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Cristiano Ronaldo and Dalot’s friendship could help Barca

The Catalan club are interested in signing the full back from the Red Devils

Cristiano Ronaldo could be the key to a potential Barcelona signing. 

Diogo Dalot, 23, is one of the full backs with the best potential in world football.

He had a strong Qatar World Cup, despite Portugal’s elimination in the quarter-finals by Morocco. 

He’s a player that Barcelona have tracked for a while to reinforce their right back spot.

Dalot is someone who is ready now but will also be good in the future.

Man United count on him but he’s conscious that he’s a player that others want.

His exit is not ruled out in the coming summer market. He’s out of contract but Man United may be able to renew his deal automatically, which seems likely.

The renewal would then allow them to get a transfer fee for him. The player’s attitude could be key and that is where Cristiano comes in.

Dalot was Ronaldo’s main ally at United before he left. The Portuguese star said he would “highlight Dalot, who is young but a very good professional”.

Without Cristiano at Old Trafford any longer, Dalot may be more inclined to change clubs.

Morocco is watching Barcelona’s young sniper Lamine Yamal

The forward plays for Spain at youth level but could switch to Morocco if he wanted

The Moroccan Federation are closely following the development of the young FC Barcelona star Lamine Yamal, who at 15 is breaking already breaking a number of records.

He is currently playing for Barça’s U19 team and the fact that his father is Moroccan would allow him to defend the Moroccan shirt in the future — which may be appealing given they have been the revelation of the World Cup in Qatar.

Rabie Takassa, one of the scouts that the Moroccan Federation has in Europe to find young talent that can improve the team, acknowledged in an interview with ‘Carrusel Deportivo’ that Yamal is on his radar.

“Everyone talks about him and asks if we are going to steal him, in inverted commas, from Spain,” he said.

Takassa added that “his father is Moroccan, his mother is from Equatorial Guinea and he was born in Spain, so he can choose between three teams. In the end, he will play where he feels best, where his heart tells him.”
ADMIRATION

Takassa declared himself an admirer of the young Barcelona forward and highlighted “his technique, his vision of the game and his eye for goal. He is one of the best wingers I have ever seen in the youth categories.”

He continued: “Barcelona have a real diamond in their academy. He is a player that I love and I will always be a fan — wherever he plays — because I like players of this type, differential players.”

The Moroccan scout made it clear that “Yamal is a Spanish youth international and we respect that. We don’t force anyone. Therefore, when he definitively decides to play with one country or another, the only thing to do is respect his decision.”

Barça looking to renew full-back Sergi Roberto for another year

The Blaugrana will evaluate his future after the winter transfer window.

The salary cap continues to plague Barça as they begin planning for the next season.

One of the primary objectives is to sign a right-back either in January or in the summer, but there will likely be no more additions in this position.

That is why Barça are considering renewing Sergi Roberto for another year, although this will heavily rely on how the season ends.

Sergi Roberto ended up staying this season at the request of Xavi Hernandez, who considers him a versatile and important player in the dressing room. He understands Barça’s positional play perfectly and can play either in midfield or at right-back.

The club lowered his wages and Sergi Roberto accepted, so the same scenario could happen this summer.

Barça’s initial idea was to bring in two full-backs. Bellerín is not on the books, so he will leave at the end of his contract, while Serginho Dest is not in the plans either and the club will try to sell him in January.

That will allow the club to invest in a top-level player to fill the starting position at right-back, but that’ll use up most of the club’s resources. Hence Sergi Roberto would have the option to continue if he wishes to.

Sergi Roberto has played in nine league games and three Champions League games this season, scoring two goals. He would have played more but he picked up a shoulder injury. He is poised to return soon though.

Xavi understands that he is a player who is fulfilling his potential so he would greenlight his continuity if there aren’t any other convincing alternatives.

It remains to see how the season ends, but everything points to him being at Camp Nou next season.

Barça take a stand and Dutch forward Memphis Depay could stay

The Blaugrana warn his entourage that it will only let him leave in January if they make a financial gain

Memphis’ future at Barça could have changed radically. The sporting department had planned to release him to free up a spot in January, but the difficulty in registering signings due to La Liga regulations has put the brakes on his departure.

Barça have already warned the Dutchman’s entourage that they will only let him leave if the club benefits financially, something that did not happen in the summer.

Memphis, who has practically not played this season due to competition and an injury that has kept him out of the team, found himself looking at the exit doors.

Barça authorised him to leave and the player, as happened a few months ago, was only willing to leave as a free transfer.

Barça even considered this scenario out of necessity, but now things have changed. If Memphis leaves, the club will not be able to reinforce the attacking side, which would weaken the team in the decisive part of the season.

Now, if Memphis wants to leave to get more minutes, he would have to bring an offer to the table, even if the net fee is not that high.

