Author name: admink

Journalist Pedro Morata (via Directo Gol) is reporting that Barcelona director Jordi Cruyff’s contract will soon expire and he is seriously considering not continuing at Barcelona.

The Dutchman had been serving as the sporting director for Barça since 2022. Before this role, Cruyff was a strategic advisor for Barcelona, but his role in the club was last year.

Along with the club president and Mateu Alemany, Cryuff is believed to be one of three key figureheads for Barcelona. The three have been responsible for the club’s policies in the transfer market along with their economic policies and decisions.

However, Cruyff’s future has now been cast into doubts, with his contract reportedly expiring soon. And it is being claimed that the 49-year-old is seriously considering not renewing his deal at Barcelona.

This update comes only a few days after it was reported that Cruyff and manager Xavi Hernandez were in a disagreement over the potential signing of former La Masia wonderkid Xavi Simons.

The Dutchman is said to be very keen on signing Simons at the end of the season. But Xavi does not see things the same way when it comes to the PSV Eindhoven starlet. And it has been suggested that this could be a turning point in the relationship between Cruyff and Xavi.

With experiences in clubs such as Barcelona, Maccabi Tel Aviv and AEK Larnaca, Cruyff’s executive prowess is rated highly in European football. He had, in fact, also served with the Ecuador national team for a brief period.

Nevertheless, Cruyff’s potential exit could bring about a major change in the power dynamics within the club. So it will be interesting to see how things transpire over the coming weeks.

On Saturday night, even though FC Barcelona were not in action, they took a step closer to winning the La Liga crown, thanks to some help from former manager Quique Setien as his Villarreal side defeated Real Madrid 2-3.

The result means that should Barcelona defeat Girona in their spare game on Monday night, the Catalans will open up an enormous 15-point lead over the current champions, who remain in second place.

Naturally, the news of Real Madrid’s loss was very well received in the Barcelona camp, with Javi Miguel of AS reporting that the players’ Whatsapp group exploded with joy and relief after learning that Villarreal had prevailed at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Indeed, the report states that the Barcelona squad’s Whatsapp group flooded with messages after the result, with players sharing emoticons to express their joy, while the most common message on the group was said to be “Brutal!”

Furthermore, Javi Miguel also reports that some Barcelona players even sent congratulatory messages to some of the Villarreal stars, with Pepe Reina and Dani Parejo among the recipients.

While the result gives Barcelona more room for breathing, they will likely view the match against Girona as a must-win now. Apart from being the Catalan derby, the contest could also hand them an unassailable lead in the La Liga title race, so there is no shortage of incentives.

Following the bitter 0-4 defeat in midweek at the hands of Real Madrid in Copa del Rey, Barcelona can end the week on a positive note.

As the summer transfer window approaches, Barcelona will need to start looking at ways to balance their books if they are to have any hope of signing and registering new players.

The Catalans are already considering a collective salary cut for the first-team stars but that is unlikely to be enough for them to turn the red on their ledger into green. So, player sales will also become key for Barcelona to achieve Fair Play margin before the summer.

Now, Albert Masnou of SPORT is reporting that as a result, Barcelona are ready to listen to offers for their three forwards Ansu Fati, Ferran Torres, and Raphinha this summer.

The situation of the three forwards is very different at this point.

Ansu Fati has put his injury woes behind him but has found game-time hard to come by. Xavi Hernandez has hardly given him starting opportunities this term and the youngster has not made the most of the chances that have come his way.

The 20-year-old’s father, Bori Fati, and agent, Jorge Mendes, want to take him out of the club this summer, with Manchester United interested. And if a high proposal arrives, Barcelona will study it even though the player wants to stay.

As for Ferran, the 23-year-old has also gone through a rough patch this term but continues to believe he can succeed at the club. Barcelona believe that selling him could be difficult as they are unlikely to recover the €55 million invested in him.

But there is a possibility that he could be used in possible player-exchange deals with clubs like Inter Milan or Atletico Madrid. The Catalans will listen to proposals and make a decision, with an exit not ruled out.

Meanwhile, Raphinha has proven to be a valuable asset since arriving at the club last summer. He has scored and assisted some important goals, but is not seen as an absolutely outstanding player.

Furthermore, the Brazilian has a market in the Premier League and Barcelona believe that they can recoup the amount invested in him. So while he has enjoyed a positive time at the club, Raphinha is seen as a market asset and significant offers will be entertained.

Everything will depend on how good or bad Barcelona’s FFP situation is and the kind of offers that they will receive for the trio. But, as things stand, it is likely that at least one of Fati, Torres and Raphinha could leave in the summer.

As Barcelona begin chalking out their plans for the summer transfer window, it is becoming abundantly clear that they will need to make major cuts to their wage bill before proceeding with any incomings.

