Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona captain Carles Puyol (30) is a major AC Milan summer target (read more here). The Italian club wants to rebuild the squad and thinks that Puyol could be 'the new Maldini'. Milan president Adriano Galliani, who has an excellent personal relationship with Puyol, is a known admirer of the Catalan defender.
Milan does not want to wait much longer to make a bid, since some other clubs are monitoring the situation of Puyol. The paper claims that Manchester United could be willing to offer Manchester United central defender Gerard Piqué (21) plus an amount of money for the Spanish international.
The Barcelona board would not immediately reject an offer coming in for Puyol since a squad reshuffle is planned and this could be the last big opportunity to get an important transfer fee for the player.
Puyol has expressed in the past that he prefers to retire playing for Barcelona but does not plan to stay at any cost if the club would ask him to go. Milan has always been his preferred destination in case of having to leave.
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Seems to me that Man U's offer is better. Bringing back Pique and getting a few euros in return. Personaly I would only let Puyol go if I was to get back a player in return. At this stage of his career I don't believe you are bound to get much for him, (in terms of straight out cash) and with a chance to get an up and coming player plus some extra cash I would do it. As much as I admire what Puyol has meant to the team and the city of Barcelona I think he's pretty much "done for" and the entire backfield needs a complete reshuffling and an injection of youth.
I think he is a great defender who in his formative years did not have the opportunity to have a robust and competent partner a t the heart of the barcelona defense. I think he is used to covering for a partner like abelardo who was too slow.. or olegeur who lost concentration sometimes or marquez who was sometimes slow in anticipating situations and often injured, or thuram who was very slow . I think as a central defender in barcas backline he is done for, he is still an excllent defender and I think he has two or three good years left in him but unless we bring in someone he can build chemistry with right away.. then I dont think it will work. I would like to see a pique puyol partnership.. Pique wont have to do much settling in in barcelona and him and puyol can work on their defensive partnership.
I would prefer to see two central defenders come in both with the talent to be as good as or better than puyol. Its not too hard to find this type of player. Pique fits the bill certainly.. maybe ezequiel Garay ( even if he is not quite as talented he would make a nice back-up).
The other issue is... where are the central defedners form the cantera....????? enough with the xavi's and iniestas ( really thats all we seem to produce) time for some more puyols and nadal's
no one can even think of puyol being sold he is symbol of our club...if guardiola wants to sell him (which is an impossibility) i just dont know how to respond tats all...he is our LION
Well if Puyol stays where's he going to play? If we are to assume that Alves becomes the new right back and Abidal is at left back that only leaves the centre back position open and as "marc" so expertly explained Puyol CANNOT play that role anymore. Moreso now, because Alves is not your "traditional" right back. He's going to try to make runs and create breaks down the right wing. Which would put even MORE pressure on Puyol to stay behind and defend on counters. If I was in the market for a "true" centre back my #1 choice would be Philippe Mexes with Garay probably my backup option. If I was in the market for a "combo" central defender/defensive midfielder my top three choices would be Essien, Mascherano or Veloso. Any of these players would fit in well with Barca's "attack" minded system. All three can play forward in a central role if need be, and fall back behind Xavi when needed. Look, personaly speaking I would rather give Puyol the opportunity to continue his career AS A STARTER somewhere else, than have him suffer the "indignity" of becoming a bench player for Barcelona. He will ALWAYS remain an iconic figure for the club, no matter what! But at some point you have to do what's best for the club.
Good point on the central defenders of the cantera, although Oleguer came through (not world class but he was a regular when we won two leagues and played the best football the world has already seen this century.
There was Rodri, there was Olmo, there was/is Valiente who all seemed to be close but didn't get there. We miust at least be able to produce someone who would do as good as Thuram (costing nothing in transfer fee and far less in salary).
To me it's all a product of the system!Barca's phylosophy is to produce "creative, offensive oriented,attack minded" players among the youth ranks. I'm pretty sure most of the Barca youth academies place more emphasis on "technique",(i.e. dribbling, passing, crosses, etc.) than they do on the defensive aspect of the game. Barca's phylosophy has always been to play "keep away" (passing and dribblig amongst themselves) than "challenge" the opponent by "aggresively" going after the ball! To me its much like Brazilian football. Players coming up through the ranks are supposed to exhibit "flair and finesse" instead of tackling and "aggresiveness". That is just not the makeup of Barcelona. That's why you WON'T see anyone with the attributes of say, a Gattuso (rugged,determined)coming up anytime soon through the youth ranks.
Hmm... Busquets comes to mind, Anonymous. He is the only one I see with the Gattuso mold, and I doubt there would be any other from the youth academy for a while.
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