There are several teams interested in signing Memphis, a player who has a big market for his attacking quality. Roma have been approached and Manchester United are considering a move for him. The latest to enter the fray are Arsenal, who need a striker due to the loss of Gabriel Jesus.

All these clubs can pay a transfer fee and Barça are going to be stubborn with him.

As with Kessié, with whom there was a meeting with his agent a few days ago, Barça have taken a stand. They are still counting on the player and would only consider his departure if it brings in money or another player.

Manchester United will make it difficult for Barcelona to find the superstar

The English club are scheduled to meet his agents after the World Cup to discuss a renewal.

Diogo Dalot is one of the right-backs to have the most consensus amongst Barça’s sporting department to reinforce the team for next season.

The Blaugrana have reached out to his entourage but it is evident that it has going to be very difficult to bring him to Camp Nou.

Manchester United have already called the player’s entourage after the World Cup to talk about a renewal, according to The Sun.

The Portuguese full-back has earned a starting place with Ten Hag in what has been his most consistent season in the Premier League.

However, United have been slow in tying him down and Barça took the opportunity to inquire about his situation and the player’s desire for a change of scenery.

Mateu Alemany has taken the lead in the talks and it is now clear that it will depend on the player’s willingness to leave England or not.

Manchester United’s idea is to reach an agreement to extend his contract for a minimum of three more seasons. And if an agreement cannot be reached, they will either extend the year of his contract to keep him or put him on the market.

Everything would depend on the final valuation of the player because Barça will not be able to spend much next summer. At Manchester United, they are confident that they can reach an agreement that would close the doors of Barça to Dalot.

Led by Messi, the Argentine trio is threatened with absence from the World Cup final matches

Press reports exploded, this evening, Saturday, regarding the suspension of the Argentine quartet, “Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Paredes, Otamendi”, regarding what happened in the Netherlands match, in the quarter-final matches, of the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

The star, Lionel Messi, captain of the Argentine national team, entered into a quarrel with the Dutch striker, Fout Vykhorst, during the first live TV match.

Yesterday, Messi led the Argentine national team, with an exceptional performance, to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup, after defeating the Netherlands on penalties (4-3), after the end of the match in normal and extra time with a draw (2-2).

Next Tuesday, the Argentine national team will meet its Croatian counterpart in the World Cup semi-finals, after the latter also beat its Brazilian counterpart on penalties.

After the match, Messi won the Man of the Match award, after he scored a goal and made another for Molina, and scored the first penalty kick for Argentina.

According to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, the International Federation of Football Associations, FIFA, has opened an official investigation into the events that followed the Argentina match against the Netherlands.

The investigation includes Messi and Emiliano Martinez’s statements about the match referee, Spain’s Mateo Lahoz, Leandro Paredes’ behavior in one of the moments in the match, as well as the players’ celebration after the confrontation.

And the newspaper confirmed that FIFA is expected to issue a decisive decision regarding the suspension of the quartet, “Paredes, Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Otamendi.”

And if the statements attributed to Messi are proven, it is possible that he will miss the remaining matches for Argentina in the World Cup.

Barça advances in the signing of Kanté

The French player, who ends his contract with Chelsea, prioritizes playing at the Camp Nou
He has the sporting OK and January will be key to closing the operation if he physically responds

Barça is advancing a lot to position itself in the signing of N’Golo Kanté for next season and at zero cost. The Frenchman has been in contact with the Blaugrana club for weeks and the bases of the agreement are practically closed at the expense of how he recovers from his hamstring injury. At the Blaugrana club they believe that it is a good market opportunity for a footballer who may be very necessary in the new project.

Kanté contacted Barça last summer but his position was not a priority. The French player wants to leave the Premier and, in principle, will not accept the renewal with Chelsea, so he will be free in June. Barça is clear that he is a top-level footballer and that at 31 he can bring physicality and experience. Everything has progressed naturally and in January it could be closed if the player recovers.

And it is that the big stumbling block is the hamstring injury for which Kanté had to undergo surgery at the end of October and left him without a World Cup. Barça wants him as long as there are no physical doubts since due to his characteristics, the Frenchman needs to be one hundred percent to perform.

Xavi Hernández likes the Kanté option to provide physicality and seniority to an area of ​​the field that is led by the youngest players on the team. The Frenchman is a very positional footballer, but with great physical display and has evolved a lot when he gets off the ball. He can play perfectly in front of the defense and has competed at the highest level in European competitions.

Kanté’s profile fit from the outset, but Barça is also clear that despite the fact that he arrives free, his record must be adapted to the financial needs of the club. Kanté earns a lot of money at Chelsea, something that would not happen in Barcelona since his contract would be capped with a fixed price plus variables depending on performance and titles. It is the profile of contracts that Barça is doing now.

