Espanyol interested in Henrique loan

Catalan radio station Ona FM claims that Espanyol Barcelona is interested in Barcelona central defender Henrique Adriano Buss (22).

Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola would believe in the Brazilian centre-back but thinks he need more playing minutes in the Spanish first division.

Besides Zaragoza and Racing Santander, Espanyol would now also have asked for Henrique. The Catalan club is looking to replace Dani Jarque, who died of a heart failure earlier this summer. Although Newcastle centre-back Coloccini is the first option, Espanyol could turn to Henrique if that option wouldn't go through.

Read more:
Possible decision on future Henrique today
Barca Seeks New Homes For Unwanted Players
Henrique could return to Brazil

RIP Dani Jarque (1983-2009)

Espanyol Barcelona central defender and captain Dani Jarque has died this afternoon at the age of 26. The Catalan player got a heart attack during the club's summer camp in Italy.

Dani Jarque was talking with his girlfriend on the phone while the conversation suddenly stopped. She called his room-mate Ferran Corominas, who went to check on him together with team delegate José María Calzón. They found Jarque on the ground. Although he was taken to the hospital, he couldn't be reanimated.

Daniel Jarque joined Espanyol at the age of 12. He made his first team debut when he was 19 and was appointed captain earlier this summer after the departure of Raúl Tamudo. With his club, he won one Spanish cup in 2006. With Spain, he won one European U-19 championship in 2002.

Espanyol will return to Barcelona tomorrow. FC Barcelona has put out an official statement offering the club's condolences to the player's family and to Espanyol. Barcelona president Joan Laporta did the same on behalf of the club, talking to Spanish news agency EFE: "We're totally dismayed. Today, we're all mourning."

Barça B - Official: Jonathan Soriano (Albacete)

Barcelona has today officially announced the transfer of Albacete forward Jonathan Soriano (23), who will play with Barcelona Atlètic in the third division next season.

Soriano, who passed the medical tests earlier today, signed a one-year deal. Spanish news agency EFE claims that a second optional year depends on games played and goals scored and that his contract will be automatically renewed if the player would be promoted to the first team.

The Catalan striker, whose contract with Albacete expired last month, came through the youth ranks of Espanyol Barcelona and was definitely promoted the club's first team two years ago (read more here). In January, he joined Spanish second division club Albacete on a free transfer.

Soriano is, after winger Edu Oriol, midfielder Luque, central defender Armando, central defender Iván and right back defender Sobregrau, the sixth signing of Barcelona Atlètic this summer.

Read more:
Barça B - Official: Jaume Sobregrau (Huesca)
Barça B: Jonathan Soriano (Espanyol Barcelona)
Barça B - Official: Longas to Cartagena

Barça B: Jonathan Soriano (Espanyol Barcelona)

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona is interested in Espanyol Barcelona forward Jonathan Soriano (23).

Soriano, whose contract with Espanyol expired this summer, would join Barcelona Atlètic, that plays in the Spanish third division.

Since January, the Catalan striker had been playing on loan with Spanish second division club Albacete. Soriano already made his debut with Espanyol's first team in 2002 and was definitely promoted in 2007. Sport claims that the transfer of the former Spanish youth international will be officially announced in the coming hours.

Read more:
Barça B: More transfers negotiations ongoing
Barça B: Elvis Onyema Ogude (Ceuta)

Espanyol interested in Sylvinho

Catalan television channel TV3 claims that Espanyol Barcelona is interested in Barcelona left back defender Sylvinho (35), whose contract expires at the end of this season.

Espanyol would already have sounded out Sylvinho. The fact that the Brazilian defender would like to continue to live in Barcelona could make a deal more likely.

Asked about his future, Sylvinho said to Catalan sports paper Sport that he's calm about what will come: "You cannot know if these are my last days at Barcelona. I want to live in the present and I don't think too much about the future.

Now I'm only thinking about Rome. Then I will take vacations and I sincerely don't know what will happen after that. The truth is that I'm little worried about it. First I want to enjoy my holidays and then we'll see about next season."

