Last summer's search for a striker

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that, after deciding that they wouldn't count on Samuel Eto'o for the next season, Barcelona started looking earlier this year for the best possible successor.

Barcelona's technical staff started with a list of 15 to 20 players, on which Barcelona had detailled reports. In a first shifting, several names were deleted from the list, among which Ajax forward Huntelaar (25), who didn't get the full support of Joahn Cruijff.

The first choice of Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain was Lyon forward Karim Benzema (20), who soon appeared not to be for sale despite Barcelona being willing to make a bid of 40 million euro°. Barcelona then started working on the transfers of Arsenal forward Adebayor (24) and Tottenham forward Berbatov (27).

Because of the unclear plans of Mourinho at Inter and the uncertainty surrounding Drogba leaving Chelsea or Cristiano Ronaldo joining Real Madrid, the market didn't move between May and July. Barcelona tried to force a deal by offering Eto'o in swap deals with Adebayor and with Inter forward Ibrahimovich (27), but no club was willing to accept Eto'o's salary demands.

Although other names - like Stuttgart forward Gómez (23) and Bayern forward Luca Toni (31) - were discussed, it was in the end decided that Eto'o would stay with the club and that no transfer would be made.

Read more:
Barcelona working on Benzema transfer
Berbatov alternative for Adebayor
Meeting with Inter president on Ibrahimovich

Case closed: Berbatov

Tottenham forward and Bulgarian international Dimitar Berbatov (27) will not play for Barcelona as of this season, like had been rumoured over the last months (read more here).

Manchester United has yesterday officially announced the transfer of Berbatov. The statement on the club's official website reads as follows: "Manchester United are delighted to announce the signing of Dimitar Berbatov. The Bulgarian international striker, 27, has signed a four-year contract after joining from Tottenham Hotspur for an undisclosed fee. As part of the deal, United striker Fraizer Campbell will spend the rest of the 2008/09 season on loan at White Hart Lane."

Tottenham officially confirmed the news earlier today: "The Club can announce that it has reached agreement with Manchester United for the permanent transfer of Dimitar Berbatov for a fee of [37,8 million euro°]. As part of the settlement the Club has agreed not to pursue its official complaint to the Premier League. The deal sees Fraizer Campbell coming the other way on a season long loan."

Read more:

Case closed: Adebayor
Case closed: Guiza

Case closed: Pavlyuchenko

Read the complete Berbatov-linked-with-Barcelona story

News of the day - Friday

(This post will be updated throughout the day.)



Txiki and Guardiola will meet today to decide if Barcelona will go after a left wing attacker with Arshavin, Palacio and Capel being the options that could be activated (Sport)
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Txiki and Guardiola keep looking at the market trying to bring in a left wing attacker with Arshavin now being the priority (El Mundo Deportivo)
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Capel is the number two on the list and Neves -who has been scouted in China this week- and Palacio are the other options (El Mundo Deportivo)
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Arshavin and Palacio are the two options, although Barcelona isn't desperate to sign another player and won't pay excessive fees (Marca)
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Guardiola says that, although he has faith in the guys, the squad could be a little short at this moment and that they're following a lot of interesting players, one of them being Arshavin (press conference)

A Zenit Saint-Petersburg official confirms that the club has lowered its asking price for Arshavin in the transfer negotiations with Tottenham (Sovietski Sport)
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Through a Brazilian agent Barcelona has shown interest in Cruzeiro left winger Wagner Ferreira dos Santos (23), who should cost 10 million euro (Sport - unconfirmed)
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Silva says Valencia has always been his first option but he thanks Barcelona for the interest they've shown in him (Canal 9)

Barcelona has told Tottenham that they are ready to make a move for Berbatov and Tottenham would rather sell the striker to Barcelona for a reduced fee than letting him join Manchester United (The Sun)
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Guardiola says that the players from the B team will in principle return to Barcelona Atlètic although the staff will look at it case-by-case, loan deals are almost excluded (press conference)

Effren Suárez, father and agent of Jeffren, says that Barcelona still hasn't decided if the player will stay with the first team but that the decision will be taken in the coming days, if he doesn't continue a loan deal is an option, although Barcelona prefers not to loan him out to a Primera Division or a foreign team (Equipo)
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Pedro says he considers himself a Barcelona Atlètic player until he's been told the opposite, if he had to leave the first team he would join the B team with the will to work hard to get another chance (El Mundo Deportivo - Sport)
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News of the day - Sunday

This post will be updated throughout the day.