To that end, SPORT is reporting that Barcelona intend to make player sales worth around €120 million in quite an ambitious plan.

To start with, the club will offload players who are currently on loan, barring Ez Abde, who could be retained in the first-team squad.

On top of that, players like Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati could also be on the market, but exits would depend on the type of offers that arrive.

Moving further, the report states that Barcelona are also aware that Andreas Christensen is attracting serious interest from several clubs in the Premier League.

And while the Dane remains an integral part of the team under Xavi Hernandez, a decision will be taken on a case-by-case basis at a later point.

Christensen arrived at Barcelona only last summer, joining from Chelsea on a free transfer. He has soon integrated himself into the team and become one of the mainstays in Xavi’s team. So much so that, some reports suggested that he is seen as an ‘untouchable’ heading into the summer.

But with the financial situation being as such, a decision on each player will be taken on a case-by-case basis, depending on the offers that will arrive.

It has previously been reported that Newcastle United are interested in the Danish international. Given their riches, the Magpies could be in a position to make a big offer for his services.

Ultimately, though, the decision will be taken by Barcelona based on how successful they are in offloading other, less important members of the team.

Christensen has played in 25 matches since joining Barcelona last summer, registering one assist. The 26-year-old is currently out injured and is expected to be back in action later this month either against Atletico Madrid or Rayo Vallecano.

The injuries to star players such as Frenkie de Jong, Ousmane Dembele and Pedri turned out to be quite costly for Barcelona, as they were knocked out of the Copa Del Rey last evening. The Catalans suffered a 4-0 hammering at the hands of arch-rivals Real Madrid.

Soon after the game, it was evident that Barcelona had missed the quality of De Jong and Pedri in the middle of the park while Dembele’s attacking prowess was also missed.

A recent report from Diario SPORT has offered an update on the fitness of these star players, suggesting all of them will miss out on the upcoming league game against Girona.

However, Barcelona are confident that de Jong and Pedri, at least very least, will be available for Barça when they take on Getafe later this month.

De Jong, for one, had been suffering from a hamstring injury lately. The Dutchman has enjoyed a rapid recovery but he was not feeling hundred percent ahead of the Real Madrid clash. Barcelona doctors, meanwhile, have no desire to risk him against Girona.

Therefore, de Jong could make his return against Getafe. Pedri, meanwhile, had his recovery held back after a relapse. But the youngster has been doing well since and although he is not as fit as de Jong, there is a possibility he will be available for the Getafe clash.

A lot may depend on how Pedri fares just before the Getafe game before he can be cleared for the tie.

One thing is for certain – the return of Pedri and de Jong could go a long way in boosting Barcelona’s chances of succeeding against Getafe – an opponent that have had a surprisingly good record against the Catalans in recent times.

Barcelona were dealt with a blow on Monday night when one of their loanees appeared to have picked up a knee injury.

The player in question is Nico Gonzalez, who suffered an injury in the first half of Valencia’s game against Rayo Vallecano and was subsequently subbed off right after half-time.

However, in a recent report, journalist Nacho Sanchis claimed that Nico’s injury is not serious as was initially feared.

The youngster sustained a mild sprain in his ankle and did not suffer a knee injury, and it does not appear to be serious enough to rule him out on the sidelines for a long period.

Sanchis reports that Nico could be a doubt for Los Che’s upcoming game against Almeria. But he should be able to return to the pitch soon after and will be available for the remainder of the campaign.

This should serve as a major boost for Valencia, who are embroiled in a relegation dogfight this season. With 27 points on the board, Los Che are languishing in the 17th spot, level on points with relegation-threatened Espanyol and Almeria.

Nico, who joined Valencia on a season-long loan deal from Barcelona last summer, had only returned from an injury last month. The foot fracture had kept him out on the sidelines for a major chunk of the year so far.

Fortunately for the youngster, he does not appear to have aggravated his injury and should return to the pitch, sooner than later.

Nico’s return could please Barcelona as they continue to closely monitor his progress at Valencia.

Although the Blaugrana are likely to sanction yet another loan deal for Nico this coming summer, it is imperative that he finishes the ongoing campaign on a positive note, possibly helping Valencia avoid the wrath of relegation.

In a major update, Toni Juanmarti is reporting that Barcelona goalkeeper Inaki Pena has decided to renew his contract with the club after assessing all options on the table.

The 24-year-old La Masia graduate is in the final year of his contract and had previously shown an inclination to sign a new deal with the Catalans until 2026.

However, talks over the new contract had come to a complete standstill recently as Pena had reservations over his game-time situation at Barcelona.

Reports even suggested that the Spaniard, who made his first-team debut earlier this season, had informed his agents to listen to offers from elsewhere.

Barcelona, though, always wanted Pena to stay at the club and were silently confident that they will be able to convince him to sign a new contract.