During the title celebrations on Saturday, Sylvinho told journalists that Barcelona should now first decide on renewing his contract or not: "I've never denied that I feel at home here, that I'm very happy and that it feels like family. I don't know if this was a goodbye from the fans. I leave the choice in the hands of the club. I' 35 years old and very motivated. They should take the decision and whatever they will decide, I will understand it."

Read more:
Celtic Glasgow is an option for Sylvinho
Barcelona looking for left back in Dutch league
Sylvinho wants to play for two more years

Barcelona asking 3 million from former youth player

Catalan radio station Catalunya Ràdio reports that Barcelona has taken Espanyol B player Raúl Baena (19) to court asking an indemnification of 3 million euro° for breaking an agreement he signed when he played for Barcelona. The court is expected to pass judgement next Tuesday.

In the summer of 2007 Barcelona Juvenil A midfielder Baena left Barcelona for Espanyol paying the 30 000 euro buyout fee of his amateur contract to the club. The player had nonetheless also signed a pre-agreement for a professional contract which stated that the player should pay 3 million euro° if he decided to leave Barcelona.

Read more:
Youth: Pacheco explains Liverpool move
Youth: Chelsea confirms monitoring Deulofeu
Youth - Official: Valles to NAC Breda


Watch a video of Baena here:

Laporta hesitates about asking Espanyol a favour

Laporta:
To calm things down with Espanyol after last weekend's events, I thought it could be a good idea to call their president Sánchez Llibre and ask him if they maybe could help us a hand by defeating Madrid

...but I'm not sure this is the right moment to ask them any favours

(click the cartoon to enlarge)

see more cartoons here

cayecaturas.com
sport.es

Zabaleta rejected Barcelona offers

Madrid sports tabloid As claims that Manchester City right back defender and Argentinian international Pablo Zabaleta (23) was one of the main transfer targets of Barcelona this summer.

Barcelona would have offered the then Espanyol player a four year (plus an extra optional year) contract worth 2,2 million euro gross a year but Zabaleta rejected the offer up to four times.

Espanyol was not very willing to sell but let the player make a decision. Although he could join his close friend Messi, Zabaleta decided not to sign for Barcelona because of the rivalry between the two teams.

In the end, Barcelona transferred Sevilla right back Daniel Alves and in late August Zabaleta moved to the English Premier League. The Argentinian signed a five-year deal with Manchester City, that paid the buyout clause of 8 million euro°.

Read more:

How things stand: Right back defender
OFFICIAL: Daniel Alves

Barcelona confirms Lahm interest

Ex-Barça: Luis Aragonés to Fenerbahce

Former Barcelona manager Luis Aragonés (69) has today been appointed as the new manager of Fenerbahçe. The Spanish coach, who led the Spanish national team to winning the European championships last month, has signed a two-year deal with the Turkish club.

Arriving from Atlético Madrid in 1987, Luis Aragonés was the Barcelona head coach for less than one season. He took over from Terry Venables when the 1987-1988 season had just started and left the club a few games before the end of that same season, being replaced until the end of the season by first assistant coach Carles Rexach. Aragonés only returned to the bench two years later when he became the manager of Espanyol Barcelona. With Barcelona, Aragonés won one Spanish cup in 1988.

Read more:

Ex-Barça: Henk ten Cate

Ex-Barça: Phillip Cocu

Ex-Barça: Víctor Muñoz

Ex-Barça: Ernesto Valverde to Olympiacos

Former Barcelona forward Ernesto Valverde (44) has yesterday been appointed as new manager of Greek champions Olympiacos. On Monday, Valverde had announced that he would leave Espanyol Barcelona this summer.

Arriving in 1988 from city rivals Espanyol, Ernesto Valverde played two seasons for Barcelona. Although Barcelona manager Johan Cruijff liked the player, Valverde could not play himself into the first team due to injury problems. In 1990 he left Barcelona for Athletic Bilbao. With Barcelona, Ernest Valverde won one European Cup Winners' cup in 1989 and one Spanish cup in 1990.