Guardiola has spoken with Eto'o and the positive outcome will be officially announced soon (Mundo Deportivo)
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After positive talks over the last days between Barcelona officials and Eto'o and his entourage it's almost certain the player will stay, a face to face meeting between Guardiola and Eto'o should be the last stage before the final decision, Eto'o could give a press conference on Monday (Sport)
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Txiki spoke yesterday with Eto'o but the final decision on the player staying will be made by Guardiola after meeting with Eto'o (Marca)
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Barcelona could launch this week an Eto'o-plus-cash bid for Berbatov who has told friends he prefers to move to Spain (The People)
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With the Berbatov deal almost certainly off, Manchester United will launch a 25 million euro bid for Thierry Henry next week (Mail on Sunday)
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If Silva and Valencia don't find an agreement on a renewal next week the player wants to leave only for Barcelona, rumours about foreign clubs are seen as attempts by Valencia to get a higer fee (Sport)
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Arsenal is again interested in Yaya Touré (News of the World)
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Pedro wants to stay with Barcelona, even if that would mean that he has to return to Barcelona Atlètic (Sport)
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Jeffren wants to leave on a one-year loan for a first division team or for an ambitious second division team like Zaragoza or Levante (Sport)
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Effren Suárez, Jeffren's father and agent, says that Barcelona will decide on Tuesday or Wednesday if his son will stay with the first team, he says that there's 75 per cent chance he will stay with the first team, he confirms that Zaragoza is interested in the player but that he only spoke with Levante so far, Barcelona would only accept a loan deal without an option to buy, the player has a buyout clause of 10 million euro (Equipo)
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Tottenham manager denies Eto'o and Berbatov

Asked about the rumours linking Barcelona forward and Cameroonian international Samuel Eto'o (27) with a move to his club (read more here), Tottenham manager Juande Ramos has said in an interview with Catalan sports paper Sport that the striker is not an option for his club:

"I can only say that at this point I don't know anything about that. We have a list of forwards we're interested in and that's the one we're working on, which is not the one composed by journalists and agents."

About the rumours linking Tottenham forward and Bulgarian international Dimitar Berbatov (27) with Barcelona (read more here), Ramos said that he's unaware of that also: "No one of Barcelona has asked me anything about Berbatov. I'm not aware of any talks or negotiations. I only know the things that have been reported in the press. I don't know if Berbatov will stay with us or not. We're waiting to see what will happen."

Read more:

Barcelona still interested in Berbatov

Tottenham, Chelsea and Inter looking at Eto'o

Who has the money to buy Eto'o?

Barcelona still interested in Berbatov

British tabloid The Daily Express claims that Barcelona is still interested in signing Tottenham forward and Bulgarian international Dimitar Berbatov (27).

Barcelona thinks that the good relationship they built up with Tottenham during the negotiations that saw Giovani dos Santos move to the English Premier League earlier this summer will work to their advantage.

It is believed that Tottenham would be prepared to accept an offer of around 30 million euro° in order to sell Berbatov abroad, rather than accepting a Manchester United bid.

Read more:

Berbatov prefers Barcelona

Txiki on Eto'o, Benzema, Henry and other strikers

Looking for a left winger and a centre forward

Berbatov prefers Barcelona

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Tottenham forward and Bulgarian international Dimitar Berbatov (27) is a real option for Barcelona and that there has been made a new contact after it became clear that Adebayor and Drogba are most probably off the market.

Barcelona would have held last month the first talks with both Tottenham and the player. Because Barcelona didn't want to enter a bid race with Manchester United, Berbatov was asked about his position. The striker would have said that he prefers to leave for Barcelona rather than joining Manchester United.

The paper claims that Barcelona will make an offer of around 25 million euro°, that will in no case will be raised to more than 30 million euro°, while Tottenham has asked Manchester United a fee of 35 million euro°. After the deal on Giovani dos Santos (read more here), the relations between Tottenham and Barcelona are nevertheless excellent.

Read more:
Berbatov, the last striker standing
Txiki on Eto'o, Benzema, Henry and other strikers
Adebayor one of the candidates to replace Eto'o

Berbatov, the last striker standing

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Tottenham forward and Bulgarian international Dimitar Berbatov (27) is the last name on the list of possible centre forwards whose transfer still looks possible.

With other candidates like Benzema, Adebayor and Drogba having dropped off the list during the last weeks, Berbatov seems the only chance left for Barcelona if they want to sell Eto'o and buy a new striker this summer.

Berbatov would have a lot of the qualities Guardiola is looking for in a centre forward: he can play with his back to the goal, he has an excellent technique, he's tactically strong, he has a good last pass, his personality will make him adapt quickly to the group and he's a team player.

Tottenham would ask between 25 and 30 million euro° for Berbatov, who is also wanted by Champions League winners and English champions Manchester United.

