TheNewsGuru

Tag: Barca

  • Transfer: Adama Traore agrees Barca deal

    Transfer: Adama Traore agrees Barca deal

    Wolves attacker Adama Traore is closer to returning to Barcelona.

    Traore has been offered to Barca by his agent Jorge Mendes and Sport says an agreement now exists.

    The winger is willing to move to Barca this summer, though a deal could be brought forward in the coming days should the Catalans sell Ousmane Dembele.

    Traore was in Barcelona at the beginning of January to speak with Blaugrana directors and there was a summit in which he formally expressed his desire to return.

    Along with Barca, Tottenham are also pushing to sign the Spain international this month.

  • Dembele hits out at Barca over exit talk

    Dembele hits out at Barca over exit talk

    Ousmane Dembele has hit back at Barcelona after Thursday’s declaration by sporting director Mateu Alemany that he must leave.

    Barca have declared they will sell Dembele after he refused to sign a new contract this month. The Frenchman also won’t be considered for selection.

    “For four years gossip about me has been built up, there have been shameful lies about me for the sole purpose of harming me,” Dembele detailed in a social media post.

    “I have never responded, but today it’s over.

    “I am going to answer without giving in to any kind of blackmail, I dismiss anyone who thinks that I’m not committed to the sporting project, I’m still under contract and I’m fully involved and at the disposal of my coach, I’m not a man who gives in to blackmail.”

    Dembele is being linked with a move to England, where Manchester United and Newcastle United are in contact.

  • Xavi issues strong warning to Memphis Depay

    Xavi issues strong warning to Memphis Depay

    Barcelona coach Xavi has warned Memphis Depay he faces a battle for his place ahead of their Supercopa de Espana semi-final against Real Madrid.

    With Ansu and Ferran only just coming back from injuries, Memphis is one of the attackers likely to fill the three spots after returning from an injury of his own against Granada at the weekend, but Xavi left some doubts about that in his press conference on Tuesday.

    “He’s as important as the rest,” Xavi said. “At the end of the day, (the team is picked) on merit. There’s a lot of competition. Luckily, we have a squad with a lot of the first team available now and the competition starts for everyone.”

    The coach insisted that there is no hierarchy in that sense: “It’s a meritocracy and those that earn it will play. That’s how it’s always been for me. The best player will play regardless of their name. That way things will go well.”

  • Barca striker Braithwaite sets new target for 2022

    Barca striker Braithwaite sets new target for 2022

    Barcelona striker Martin Braithwaite has set himself a new target for 2022.

    Braithwaite has always been positive and optimistic on social media. The latest example came on Thursday when the Barcelona striker published an ambitious tweet.

    “Looking at my objectives for 2022,” he said. “A small personal goal is: Scoring a hat trick for FC Barcelona and the danish national team. And why not multiple! Let’s go.”

    Braithwaite is currently out injured after undergoing surgery on Sept. 16 but isn’t too far away from a return to first-team football for Xavi Hernandez’s side.

    Barça hope the Denmark international, signed from Leganes in 2020, could be back in action in January.

    “I am like a machine that every 10 years needs an update,” he said recently. “It’s only an injury, just something like a software update.”

  • Morocco coach blasts Barca over AFCON tournament

    Morocco coach blasts Barca over AFCON tournament

    Morocco coach Vahid Halilhodzic has hit out at Barcelona over the handling of the Ez Abde situation.

    Before it broke that Abde was prepared to commit to Spain over Morocco, Halilhodzic spoke of the controversy yesterday.

    He said, “Barça is being the problem, they do not respect enough the African Cup of Nations.

    “They, as well as the big European clubs and FIFA do not respect the tournament enough.”

    Halihodzic also said: “Abde never rejected the national team and I am convinced that he will appear for the squad next Monday, January 3. We are counting on him because we need him.”

  • Barca midfielder eager to make Arsenal move

    Barca midfielder eager to make Arsenal move

    Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho is keen to join Arsenal next month.

    Coutinho, 29, has been linked with a host of English clubs after falling out of favour at the Nou Camp. New Barca boss Xavi has informed the Brazilian that he can expect limited minutes under his stewardship.

