Di Maria on the list but not a priority

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona is interested in Benfica left winger and Argentinian international Angel Di María (21) but that the player isn't a priority at this moment.

Although Barcelona tried to include a first option on Di María in the negotiations on the loan of Barcelona player Keirrison (read more here), the club wouldn't have the intention of executing the option immediately because signing a left winger isn't the main target for now. Benfica also wouldn't be willing to let the player leave this summer.

Read more:
Di Maria and Arshavin will be monitored
Keirrison officially presented as Benfica player
Possible first option on two Benfica players


Watch a video of Di María here:

Possible first option on two Benfica players

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona is interested in Benfica left winger and Argentinian international Angel Di María (21 - picture) and Benfica central defender David Luiz (22).

Based upon Portuguese sources, the paper reports that Barcelona might have found an agreement with Benfica on a first option to buy the two players. Although Benfica is not planning to sell the Argentinian and the Brazilian this summer, this could change if a good offer comes in.

The deal would be part of the loan of Barcelona player Keirrison to Benfica, that would also pay the full salary of the Brazilian striker (read more here).

Read more:
Barcelona interested in Di Maria
Ex-Barça: Saviola to Benfica
Keirrison officially presented as Benfica player

Keirrison officially presented as Benfica player

Barcelona player Keirrison (20) has yesterday evening been presented as new player of Benfica. The Brazilian striker joins the Portuguese club on loan for one season, with an option for a second year. Keirrison will wear the number 11.

Read more:
OFFICIAL: Keirrison to Benfica on loan

OFFICIAL: Keirrison to Benfica on loan

Benfica has today officially announced the transfer of Barcelona player Keirrison (20).

Keirrison will join the Portuguese club on a one-year loan, with an option for a second loan year.


Read more:
OFFICIAL: Keirrison
OFFICIAL: Eto'o to Inter Milan
OFFICIAL: Ibrahimovic

Monaco and Sporting join Keirrison loan race

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that more and more clubs want to sign Barcelona forward Keirrison (20) on loan.

The Brazilian striker and his agents would now want to take some time to more profoundly study the options that are on the table and to decide calmly where Keirrison will play next season.

The entourage of the player would have informed the paper that at this moment French league club Monaco has shown to be the most interested. The club would already have asked Barcelona the permission to start negotiations on the transfer and talks would be ongoing. There would also be contacts with Portuguese clubs Benfica and Sporting. Dutch club Ajax would also be among the candidates.

Portuguese champions Porto, who were also linked with the striker after declarations by one of his agents (read more here), meanwhile denied the interest in a statement on their official website saying that they are not at all interested in Keirrison.

Asked about the destination of Keirrison, Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain told the club's official media yesterday after the signing of the player's five-year contract that the club will soon make a decision: "There are a lot of clubs interested, now we have to make the right choice and make sure he can develop well so he can return to Barça."

Read more:
Porto, Ajax and Germany also options for Keirrison
OFFICIAL: Keirrison
Roma also interested in Keirrison loan

Porto, Ajax and Germany also options for Keirrison

Brazilian sports site Globo Esporte claims that the agents of Barcelona forward Keirrison (20) are analyzing the last offers for the player.

The Malaquias brothers would travel today to Portugal to start negotiating with Portuguese champions Porto. They could also meet with officials of Benfica, that would also be interested.

Asked about the upcoming loan, agent Marcos Malaquias said in an interview with the site that a decision can be expected at the beginning of next week: "Porto and Ajax have the best chances at this moment but nothing has been decided yet. There's a lot of talk here in Spain that Benfica would already have signed him, but there's no truth in that. After Barça made public that he will leave on loan, a lot of clubs have shown interest. We'll make a decision on Monday or Tuesday."

Portuguese sports paper O Jogo meanwhile claims that Benfica is no longer interested in Keirrison. Asked about the rumours, agent Naor Malaquias nevertheless told the paper that the Portuguese club is still among the candidates: "Benfica is one of the potential candidates to sign the player, like are Roma, Ajax and a German club."

Read more:
Roma also interested in Keirrison loan
OFFICIAL: Keirrison
Benfica to loan Keirrison

Benfica to loan Keirrison

Catalan sports papers El Mundo Deportivo and Sport have both reported that Barcelona striker Keirrison (20) will spend next season on loan at Benfica of the Portugese Liga Sagres.

Keirrison arrived in Barcelona earlier today to sign a 5 year deal with Barcelona after transferring from Brazilian club Palmeiras (read more here).

Read more:
Keirrison has arrived in Barcelona
OFFICIAL: Keirrison

Keirrison will arrive in Barcelona today

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Palmeiras forward Keirrison (20) will arrive today in Barcelona to sign his contract.

It is expected that the club where the Brazilian striker will play on loan next season will also be revealed today. The paper claims that Portuguese club Benfica could be the destination of Keirrison.

Read more:
Barcelona looking for a club for Keirrison
Guardiola about the incoming transfers

Ex-Barça: Saviola to Benfica

Portuguese club Benfica has officially announced the transfer of former Barcelona forward Javier Saviola (27).

The Argentinian striker will sign a three-year contract with an option for another year at Benfica, who will pay 5 million euro for the transfer. Real Madrid has offically confirmed the transfer.

Javier Saviola joined Barcelona in the summer of 2001, arriving from Argentinian club River Plate. During the 2004-2005 season, he played on loan at Monaco, the next season at Sevilla. He left Barcelona on a free transfer in 2007 and joined Real Madrid.