Read more:
Tottenham willing to sell Berbatov to Barcelona
Drogba, Adebayor or Berbatov
Txiki on Eto'o, Benzema, Henry and other strikers

Txiki on Eto'o, Benzema, Henry and other strikers

In an interview with Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain explained the situation of centre forward Eto'o.

Will Samuel Eto'o leave?
That exclusively depends on him. We agreed that he has to present us a concrete offer and till this moment that has not happened.

Some club has made an offer directly to Barcelona?
No. There were some agents and intermediaries who claimed to speak on behalf of certain clubs but no club has asked to negotiate directly with Barcelona.

Why?
I suppose because they have understood that the demands of the player are very high. I don't know, you should ask that to Eto'o.

And now what?
The situation remains the same like stated before by Guardiola. The player trains with the group and is one of the guys. And we have to admit he's working very well, like he always does. He takes it very seriously and he is playing at a high level. He is showing a model behaviour. And we plan to continue like that.

Will you put him on the list for the Champions League qualifying round?
The idea is to do that, but we'll wait until the last moment to see if he will play or not. If he doesn't play and he leaves, the UEFA rules state that we will be able to replace him by another player. We have to think carefully cause for him it would also be better not to play since if he does, he won't be able to play in the Champions League for another club this season. If it's not absolutely necessary, I think he will not play. I hope his situation will be sorted out as soon as possible, whatever the outcome is. It won't be a drama if Samu stays with us, on the contrary, but it seems that he wishes to leave. We'll see what happens.

Will there be a transfer if he leaves?
Yes, most definitely yes. And if Samuel stays, there won't be one. Guardiola doesn't want to have four centre forwards. With Henry and Bojan plus Eto'o or someone else, that's enough.

Will it be a star striker or a player like Cruz or Crespo?
The market is very limited, there are no interesting centre forwards available. We like several players but their clubs don't want to sell them whatever the price. We're all waiting for some domino-effect regarding the transfers but nobody is making the first move and every day that goes by there's less time to transfer.

Benzema is still the impossible dream?
Yes. It's not a secret that we have made several attempts but this season it's just not an option.

Why?
Because the player himself has decided to continue in Lyon. It's a personal decision and it's not true that Lyon president Aulas or the team have forbidden him to go. They have made a decision together and we can only hope it will be different in the future.

You expect him one day to be part of Barcelona?
Yes, because the player will decide in the end and we have a very good relationship with him and with his club. We will monitor his situation very closely and make sure that nothing changes his wish to play for Barcelona one day.

How about Henry?
I have personally talked with him. It's just like we have transferred him again. He seems very motivated with the new project, the new manager, the new transfers.

Are you serious here?
Of course I am. Physically he's very good and that's very important for him after a season he wasn't lucky with injuries. He gave me a good impression in Scotland and I hope he continues like that in the United States. Henry will be a very important figure this year and he knows that. I think he likes that responsibility and that it gives him an extra motivation.

Will you have enough players who can score?
We've already seen that in the scheme of Guardiola the midfielders are more important in attack. Xavi plays somewhat higher up the pitch. I'm sure this season the midfielders and even the defenders will score more goals. In the set pieces, on which the team trains a lot, the central defenders will be much more present. The role of Márquez and Puyol is crucial in the whole defensive structure, in the pressure, in the building up and in the attacking.

But won't the team miss a real goalscorer if Eto'o leaves?
Yes and no. I already said we will replace Samuel if he leaves for another club, but I believe in Henry and in Bojan, who will have a bigger role and a lot of minutes with Guardiola. Bojan will be an important player and I repeat that Henry will meet the expectations.

Read more:
Barcelona proposes Eto'o-Benzema swap

Renewal offer for Bojan

Manchester United considering Henry bid

Drogba, Adebayor or Berbatov

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona isn't hurrying while looking for a new centre forward. The main reason is that Barcelona isn't willing to pay the amounts of money that could be involved.

While the club is still doubting on whether or not to start pushing hard for a 30 year old player like Drogba who has been injured during last season and whose club isn't willing to let the player go, Barcelona isn't even thinking about paying the transfer fee Arsenal is asking for Adebayor.

And even with Tottenham dropping the price to prevent the player from leaving for Manchester United (read more here), the transfer fee for Berbatov still seems too much.

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that this weekend could be decisive for the transfer of Drogba since the ten-days period in which he would make a decision about his future are coming to an end (read more here). The player would prefer to join Barcelona this summer.

British tabloid The Sun meanwhile claimed this week that Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola is not happy with the massive wage demands of Adebayor and with the attitude of his advisors. That would be the reason why Barcelona will not pay the 47 million euro° asking price for the Togolese striker.