    Arsenal, Everton, Tottenham and Newcastle have been alerted to Coutinho’s decline at Barcelona and are all reportedly keeping tabs on the former Liverpool star.

    Sport says Coutinho is leaning towards a switch to north London in January, with Mikel Arteta’s Gunners said to match both his ambitions and wage demands.

    Coutinho is aware that he would need to climb down from his staggering £200,000-per-week wage to seal a Nou Camp exit, but wants a destination that meets his goals on the pitch.

  • How Barca overcame La Liga cash controls to sign Torres

    How Barca overcame La Liga cash controls to sign Torres

    Barcelona have the cash available to close their deal for Manchester City attacker Ferran Torres.

    Marca says given the Catalan club’s precarious financial situation, many are wondering how they will manage to afford this operation.

    The first thing to point out is that Barcelona do have the money. Their problem isn’t about a lack of cash, especially after recently securing more credit.

    LaLiga’s economic control rules have been the problem for Barcelona, with the league setting a spending limit for every club based on their present circumstances.

    Barcelona had very little margin for spending when it came to their LaLiga, but they have started to free up extra room.

    Firstly, Sergio Aguero has retired and the fact that Dani Alves is taking a salary of just 100,000 euros means that there is extra room, because the Argentine was earning far more than that.

    Next, Yusuf Demir is set to leave the club. While he wasn’t on big wages, this does free up more space for Barcelona to work with.

    Then there are two other factors, with Barcelona working with new sponsors to inject new income to the institution, which will also push their LaLiga spending limit upwards.

    Then, finally, there’s the fact that Torres’ contract won’t be too heavy on Barcelona’s books. He knows he can’t expect huge wages at the start of his contract, while the amortisation of the transfer fee would be around 55m euros over five seasons, so approximately 5.5m euros for the six months of this season.

  • Barca preparing retirement ceremony for Aguero

    Barca preparing retirement ceremony for Aguero

    Barcelona striker Sergio Aguero is set to announce his retirement, it has been claimed.

    The summer signing from Manchester City has been sidelined since suffering a heart scare earlier this season.

    Local reporter Emilio Pérez de Rozas told Radio Marca: “On Wednesday there is an event where he announces that he is retiring from football. It seems to me that it was a few weeks ago, the journalist Gerard Romero said it, Rafa Yuste, before the game against Espanyol, denied it to Mónica Marchante and said that there are still a few months left for the doctors to decide.

    “But, according to my information, FC Barcelona has prepared a farewell for him.”

  • Xavi is running out of credit at Barca – Suarez

    Xavi is running out of credit at Barca – Suarez

    Former Barcelona striker Luis Suarez says coach Xavi will soon be questioned.

    Barca again dropped points yesterday with a 2-2 draw at Osasuna.

    Afterwards, Luisito said: “I have great respect for Xavi, but we are waiting for Xavi to give the team a look.

    “We want to know what this team plays for. We have been asking ourselves for several games. I have great respect for Xavi.

    “He will end up running out of credit. Like all coaches…”

  • Xavi frustrated with Barca draw: Youngsters can be a negative

    Xavi frustrated with Barca draw: Youngsters can be a negative

    Barcelona coach Xavi was left frustrated after their 2-2 draw with Osasuna.

    Gavi, Nico and Abde were all exceptional in the match, by far the Cules’ best performers, yet this left the coach frustrated at how little his senior stars contributed in comparison.

    “Abde, Gavi and Nico were extraordinary, they are propping up the team in difficult moments,” Xavi declared in his post-match press conference.

    “The youngsters are making a difference and that is difficult to digest.

    “It’s positive and negative because they won’t always be able to perform excellent because they are young.

    “They can’t be the props, other players have to work. We all have to demand more from each other.”

    When quizzed on the result, the former Al-Sadd coach was quick to make clear his distaste.

    “The point is insufficient, we’re left with a bad taste,” he said.

    “We competed well at 2-1. We had to keep the ball, but couldn’t succeed.

    “We haven’t been calm, nor did we manage to dominate the ball, as they penned us in and we suffered.

    “The equaliser comes from a set piece. They live on that strategy. It is very difficult for us to defend in the area and this can’t be. There are so many things to improve.”