BARCELONA

In Italy they assure that there are several teams pending their future
He is the signing that plays less by far in Xavi’s Barça

Frank Kessié arrived at Barça to provide muscle in midfield. A physical player was sought as a complement, but so far his participation in the team has been very limited.

Solo dos partidos de titular en Liga y dos en Champions es un pobre bagaje para un
jugador indiscutible en el Milan. Desde Italia se asegura que el futbolista querría más minutos y que podría encontrar acomodo en el calcio ahora o en junio sin problemas.
LE SIGUEN DE CERCA

‘Calciomercato’ asegura que hay varios equipos pendientes de su futuro, ya que su situación en el Barça no es la que esperaba. La realidad es que el club blaugrana necesitará fichas en este mes de enero para acometer una segunda revolución, pero parece poco probable que el jugador de Costa de Marfil abandone el club de forma repentina. En junio y con la valoración final de temporada sí es probable que pueda ser uno de los descartes.

Kessié llegó del Milan con la carta de libertad. En el conjunto italiano era el eje del equipo y, sin duda, un futbolista clave para el equipo. Titular indiscutible, en el calcio pudo desplegar mejor sus características, pero el juego posicional del equipo blaugrana le está costando

Franck Kessié has been presented as a new signing for FC Barcelona and has trained for the first time under Xavi Hernández. The coach from Egar has had some first words of welcome with the

The defender wasn’t ready to come when Konde got injured

With the approach of the seventieth minute of the Valencia-Barcelona match in Mestalla, Jules Conde fell to the ground while touching the back of his leg and asked to change due to muscle discomfort, so Xavi sent Gerard Pique to warm up, which caught his attention. An experienced defender caught by surprise.

Barcelona’s central defender was not ready to immediately step into the field of play, as the team needed at the time, and Sergio Busquets had to step in to help him with his shoelace while also searching for the pads of his foot.

In the match photos, Busquets and several of his Barcelona teammates were also seen trying to untie Pique’s shoelaces.

Pique was missing his shin guards and socks, was not in the warm-up state and was not scheduled to participate and this was an emergency

Currently – after injuries to Eric Garcia and Conde against Valencia as well as Christensen and Araujo – Pique is the only defender Xavi Hernandez can count on.

Another player who has been playing there and looks set to continue to serve as a central defender is Marcos Alonso, who was first picked by Xavi to replace Garcia in the 40th minute.

This is not the first “incident” of Pique – during the match against Villarreal supporters they had already criticized his slow warm-up.

Barcelona have already begun working to strengthen the team in the upcoming transfer windows, with the defensive midfield position identified as a key area that needs to be addressed.

Sergio Busquets is out of contract at the end of the season and will likely move on to the MLS, leaving a gaping hole in the centre of the park. Plans are already being made to sign a new pivot midfielder as early as January to cover for the club captain and eventually replace him.

Ruben Neves has emerged as the likeliest candidate for Barcelona to that end, with reports claiming that the Blaugrana already have all the necessary agreements to sign him.

But the problem remains that the club will need to make an important sale in order to incorporate the signing of the midfielder. And, as per SPORT, Frenkie de Jong has once again emerged as the likely candidate that Barça could consider selling.

The midfielder started the season with a reduced role under Xavi after deciding to stay put despite the club’s efforts to sell him. But he has gained a lot of prominence over the past couple of weeks thanks to some stunning performances, especially in the last two matches.

However, despite that, for Barcelona to make room for another midfielder they will need to sell one and de Jong may end up being the sacrificial lamb, given that the club will never sell Pedri and Gavi. Selling Franck Kessie would not help as much in terms of raising funds or freeing up salary mass.

With the funds generated, Barça could then buy two defensive midfielders, one of which would be Neves, and the other could be a player from the South American market.

The Catalans have had their eyes on talents like Danilo, who is a two-time Copa Libertadores winner with Palmeiras at just 21 years of age, while Vasco da Gama’s Andrey Santos is another option, which director Jordi Cruyff is working on already.

What seems clear is that Barcelona will work on bringing two defensive midfielders to ensure that there is depth in position once Busquets departs. And Neves is very much likely to be one of the two players to arrive.

It’s safe to say that Sergio Busquets’ struggles in a Barcelona shirt have been evident, more so than ever this season. In the Catalan giants’ 3-1 defeat in the latest El Clasico, especially, the veteran midfielder was far from his best.

For Karim Benzema’s opener, the World Cup winner was unable to stop Toni Kroos in his tracks, who slipped in a pass for Vinicius Jr., whose initial shot led to the Frenchman scoring the rebound.

Many have even suggested that the World Cup winner was out of position for Los Blancos’ second goal, as Fede Valverde was given the license to strike the ball from outside the ball as he was nowhere to be seen to mop things up.