Asked by journalists about the rumours linking Drogba and Adebayor with a summer move to Barcelona, Guardiola today refused to rule out making offers for both players: "Barcelona are always interested in good players. Those players are interesting but so are many others in Europe."

Read more:

Looking for a left winger and a centre forward

Drogba wants to move to Barcelona

Tottenham willing to sell Berbatov to Barcelona

Tottenham willing to sell Berbatov to Barcelona

With Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola being a keen admirer of the striker, British tabloid The Sun claims that Barcelona is ready to move for Tottenham forward and Bulgarian international Dimitar Berbatov (27) once Samuel Eto'o has left the club.

Tottenham would be willing to negotiate a transfer of Berbatov to Barcelona and is ready to let the player go for 30 million euro°, while initially asking 37,5 million euro° to Manchester United.

Tottenham prefers that Berbatov leaves for a club that doesn't participate in the English Premier League.

Read more:
Bid for Berbatov coming up
Looking for a left winger and a centre forward
Berbatov if Adebayor situation remains unclear

Looking for a left winger and a centre forward

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona is planning for two more transfers this summer: a left wing attacker and a centre forward. These are the transfer short lists for both positions (in order of preference):

Left winger
1. Robinho (Real Madrid - 24)
2. Arshavin (Zenit - 27)
3. Silva (Valencia - 22)

Centre forward
1. Adebayor (Arsenal - 24)
2. Drogba (Chelsea - 30)
3. Berbatov (Tottenham - 27)

Catalan sports paper Sport has today exactly the same centre forward short list.

Read more:
Looking for a centre forward
Looking for a left winger
The short list

Bid for Berbatov coming up

Madrid sports tabloid Marca claims that, with the negotiations on Adebayor having reached a dead point, Barcelona is now targetting Tottenham forward and Bulgarian international Dimitar Berbatov (27) (read more here).

Tottenham is aware that Berbatov wants to leave and is willing to listen to offers coming in for the Bulgarian striker. Barcelona would be preparing a 30 million euro° bid.

Berbatov, who is also wanted by English champions Manchester United, would have given his approval for Tottenham and Barcelona to start negotiating.

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Guardiola likes the Tottenham centre froward and that Berbatov is still one of the candidates on the list to replace Barcelona forward Samuel Eto'o.

Read more:

Berbatov if Adebayor situation remains unclear

Ronaldinho's transfer fee reinvested in Adebayor

Adebayor main centre forward option

Berbatov if Adebayor situation remains unclear

Madrid sports tabloid As claims that Bulgarian international Dimitar Berbatov (27) will become the top priority of Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain if the situation of Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor remains unclear next week (read more here).

The main problem for the Berbatov transfer would be the interest of Manchester United in the Bulgarian striker, although the advice of former Barcelona player Hristo Stoichkov could make his compatriot Berbatov choose for Barcelona (read more here). Tottenham would prefer to sell Berbatov to Barcelona instead of to Premier League rival Manchester United.

Read more:

Berbatov alternative for Adebayor

Looking for a centre forward

Barcelona is on Berbatov list

Berbatov alternative for Adebayor

Madrid sports tabloid As claims that the complicated negotiations with Arsenal on the transfer of Arsenal forward and Togo international Emmanuel Adebayor (24) have made Barcelona turn its attention again to Tottenham forward and Bulgarian international Dimitar Berbatov (27) (read more here).

The tabloid says that Barcelona is offering 20 million euro° for Adebayor while Arsenal is asking a transfer fee of 35 million euro°, a price that Barcelona will not and cannot pay. If Arsenal doesn't concede, Barcelona will focus on other players.

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona is planning to pay 30 million euro° for Adebayor but that Arsenal doesn't settle for that. A deal would nevertheless be close. Berbatov and Stuttgart forward and German international Mario Gómez (22) are the alternative options in case a deal fails.

The talks with the player would be well-advanced and Adebayor is waiting in his home country for the sign saying he can return to Europe and conclude the deal.

Read more:

Barcelona preparing bid for Berbatov

Giovani presented in Tottenham

Adebayor main centre forward option

Deal with Arsenal on Adebayor

Madrid sports tabloid Marca claims that Barcelona and Arsenal have closed a deal on the transfer of Arsenal forward and Togo international Emmanuel Adebayor (24).

With Barcelona initially offering 25 million euro and Arsenal asking 30 million, the transfer fee would in the end be 27 million euro°. Arsenal has asked Barcelona not to make the deal public until the club has found a substitute for Adebayor.

