential replacement in the market. The club have been notably linked with a move for Goncalo Guedes, among others.

But according to a fresh report from RAC1, it seems Barcelona are not considering the possibility of signing a replacement for Depay in this January transfer window.

The report states that Barcelona do have the purchase option to sign Carrasco, worth somewhere around €20 million, which they could use in the summer, but are not looking to make any signings this month.

Instead, the Catalans are also hoping to utilise the funds generated from Depay’s sale to renew the contracts of Alejandro Balde and Inaki Pena, two youngsters who are considered crucial to the club’s long-term project.

Barça also intend the officially register the contract extensions of Ronald Araujo and Gavi, both of whom had penned a deal last year.

Achieving these goals, as far as the player contracts are concerned, could go a long way in helping Barcelona build a solid foundation for the future. However, it is too early to rule out the possibility of the club signing a new player in January.

This is because the Blaugrana have already received a proposal to sign Guedes while the club are also working on a deal to sign Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, though the fate of the deal may depend on the will of Franck Kessie, who was being offered in a swap deal.

A recent report from SPORT has offered a detailed update on Barcelona’s economic policy and their objectives during the second half of the campaign.

The club are not expected to sign any players in the ongoing January transfer window due to the issues with the Financial Fair Play module. Instead, they are looking to cut down on wages as much as they can, in an attempt to renew and register the contracts of several youngsters.

Barça intend to register the new contracts of both Gavi and Ronald Araujo, which were signed last year. They are also planning to renew the contracts of Alejandro Balde and Inaki Pena, whose current deals expire in 2024 and 2023, respectively.

The report from SPORT suggests Barcelona are relying on sponsorship income to clear out their contractual objectives. The club are forecasting an economic boost of €332 million, of which €200 million should come through sponsorship deals this year.

They have recently signed a deal with Ukrainian cryptocurrency company WhiteBIT, which should see them pocket around €30 million across three years.

They are in conversations with other companies over the vacant shirt sleeve sponsor slot.

Philips has been the most recent multinational company to show interest in becoming the shirt sleeve sponsor for Barça, a role that was previously held by Beko before the deal eventually ran out in 2021.

In addition to sponsors, Barcelona have also filed a lawsuit last week against La Liga, demanding that they should be able to increase their wage bill by 15% like the 38 clubs across the top two divisions of Spanish football who signed the CVC deal as they had reached a similar agreement with Goldman Sachs in 2021.

The Catalans are hopeful of the outcome of the lawsuit, which, if positive, could further strengthen Barcelona’s position, as far as their bid to renew contracts are concerned.

As Barcelona continue their pursuit of a new midfielder, they are showing serious interest in signing Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan on a Bosman transfer in the summer, reports Mike McGrath on The Telegraph.

The 32-year-old midfielder is in the final six months of his contract with the Cityzens and is yet to sign a new deal. It has paved the way for rumours about his future beyond the summer, with Barcelona keen on snapping up his services before next season.

Barça are likely to part ways with Sergio Busquets at the end of the season, with the club captain’s contract expiring in the summer as well. While Xavi wants the 34-year-old to stay beyond the season, there is no certainty that he will pen an extension.

As a result, the Catalans are looking for a new midfielder to take over from him. Given their financial situation, the La Liga leaders are looking for bargain buys and free transfer acquisitions to reinforce their roster.

A move for N’Golo Kante of Chelsea is also under consideration, but the Frenchman is likely to renew his contract at Stamford Bridge. It has compelled Barcelona to take a more serious interest in the services of Gundogan.

A vastly experienced individual, the German international has been critical to the success that Manchester City have achieved during the Pep Guardiola era.

And even though he would not be a long-term solution for Barça, the 32-year-old could be a handy fix for a season or two, until the club sort out their finances and sign a proper alternative for Busquets.

Gundogan could yet receive an offer from Manchester City, but Barcelona are keeping a close watch on the situation as they line up a summer move for the veteran midfielder on a free transfer.

The midfielder did not want to talk about a potential summer departure
Sergio Busquets spoke to the media on Saturday ahead of the Clasico Spanish Super Cup final.

The captain wants to focus on the game and not questions over his future, with his contract expiring in the summer.

“There’s nothing new and I haven’t decided, I’m focused on a final that is very important,” said Busquets.

Busquets cut the speculation short.

“I don’t know and I wouldn’t say it in a press conference, don’t ask me more about it because I won’t say, I will always put the team or a trophy before a personal decision.”

The midfielder reached his 700th Barca game against Betis on Thursday.

Xavi is interested in him staying but he has interesting offers from the USA and one from Saudi Arabia.