After a culmination of poor showings, Sergio Busquets is set not to be Xavi’s first-choice defensive midfielder, with Frenkie de Jong being handed the responsibility instead, as per journalist Javi Miguel.

The 34-year-old was especially dreadful in Barcelona’s 3-3 draw against Inter Milan as well recently, which gives the manager no choice but to look for alternatives to play the role for the present and the future.

On the contrary, Frenkie de Jong was perhaps his side’s finest player against the Italian side, when he replaced Busquets off the bench.

The Dutch international’s ability to drive from deep and cover significantly more yards, while also being an elite technician, makes him the ideal player in the squad to operate as the number six.

Considering there is plenty of speculation around Sergio Busquets leaving the Camp Nou next term, Xavi may be well-placed to find a succession plan for the time being.

If Frenkie de Jong fails to be the apt successor, the club legend will realise that the answer lies in the summer transfer window.

Barcelona are left on the brink of another group-stage elimination from the UEFA Champions League following their 3-3 draw against Inter Milan at Spotify Camp Nou earlier this week.

The Catalan giants have collected just four points from four games in Europe so far this term, which has left them in third place in Group C.

Bayern Munich are already through to the knockouts, having won each of their four games so far, while Inter look primed to take the second spot unless they end up dropping points in their next two matches and the Blaugrana win both of theirs.

As things stand, though, the chances of that happening look very slim and another run in the Europa League seems to be on the cards for Xavi Hernandez & co.

The result is not believed to have gone down too well within the Barcelona board, and as reported by Victor Navarro on COPE, they have drawn three conclusions following the disappointing outcome against Inter.

For starters, despite things not going according to plans so far in Europe, the board is said to have 100% faith in manager Xavi. They still believe that the 42-year-old is the right man to take the team forward, which has been evident in the way Barça have performed in La Liga.

Secondly, the Barcelona board believe that the ‘sacred cows’, i.e., the veteran stars in the club have run out of time. Two of the three goals Inter scored on the night came from mistakes made by Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets.

Reports last night indicated that the board had been critical of Pique’s performance, in particular. And they believe that the captains no longer have the required level to perform for the team.

Thirdly, the Barcelona board believe that with a different defensive line they could have won the game against Inter 3-0.

The injuries to Jules Kounde and Ronald Araujo have come as big blows for the Blaugrana and the board is of the belief that had the duo been present, things would have been different against the Italian giants.

With the game now in the rearview, the focus shifts to El Clasico against Real Madrid on Sunday at the Bernabeu. And Xavi & co. will need to turn things around and produce a strong reaction at the home of their arch-rivals.

Lionel Messi has angered supporters of his former club Barcelona after liking Lautaro Martinez’s post on Instagram.

Following Barcelona’s tumultuous 3-3 draw with Inter Milan, Xavi’s team are close to being knocked out of the Champions League.

Martinez, who plays with Messi for Argentina, was among the scorers for Inter.

Lionel Messi has been criticised by Barcelona supporters for liking Lautaro Martinez’s post

On Instagram Martinez wrote: ‘Heart , Personality , Humility’ and ‘#ForzaInter’.

Barcelona fans clearly weren’t happy that Messi liked the post.

One Barcelona fan stated that the fact that Messi is ‘a shameless traitor’.

They wrote: ‘Another proof that Messi does not feel sorry for Barcelona a club who made him who he is today and then later he broke the club and ran away , he is such a shameless traitor’.

Another fan described Messi as a ‘mercenary’.

Messi and Martinez play together for Argentina but Barca fans were still annoyed at his actions

They wrote: ‘This is what I mean when I say this guy was a mercenary’.

Meanwhile, another supporter suggested that Messi should never rejoin Barcelona amid suggestions of a possible return to the Nou Camp.

They wrote: ‘Fraud. Don’t welcome him back’.

Another fan simply described Messi as a ‘traitor’, while another called him ‘Judas’.

One supporter suggested that Messi shouldn’t be allowed to return to Barcelona

One message directed towards Messi read: ‘The hormonal dwarf hates us, it was seen coming’.

Messi spent the vast majority of his career at Barcelona, scoring a remarkable 672 goals in 778 appearances.
However, he left for PSG in 2021. Messi’s contract with the French club expires next summer, which has prompted suggestions of a return to Barcelona.

Barcelona did no favour to their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League as they played out a 3-3 draw against Inter Milan at Spotify Camp Nou last night.

The result leaves the Catalans teetering on the edges of dropping down to the Europa League for the second season in a row.

Currently third in the table, Barça are three points shy of Inter and will ideally need to win both their remaining games and hope the Italians drop points to stand a chance of going through.

Considering the efforts that had been put into building the team in the summer and the signings that were made, much was expected of the Blaugrana. And while they have delivered in La Liga, their struggles in Europe have continued.

And, according to journalist Joan Vehils, Barcelona president Joan Laporta is ‘furious’ with manager Xavi Hernandez over the situation following the Inter Milan clash.