Likewise, the Blaugrana club remains very attentive to his teammate Jorginho, who is also ending his contract, and to Gundogan, from Manchester City. In the latter case, Barça sees it as more complicated because Gundogan could renew for City for a year after Guardiola’s continuity or decide to return to the Bundsliga. The Kanté case is the most advanced due to a technical decision and a preliminary agreement could be reached in January pending good physical tests.

Barcelona hope Coutinho’s Aston Villa exit could bring in some cash

The midfielder is not to Unai Emery’s fancy and could be sold in January

Philippe Coutinho’s days at Aston Villa could be numbered already. The Brazilian returned to the Premier League at the hands of Steven Gerrard, who took over at Villa last season. But his dismissal condemned the ex-Barcelona midfielder and the arrival of Unai Emery to the Villa Park bench could force him out.

Barça managed to transfer Coutinho in May, after a successful loan spell in England at the backend of last season. The cost of the operation was €20 million, half of what had been agreed originally with Aston Villa in case the player joined the English side permanently after his loan.

It was a long way from the €160 million (between fixed sums and add-ons) that the Blaugrana paid to Liverpool in January 2018 for Coutinho. His performances at Camp Nou were well below expectations and he never managed to get rid of the tag of the cost of the transfer. Meanwhile, his price was devaluing, flying downhill without brakes.

However, a departure in January or in the summer could bring more liquidity to Barça’s coffers. The Catalan club reserved 50% of any future capital gain, as long as the transfer exceeds the 20 million previously paid. Therefore, if Aston Villa sells him for €30 million, Barça would receive €5 million.

Despite a good first stretch last year, Coutinho’s smile has faded again and this season he has made several substitutions. In fact, he has not yet made his scoring contribution this term: zero goals and zero assists. At the moment, the only team that has been interested in him is Flamengo, but on loan. Villa expect more offers to arrive in the form of a transfer.

Jordi Cruyff: The time to sell Frenkie de Jong has passed

The sporting director spoke about his Dutch compatriot at Barca

Jordi Cruyff, Barcelona’s sporting director, spoke to SPORT at the Barça offices at the Camp Nou. The Blaugrana executive, among many other topics, shut the door to the departure of Frenkie de Jong during the next few transfer windows. In fact, he says that the club considered it last summer, but that it was conditioned by economic reasons, never for sporting reasons. Cruyff thinks that today it is no longer a necessary move and, furthermore, he is delighted with the performance of the Dutchman during the last weeks before the World Cup started, in the Barça shirt.

Is De Jong still for sale?

Today this is not being talked about. In football there are moments and sometimes they are not defined solely by football issues… The fair play situation… Not everyone understands what it is, there are changes every week, but there are situations and decisions that are not just football things. But time has passed and he has an important role.

Did the economic situation force it?

There was the possibility because good players are always wanted by good teams, it works like that. The reality is that he is here and he is playing an important role.

Did you feel alluded to when they complained about the pressure from the club?

It is not a matter of alluded to or not, the players have their feelings, the clubs have theirs and some talk and you come to a common topic. The reality is that Frenkie has stayed, he is a loved player, people expect a lot from him because he is very talented and a slightly different player. These are market moments and it’s no longer with Frenkie, but with everyone, there is a fair play rule and the consequences of not complying with it are enormous and there are calculations that have nothing to do with what happens on the pitch. It is an accumulation of things and you do some calculations. There is no other way. Fair play forces you to make decisions.

Lionel Messi sets yet another record at the 2022 World Cup

The Rosarino is now on the all-time podium for the number of World Cup appearances (23).

Leo Messi has moved onto the podium in World Cup history for games played, second only to Germany’s Lothar Matthäus and Miroslav Klose.

Messi played his 23rd game at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan on Saturday and is on course to move into first place in the all-time table.

The Argentina captain drew level with Italy’s Paolo Maldini and moved to within one of Klose, whom he will catch in the World Cup 2022 quarter-final against the Netherlands, and two behind Matthaus.

Messi made his debut in the Albiceleste’s second World Cup match in Germany, played at the Schalke Arena in Gelsenkirchen, against Serbia and Montenegro, whom they defeated 6-0.

He came on for Maxi Rodríguez in the 75th minute and was in charge of closing out the game for José Pekerman’s side.

He was 19 years old and only started one of the three games he played in, unlike what happened after South Africa 2010 under Diego Maradona.

The Argentine 10 is playing his fifth World Cup finals this year, like Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who follows him among those who are present in the current edition with twenty matches.

The Portuguese will play his 21st against Switzerland on Monday.

In total Messi has won 15 of the games he has played, drawn three and lost the other five, most recently the opener against Saudi Arabia.

He has scored nine and is now just one behind Gabriel Batistuta.

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