Meanwhile, Pena had already had received written offers from Turkish clubs Fenerbahce and Galatasaray. An unnamed club from the Premier League was also very keen on the 24-year-old goalkeeper as they were ready to pounce on the opportunity and sign him for free.

But, deep down, Pena always wanted to continue at Barcelona. The doubts about renewing had crept in after he was overlooked for the Copa del Rey clash against Real Sociedad in late January.

However, after speaking to the club and being given assurances over his role, Pena has now decided to commit his future to Barcelona and is likely to sign the new contract in the next few days.

Pena, so far, has made three first-team appearances for Barcelona, keeping one clean sheet in the process.

The 24-year-old’s impending renewal means that Arnau Tenas could potentially leave on loan next season to gain first-team experience at the highest level instead of continuing as the Barça Atletic goalkeeper.

With the international break out of the way, Barcelona will resume their pursuit of the La Liga title this Saturday when they take on Elche CF at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero.

The Catalans are 12 points ahead of current title holders Real Madrid after beating them 2-1 just before the international break. And with Los Blancos scheduled to play on Sunday, Barça can widen that gap to 15 points with a victory.

On the eve of the match, manager Xavi Hernandez has released the Barcelona squad list for the match against Elche. And the big news is that defender Ronald Araujo has received a medical green light and is in the roster for the match.

The Uruguayan had suffered an adductor injury during the game against Real Madrid and as a consequence, did not travel with his national team to Asia for two friendly matches.

Araujo returned to team training only today and has been passed fit to be included in the squad.

There is also a first call-up for Barça Atletic’s 19-year-old midfielder Aleix Garrido, along with fellow youngsters Estanis Pedrola and Angel Alarcon.

Pedri, Ousmane Dembele, Frenkie de Jong and Andreas Christensen miss out due to injuries while Raphinha is out because of suspension.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona are quiet and optimistic about the situation surrounding Gavi amid his contract registration problems.

Barcelona have been at loggerheads with La Liga over the registration of the new first-team contract of the midfield wonderkid. The 18-year-old signed a new deal with the club in September last year, but it was not registered at the time due to Financial Fair Play problems.

After selling Memphis Depay in January, the Catalans proceeded to take care of the issue, but saw their attempts getting rejected by the league.

In the end, on the January deadline day, Barcelona obtained a precautionary measure from a court to successfully register Gavi as a first-team member and hand him the No. 6.

However, earlier this month, La Liga managed to get the decision overturned by court, as Barcelona had allegedly filed the necessary paperwork post the deadline. The Blaugrana’s appeal was also dismissed by the court, leading to speculations over Gavi’s situation.

The ruling meant that the 18-year-old was no longer a first-team player and was reverted to his old youth contract, which expires at the end of the ongoing season.

It led to clubs like Liverpool, Manchester City and Bayern Munich casting admiring glances towards Gavi, as he could potentially be available for free if his new contract is not registered.

But, Barcelona are calm and optimistic about the situation as they know that the teenage prodigy is very happy at the club and does not plan on leaving anytime. The midfielder is waiting for the club to complete the registration according to La Liga’s rules.

Gavi remains fully committed to Barcelona despite the contract registration issues. And so, it does not come as a surprise to see that the Catalans are optimistic about his situation.

However, steps must be taken to ensure that the registration of Gavi’s contract, along with those of Ronald Araujo, Sergi Roberto and Marcos Alonso go ahead without any further hitches in the summer.

Barcelona have been harrowed by injuries in the midst of the international, with a host of their star players currently sidelined and confirmed to be ruled out for the upcoming second-leg affair against Real Madrid, in the Copa Del Rey semifinal.

Pedri and Andreas Christensen have been ruled out for sure, while Ousmane Dembele, too, looks likely to miss the clash. One player who could make it back in time is Frenkie de Jong.

A recent report from Mundo Deportivo has offered an update on the fitness of De Jong, suggesting that there is a sense of hope within the Barça camp that the midfielder might be able to play against Real Madrid.

Although de Jong’s early return can be seen as a risk by many, the club believe his thigh injury is not very serious. Such was confirmed even by his Dutch teammate Memphis Depay just before the international break.

Therefore, Barcelona are hoping to count on the services of de Jong against Real Madrid. With Pedri already injured, the club believe the absence of the Dutchman could lead to problems in ball retention against Los Blancos.

However, Barcelona will not take any unnecessary risks with de Jong. The club’s doctors are hesitant when it comes to speeding the midfielder’s recovery, knowing he might play a crucial role during the final phase of the campaign.

That said, losing the Copa Del Rey would mean that Barcelona will have nothing to play for other than the league title. Hence, we may see a push from the club’s part to make De Jong a part of the Copa Clasico next month.