Barça have collected just one point from their last three Champions League matches and are on the brink of a group stage exit once again. So, it is only natural for the president to be upset about the situation, especially considering the risky strategy that they applied in the summer market.

The update from Joan Vehils further adds that Xavi, in turn, is very angry with some of his players, which again, is very much expected given the performances of late. All in all, the atmosphere is said to be tense and complicated at the moment.

But, it is important for Barcelona to set this aside and focus on the upcoming El Clasico.

The Catalan giants are currently leading the La Liga table and getting the better of arch-rivals Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu over the weekend could be just the kind of boost that Xavi & co. need to get things back on track in Europe as well.

As fans of all clubs keep their fingers crossed that the international break does not bring any key injuries, Barcelona’s prayers were not answered as both Ronald Araujo and Jules Kounde were not spared.

The former suffered a thigh injury and underwent injury, leaving his hopes of recovering in time for the Qatar World Cup hanging by a thread.

As for Kounde, while his hamstring injury is not perceived to be as extreme an issue, the Frenchman has already missed two games and could miss a few more before returning to action.

Things have gone from bad to worse for Barcelona, as Andreas Christensen succumbed to an ankle injury in his side’s 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan. With three senior defenders out of contention, an alternative has been suggested.

As per the latest information provided by SPORT, Xavi could consider the youthful defensive pairing of Chadi Riad and Pelayo Fernandez as potential options amidst a defensive crisis.

The duo have been impregnable for the Barça Atletic side, as they are yet to concede a goal in 390 minutes of football together.

With Christensen reported to be potentially out of action for a month, the Catalan side only have Eric Garcia and Gerard Pique as their senior options at centre-back.

The former is enjoying a renaissance this season, starting in eight out of 11 games in all competitions, which proves that he is an established starter in the side.

As for the latter, he has played just two games in La Liga this term, which sums up the extent of the club legend’s role in the team currently.

Keeping said factors in mind, Xavi may need to rely on Riad and Fernandez to step up during desperate times for his side. The duo have been performing well for the reserve team and can provide Xavi with valuable cover in the centre-back department until the injury woes ease up.

Speaking to the media after Manchester City’s thumping 6-3 win over Manchester United in the Premier League, Pep Guardiola hailed hat-trick hero Erling Haaland and compared the Norwegian to another of his former protege Lionel Messi.

Messi was one of the chief driving forces in Guardiola’s all-conquering Barcelona that laid waste to opposition relentlessly. And in Haaland, the Catalan tactician seems to have found another weapon of mass destruction as witnessed by the 22-year-old’s form this season.

Indeed, just 11 matches into his spell at Man City, Haaland has already plundered 17 goals across all competitions, that includes three Premier League hat-tricks, with the one against United on Sunday being the latest and perhaps the sweetest.

After the game, Guardiola was asked if he expected Haaland to score in each game like he once did with Messi during their time at Barcelona.

In response, the Manchester City manager replied (h/t SPORT): “Yes, the difference is that Haaland needs all his teammates, Messi did it alone.”

Guardiola has always maintained that he thinks Messi is the greatest player of all time and once again he has underlined that stance with his latest statements.

Having left Barcelona last year, Messi could return to Spotify Camp Nou next summer when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires. There has been interest from MLS while PSG remain keen on extending his contract.

But, Barça are also working hard behind the scenes to bring their former captain back to the club for one last dance.

As for Haaland, the 22-year-old, who had been linked with Barcelona and Real Madrid, among others, in the summer, is taking the Premier League by storm.

And even though he has joined recently, Manchester City wish to renew his contract at the earliest possible so as to stave off the interest from Real Madrid.

Today, Wednesday, Spanish press reports blew up a surprise about Barcelona’s management receiving a strong shock during its attempts to sign Spanish star Martin Zubimende, Real Sociedad midfielder, one of the most important goals of the Catalan club in the coming period.

According to the newspaper “Mundo Deportivo”, Zubemendi’s contract with Real Sociedad continues until 2025, but there is a desire by the Basque club to extend the contract until 2027.

Therefore, the agreement is very close, between the management of Real Sociedad and the young Spanish midfielder, and it remains only to determine the value of the penalty clause.

Zubimendi, for his part, was keen to ask for a penalty clause of 60 million euros, which is not lifted from that, while his club wants to raise it to 90 million euros.

And it is expected that the penalty clause in Zubemendi’s contract be suspended on the value of his salary in Sociedad, as the player wants to get the highest salary in the white and blue team, especially after the departure of the Swedish Alexander Isaacs for Newcastle United.

And the Swedish international Isaac left Sociedad, in the last hours of the last summer transfer market, after paying the penalty clause in his contract, which amounted to 70 million euros.

The Barcelona administration aims to sign a Real Sociedad midfielder next summer, 2023, after the departure of Sergio Busquets at the end of his contract.