Laporta on Cesc, Messi and Ibrahimovic

Barcelona president Joan Laporta gave an interview to Spanish television channel La Sexta. Some excerpts.



Transfers
"Guardiola is very satisfied with the current squad. But if another transfer would be needed, we will do that."

Central defender
"If the coach says he wants to add another centre-back to the squad, then it will be like this. We'll try to solve the issue."

Cesc
"If we need more midfielders, our technical department will propose some names of possible transfers."

Messi
"The most important thing is the commitment and the affection from both sides. This paves the way, so when we're drawing up the papers everything will be done like it was planned. Every time he plays, he shows he's the best player in the world. And what is more important, he shows that he is happy. He creates a lot of expectations, he unbalances the opponent, he offers a show... I like to see him happy."

Ibrahimovic
"Like all the fans, I want to see him play as soon as possible. People really expect a lot. It's a great quality player and I think he'll add a lot to the team."

Read more:
Barcelona ready to bid for Cesc
Messi doesn't ever want to leave Barcelona

Xavi says that Eto'o made deep impression

Speaking to Spanish television channel La Sexta, Barcelona player Xavi reflected on the exit of his former team-mate Samuel Eto'o:

"Yes, I miss Eto'o because he's a good person and he made a deep impression on the group. The truth is that he left his mark, both on and off the pitch and it's obvious that we all miss him.

This season, we again have to go step by step. In August we already have two important competitions, the two super cups, and we want to start the season in a good way. Starting from there, we can do better than last season, but it will be difficult.

Winning the Champions league in the Bernabéu would of course be a dream. Every culé wants to be in that final because there's something about that game. But for now, the most important thing is to go step by step.

The results of the pre-season are not important, it's all about getting physically prepared and catching the match rhythm. Everybody is feeling good for now and if you win, well, the better. If it can bring some positive dynamics from the beginning, then it's welcomed."

Read more:
Thank You Samu - Remembering Eto'o at Barca

Barcelona preparing new move for Mata

Spanish television channel La Sexta claims that Barcelona is still interested in Valencia left wing attacker and Spanish international Juan Mata (21) (read more here).

Barcelona would be preparing a new bid for the Spaniard and is expected to move soon.

Read more:
Mata is the main left wing target
Mata lays future in the hands of Valencia

Joint offer for Villa and Mata upcoming

Spanish television channel La Sexta claims that Barcelona is preparing a joint bid for Valencia forward and Spanish international David Villa (27) and Valencia left wing attacker and Spanish international Juan Mata (21).

The bid would be made in the coming hours and consist of 55 million euro° cash plus the loan of two players: Palmeiras forward Keirrison (20) and Barcelona central defender and Uruguay international Martín Cáceres (22).

Read more:
Meeting with Villa
Agent Mata confirms Barcelona interest
First formal bid for Villa

Valencia rejects offers for Mata

Spanish television channel La Sexta claims that Barcelona made Valencia a bid of 50 million euro° plus the loan of Barcelona players Bojan (18) and Cáceres (21).

But this bid reportedly wasn't only for Valencia forward and Spanish international David Villa (27), but also for Valencia left wing attacker and Spanish international Juan Manuel Mata (21). Valencia would have rejected the offer.

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona has picked up the option of signing Mata for the left wing and could already have made a bid of 20 million euro° for the Spaniard.

Valencia regional sports paper Superdeporte claims that Barcelona has contacted both Valencia and the player's entourage but that Valncei made clear that Mata is not for sale. Valencia would meanwhile have reached yesterday a pre-agreement with the player's father and agent about a contract renewaL

Read more:
Barcelona keeping an eye on Mata
Barcelona planning six transfers
Guardiola wants Villa

Formal offer for Arshavin

Asked about a possible summer transfer of Zenit Saint Petersburg forward and Russian international Andrei Arshavin (27), Zenit sports director Konstantin Sarsania has confirmed in an interview with Russian sports paper Sovietski Sport that Barcelona has launched a first bid:

"Barcelona has made a formal proposal to Zenit for the transfer of Arshavin. But we will only discuss it once Andrei returns to Zenit." The paper claims that Zenit would agree on letting Arshavin go for 15 million euro°.

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo even claims that an agreement between all parties was already found back in April. The deal will be made public after the European championships. Barcelona would pay Zenit 15 million euro°.

Since Barcelona talked directly to the player, the only remaining problem could be that agents or intermediaries show up. Arshavin reconfirmed yesterday to the paper that he would like to join Barcelona and that the Liga is his favourite league.

Asked about the rumours linking Arsahavin with a summer move to Barcelona, Barcelona economic vice president Ferran Soriano admitted in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 that Barcelona has been interested in the player for a while now:

"It's true that we are interested in Arshavin. But our interest hasn't started recently since we're already following the player for several months in a discrete way. We watched him against Bayer Leverkusen back in April and then we thought his best position was in the centre. But now it has been proven that he can play on the wing and that's exactly the profile we're looking for. But since all teams want him now, I don't think it will be easy to sign him."