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that the negotiations with Arsenal are still ongoing with the highest discretion. Adebayor wants to join Barcelona and the pressure of the player on the English Premier League club could be decisive.

Adebayor would be the absolute favourite of new Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola. Tottenham forward Dimitar Berbatov and Stuttgart forward Mario Gómez would be the alternatives in case the transfer of Adebayor wouldn't go through.

Asked about the rumours linking him with a summer move to Barcelona, Adebayor didn't want to enter the issue in a telephone reaction to Catalan sports paper Sport, who claims Barcelona has made a final offer of 29 million euro: "I don't want to pronounce on anything regarding FC Barcelona. Maybe this could be needed later on, but for now it's not. It's better to wait."

Read more:
Adebayor main centre forward option
Hleb option falls back
Meeting with Inter president on Ibrahimovich

Adebayor main centre forward option

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Arsenal forward and Togo international Emmanuel Adebayor (24) is the Guardiola's first option to replace Samuel Eto'o as next season's centre forward (read more here).

The paper claims that sources close to the player say that the player would love to join Barcelona. The alternatives for Adebayor would be (in that order) Berbatov, Trezeguet and Gómez.

Italian newspaper La Gazetta dello Sport meanwhile claims that Barcelona is preparing a 30 million euro° bid for Adebayor.

Barcelona sports vice president Marc Ingla confirmed the talks with Arsenal on Adebayor during an interview with Catalan radio station Catalunya Ràdio.

Read more:

Talks with Arsenal on Adebayor-Hleb package deal

Looking for a centre forward

Adebayor new name on centre forward list

Barcelona preparing bid for Berbatov

British tabloid The Daily Mirror claims that Barcelona is preparing a 30 million euro° bid for Tottenham forward and Bulgarian international Dimitar Berbatov (27) (read more here).

Barcelona now appears to be the favourite to land Berbatov. The player is determined to leave Tottenham this summer and prefers a move to Spain. Barcelona hopes that their relationship with Tottenham after the Giovani dos Santos transfer may help to reach an agreement.

Former Barcelona player Hristo Stoichkov has recommended Barcelona to him and recommended at the same time Berbatov to his former team-mate and new Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola.

Tottenham doesn't want to lose their Berbatov but knows that he wants to leave and that it will be difficult to keep him. Athough the English Premier League club hopes to get the best deal possible, Tottenham would rather sell to a foreign club than to another English side and would therefore consider to reject a higher bid by Manchester United.

Read more:

Barcelona keeping an eye on Berbatov

Giovani presented in Tottenham

Barcelona is on Berbatov list

Meeting with Inter president on Ibrahimovich

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona president Joan Laporta and Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti met in a restaurant in Barcelona on Tuesday to talk about the transfer market.

While Inter forward and Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovich (26) would be Barcelona's first choice for the centre forward position, Inter seems interested in Barcelona midfielder Deco (30), Barcelona forward Samuel Eto'o (27) and Barcelona right wing attacker Giovani Dos Santos (19). It has been agreed that the parties while meet in the coming weeks and months on a regualr basis to discuss a solution that can be satisfactory for all parties.

Sport claims that the alternatives for Ibrahimovic are, in that order, Arsenal forward and Togo international Emmanuel Adebayor (24) and Tottenham forward and Bulgarian international Dimitar Berbatov (27) (read more here).

Spanish radio station Onda Cero claims that the two presidents met on Wednesday to talk about the transfers of Deco and Eto'o.

Read more:

Ibrahimovic is on the list

Mourinho takes Deco with him to Inter

Inter willing to pay Giovani buyout clause

Looking for a centre forward

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo gives today a general update on the transfer activity surrounding the centre forward position.

With Olympique Lyon forward Karim Benzema (20) not going to leave his club this summer (read more here), Barcelona's top target is at this moment Arsenal forward and Togo international Emmanuel Adebayor (24). He's the favourite choice of future Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola. Arsenal would be willing to let the player go for 30 million euro°.

The number two on the list would be Tottenham forward and Bulgarian international Dimitar Berbatov (27). The player wants to leave his club and Tottenham seems to have accepted that and is ready to cooperate. The transfer fee would be around 25 million euro°.

Chelsea forward and Ivory Coast international Didier Drogba (30) would not be seen anymore as a real option cause of his age and some reports about his physical condition. Barcelona does not want to repeat the Henry case.

Besides one of the above mentioned first class strikers, Mallorca forward and Spanish international Dani Güiza (27) could be transferred to bring more competition up front and to act as a kind of super-sub in substitution of Henrik Larsson.

Read more:

Adebayor wouldn't say 'no' to Barcelona

Barcelona keeping an eye on Berbatov

Guiza considered to be a good buy