Read more:

Ex-Barça: Meho Kodro

Valverde has supporters

Ex-Barça: Romario

Read all Ex-Barça stories here

The search of Txiki (1) : Defence

Today Catalan sports paper Sport gives a global analysis of the Barcelona transfer activity for next summer. In five episodes we will bring this story to you.

At the back, Barcelona is looking to replace Italian full back Gianluca Zambrotta (31), who will leave for AC Milan, and French central defender Lilian Thuram (36), whose contract expires in June and won't be renewed.

For the right back positon, three names are on the Barcelona list: Sevilla right back Daniel Alves (24), Bayern Munich full back Philipp Lahm (24) and Bayern Munich right back Willy Sagnol (30). While Barcelona doesn't seem willing to pay up to 30-35 million euro for the Brazilian, they would already have found a pre-agreement with the two Bayern defenders.

For the centre defence position, Barcelona is mainly considering two options: Racing Santander defender Ezequiel Garay (21) and Recreativo Huelva defender Martín Cáceres (20). The Uruguayan central defender is only playing on loan with Recreativo and is owned by Villareal. Espanyol defender Daniel Jarque (25) has also been followed.

(you can read the second part of this story later today, the third and fourth part will be published tomorrow, the last part on Saturday. The five episodes are: 1. Defence, 2. How it works, 3. Midfield, 4. Marital status, 5. Attack)

Valverde has supporters

Catalan sports weekly paper Gol claims that Espanyol manager Ernesto Valverde (44) is Johan Cruijff’s first choice to become the new Barcelona manager in case current coach Frank Rijkaard (45) would leave at the end of the season. Valverde, who played for Barcelona (under Cruijff) between 1988 and 1990, would also be supported by Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain. By choosing for a less outspoken personality like Valverde, both Cruijff and Txiki would want to prevent losing influence.

The main problem to bring in Valverde would be the contract that binds the manager to Espanyol Barcelona until June of 2009. Since Barcelona didn’t want to let go Argentinian forward Javier Saviola to Espanyol in the summer of 2006, Espanyol president Daniel Sánchez Llibre is still waiting to pay the city rival back.


(read more about Cruijff's opinion on Valverde here)

Cruijff on Mourinho, Blanc and Valverde

In an interview with the Catalan television station TV3, Barcelona legend Johan Cruijff gave this weekend his opinion about the manager debate.

Cruijff made clear he did not veto or recommend former Chelsea manager José Mourinho (45), like has been rumoured in several media. He said no one has asked him, nor did he talk to anyone about the Portuguese, denying at the same time he's the technical advisor in the background: "If I talk to Joan Laporta two or three times a year about football, then that's would be a lot."

Because he didn't yet see Bordeaux playing, Cruijf said he couldn't pass a judgement on Laurent Blanc (42). The Dutchman did however have words of praise for Espanyol manager Ernesto Valverde (44), who was also linked with Barcelona earlier this season: "He's doing a great job. I like to watch his team and I'm happy managers like him or Rijkaard try to make people enjoy."


(Cruijff's opinion on Rijkaard and Van Basten: see yesterday post)

Transfer period analysis: Winter 2008 (2)

Out
Despite having played only 20 minutes in the first half of the season and despite the interest of Espanyol Barcelona and Real Valladolid and concrete offers from Athletic Bilbao and Deportivo La Coruña, Barcelona forward Santiago Ezquerro (31), whose contract expires in June, preferred to stay until the end of the season when he will be able to leave for free.

When Barcelona youth player Marc Crosas (20) was permanently promoted to the first team in December 2007, it was already made clear the player would be loaned out in January in order to give him more playing time. For a while it seemed he would go to Segunda División team Real Sociedad, but Crosas quite surprisingly ended up joining French champion Olympique Lyon.

Loaning out Crosas was the right choice cause his chances to play when staying in Barcelona would have been very limited. While it cannot be expected he'll be an absolute regular in Lyon, his stay there and the adapting to another country, another league and other team mates can only make him grow as a player and as a person.