Read more:
Transfer history: Saviola
Ex-Barça: Cruyff to Valletta
Ex-Barça: Rijkaard to Galatasary

Di Maria plans to stay until the end of the season

Asked about the rumours linking him with a move to several European top clubs, amongst which Barcelona (read more here), Benfica left winger and Argentinian international Angel Di María (20) has said to Spanish football weekly paper Don Balón that he plans to stay in Portugal for at least one more year:

"Of course, you read the papers and you see which clubs are interested in you but I try to keep my feet on the ground and my head cool. With the transfers of Aimar and Reyes this summer, I'm very motivated and I would like to stay one more season with Benfica."

Read more:

Di Maria and Arshavin will be monitored

Ribery was on top of Guardiola's wish list

Barcelona interested in Di Maria

Di Maria and Arshavin will be monitored

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona will be closely monitoring the situation of Benfica left winger and Argentinian international Angel Di María (20 - picture, on the right) and Zenit Saint-Petersburg forward and Russian international Andrei Arshavin (27).

Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola is aware that his squad lacks a left winger and if he cannot solve this problem with the current players, Barcelona will probably sign a player for that position during the January transfer window.

That's the reason why Barcelona will follow the performances of Di María, who would have the advantage that he will still be able to participate in the Champions League next year, and Arshavin over the coming months. Boca Juniors forward and Argentinian international Rodrigo Palacio (26) would be a third option.

Read more:

Barcelona interested in Di Maria

Five players on left wing short list

Arshavin confirms Barcelona offer

Five players on left wing short list

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona is handling a five-name short list in their search for a left wing attacker.

The list includes the following players: Andrei Arshavin (27 - Zenit Saint-Petersburg), Angel Di María (20 - Benfica), Rodrigo Palacio (26 - Boca Juniors - picture), Ricardo Noir (21 - Boca Juniors) and Diego Capel (20 - Sevilla).

While Barcelona officials could meet with Zenit officials in Monaco later this week, Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain likes the Palacio option a lot. Capel wouldn't be the player Guardiola is looking for.

Like Begiristain (read more here), Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola said at a press conference yesterday that, although he's not worried about the current squad, the club is still searching the market ready to act.

El Mundo Deportivo claims that the board is divided on whether or not buying a left winger in the coming days. A part of the board thinks that a new transfer isn't necessary and prefers that the staff uses the Barcelona Atlètic players if needed.

Read more:

Arshavin confirms Barcelona offer

Barcelona interested in Di Maria

Pre-agreement on Palacio transfer put on hold

Talks on Boca Junior striker Noir

Sevilla president thinks Capel transfer unlikely

Barcelona interested in Di Maria

Portuguese sports paper A Bola claims that Barcelona is amongst the European top clubs who already were following Benfica left winger and Argentinian international Angel Di María (20) before the Beijing Games. Di María scored yesterday the winning goal in the final of the Olympic tournament.

Benfica, who signed the player only one year ago, is not willing to sell the player. The Portuguese club is preparing a renewal offer and will only let Di María leave if his buyout of 30 million euro° is paid.

Di María told Portuguese news agency Lusa yesterday that he's calm about all the latest transfer speculation and that Benfica will decide on his future.

See Di María in action here

Ex-Barça: Geovanni to Hull City

Former Barcelona attacker Geovanni (28) signed yesterday a two-year deal with English Premier League club Hull City. The Brazilian player arrives on a free transfer since he was released from Manchester City earlier this week.

In an interview with the club's official website, Hull City manager Phil Brown said that he was delighted with the transfer: "The first time I watched Geovanni play was when he was at Barcelona in a game against Liverpool at Anfield. I've only just spoken to him about that particular match, which also featured the likes of Patrick Kluivert, Rivaldo and Luis Enrique. And to have someone from that fixture now playing for Hull City is a testament to just how far we've come as a club. I think it's a tremendous coup for the football club to have him on board."

Arriving from Brazilian club Cruzeiro, Geovanni joined Barcelona in the summer of 2001 in a deal worth 18 million euro. After one and a half year, he was loaned out to Portuguese club Benfica in the January transfer window of the 2002-2003 season. In the summer of 2003, Giovani was permanently transferred to Benfica.

Read more:
Ex-Barça: Fernando Navarro
Ex-Barça: Ruud Hesp
Ex-Barça: Fabio Rochemback

What's next for Rijkaard?

Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard (45) reacted for the first time to his dismissal earlier this week at a press conference yesterday and he did it with class, taking his part of the blame, not accusing anyone and concluding: "It has been an honour."

In an open letter in the official club magazine Barça Camp Nou the Dutchman today says goodbye to the fans, thanking them and the club for the support and wishing his successor all the best.

The future of Rijkaard is at this moment not clear and he didn't want to enter the question yesterday. Briefly linked with the Mexican national team (read more here), the English press is now putting his name forward as possible successor of Manchester City manager Sven-Göran Eriksson (read more here) or Chelsea manager Avram Grant (read more here).

Chelsea owner and Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich is said to be an admirer of Rijkaard and would dream of teaming him up with his former assistant Henk ten Cate. Chelsea chief scout Frank Arnesen is a close friend of Rijkaard.

Catalan sports paper Sport, who reports that Portuguese top club Benfica is also interested, claims that Rijkaard is seriously considering not to accept any of the offers he will receive but to take a sabbatical year. The Dutch manager would keep his residence in Barcelona and would spend his time watching a lot of football games and travelling, far from the daily media pressure.

pep's opinion:

it will be interesting to see where his career is going from here. wherever rijkaard will end up: if you can survive five years in Barcelona, you can survive anything anywhere. he made decisive mistakes over the last fifteen months, but i think it won't last long before we start to miss him.