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that during a yesterday meeting of the so-called Comisión Delegada (a club committee consisting of the most important board members and the highest ranked management representatives) the transfer strategy for the next weeks has been established.

Arshavin is, together with Adebayor, the main objective but Barcelona sports vice president Marc Ingla and Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain won't move until Russia has been eliminated from the Euro. The club would nevertheless already have information about the transfer fee asked by Zenit and the salary asked by the player.

Barcelona would already have been following Arshavin for several months, namely since Zenit manager Dick Advocaat talked about the player with Barcelona assistant coach Johan Neeskens which lead Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard to ask the club for scouting reports on the Russian.

Dennis Lachter, the presumed agent of Arshavin, denied during an interview with Catalan radio station COM Ràdio that he has already talked with Barcelona: "It's very unlikely that Arshavin will continue with Zenit. At this moment we have received seven proposals and we'll see what will happen after the Euro. Despite everything that has been talked about in the last days, I didn't hear anything from Barcelona."

In an interview with Spanish television station La Sexta, Lachter said: "The time has come for the player to look for new challenges and this could be his big chance to leave Russia. And it doesn't only have to do with money or with great clubs. That's important but it's also important who his coach will be, how the coach wants him to play, where the coach will put him, which other players are there in the squad for his position. Andrei will take all of that into consideration.

Nobody has called me for now, not even Barcelona. And Zenit wants to hold on to the player since he's their most important man. They won't have any problem to offer him the same as the big clubs will do. A transfer to Barcelona will mainly depend on the interest of Barcelona and the will of the player to play there.
If he leaves, I think the transfer fee could be around 25 million euro°."

Russian player's agent Alexei Safonov gave his view in an interview with Russian radio station Business FM: "Zenit has received more than five proposals from England and France, but Arshavin wants to go to Spain cause the football there is suited for him. His transfer price is around 20 million euro°."

Both main Catalan sports papers meanwhile agree that it looks like the Barcelona attacking line could next season well look like (from right to left): Messi - Adebayor - Arshavin.

Read more:
Arshavin confirms that he is a Barcelona fan
Pavlyuchenko new name on striker list
How things stand: Wing attackers

Deal on Caceres

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona has reached an agreement on the transfer of Villareal central defender and Uruguayan international Martín Cáceres (21). The deal could be announced today.

Barcelona's first offer of 15 million euro° was last week rejected (read more here). Villareal held on to the buyout clause of 20 million euro°, an amount the club has to share with Uruguayan club Defensor Sporting de Montevideo, the former club who still holds 50% of the rights of the player (note: some sources are still claiming that it's actually his agent who holds that other half).

Barcelona refused to pay the buyout fee and was considering other options like paying a part of the sum in variables or convincing Defensor to accept a lower fee. Villareal bought half of Cacerés' transfer rights last summer, paying between 1,5 and 2 million euro°. Catalan sports paper Sport claims that the final fee would be 17 million euro° plus 3 million euro° variables.

Villareal seems to assume for a while now that Cáceres will leave this summer and is already looking to replace him. Madrid sports tabloid Marca claimed last week that the club had contacted the agent of French defender Pascal Cygan, whose contract with Villareal expires this month and who had been told he could leave, to ask the player to postpone a decision on his future for ten days. If Cáceres leaves, Villareal in the end could offer Cygan a renewal.

Villareal chief executive José Manuel Llaneza told journalists yesterday that a deal on Cáceres was very close: "Every day that goes by, the situation is moving in the right direction and that makes one think that an agreement should be near, although I cannot yet confirm that we have a final deal."

Cáceres meanwhile didn't stop giving interviews (Spanish television station La Sexta, Spanish local television station Canal Nou, Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo twice, Madrid sports tabloid Marca, Catalan radio station COM Ràdio) basically repeating the same: he wouldn't mind staying in Villareal, but Barcelona is a great club which he couldn't say 'no' to and he hoped there would be an agreement soon.

In an interview with Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo, Cáceres, who is believed to have a personal agreement with Barcelona on a four-year contract earning 2 million euro plus incentives a year (read more here), said that he was close to joining Real Madrid two weeks ago: "Madrid wanted me and everything seemed to be agreed upon. I don't know why it didn't went through in the end."

After he spend days waiting at his house in Huelva, Cáceres yesterday flew off to Ururguay to join the national team. Daniel Fonseca, his agent, had asked the player to postpone the start of his holidays because a deal seemed close. And if an agreement on the transfer would be found, Cáceres could then immediately travel to Barcelona to undergo the medical tests and to sign the contract.

Read more:
Villareal rejects offer for Caceres
Deal with Caceres
How things stand: Central defenders