Five friendlies in Asia postponed

Barcelona site Pelikano claims that Barcelona has agreements to play five more friendly games in Asia, but that those matched won't be played this season.

Because of Barcelona's busy match schedule, it won't be possible to play any friendly game during or after the season in the coming year, which could lead to the club having to pay penalty fees.

Barcelona had already agreed back in 2006 to play a friandly game against Saudi Arabia club Al-Ittihad, while a game against Uzbek club Bunyodkor should already have been played before 30 June of this year (read more here). The club would also have an obligation to play a friendly match in Kuwait, and as a consequence of the agreement with Arab telecom company Etisalat (read more here), this company would have the right to organize two more games in the Middle East.

Read more:
Barcelona will return to Asia
Possible future friendly game in Kuwait
Barcelona will probably return to US next year

Eto'o holding talks with Manchester City

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona forward and Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o (28) has started negotiating with Manchester City (read more here).

Eto'o would have rejected to talk with the English Premier League club for months but would now see that he hasn't a future at Barcelona anymore. Eto'o, whose current contract with Barcelona expires in 2010, has reportedly asked for a four or five-year contract.

Manchester City would have offered a transfer fee of 30 million euro° and while Barcelona had initially valued the player at 35 million euro, they would be willing to accept the bid.

Madrid sports tabloid As nevertheless claims that it looks like Eto'o will stay because he don't want to join Manchester City, which is the only club who is ready to pay what Barcelona and Eto'o ask, since the English club won't play European football next season.

Barcelona site Pelikano claims that Eto'o isn't happy with the attitude of Barcelona because Barcelona president Joan Laporta has said several times over the past weeks that the club wants to renew the player while on the one hand he didn't yet receive any renewal offer and on the other hand the club seems to have been offering the player to several clubs.

Read more:
Barcelona hopes Eto'o will retire at the club
Top players want to know about their future
The report of Txiki (3) : 60 million for Eto'o

No transfers before end of the month

Barcelona site Pelikano claims that Barcelona won't be able to sign any new players before the end of this month because of the financial situation of the club.

When a new financial year starts next month, the club will have new resources, although those will still be limited due to the overspending on the transfers over the past two years and an increase of the expenses.

Read more:
Barcelona has 30 to 35 million to spend
Premier League Clubs Deep in Debt
Nike pays Barcelona treble bonus of 10 million

Marquez could move to Miami in 2010

Barcelona site Pelikano claims that Barcelona central defender and Mexican international Rafael Márquez (29) could move in two years time to the Major League Soccer, the professional football league in the United States and Canada.

If Barcelona's bid for a team in the MLS succeeds (read more here) and the Miami-based team could start in 2010, Márquez would be able to attract latin-american fans to the team.

The current contract of Márquez expires in the summer of 2010. The MLS season starts in March. The Mexican defender could move to the new team and become a so-called "designated player".

The 'Designated Player' rule allows each MLS club to sign one player that would be considered outside of the teams' salary cap, allowing the teams to compete for star players in the international soccer market.

Read more:
Marquez wants to renew his contract
FCB Miami: Barca serious about MLS involvement
Henry could leave for Miami in 2010

Read more about Barcelona's MLS plans here

Again Xavi renewal progress after new meeting

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that progress was made on the renewal of Barcelona attacking midfielder and Spanish international Xavi (28) during a three-hour meeting from 5 to 8 pm yesterday at the Camp Nou between the player's agent Iván Corretja and Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain and general director of football Raül Sanllehí.

Although an agreement couldn't be reached, the positions of both parties would have come closer and a renewal deal could be closed soon. The main difference would be the duration of the contract, with Xavi asking a contract until 2014 and Barcelona offering to renew until 2013.

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that a deal should be found in the next two weeks, although until now the issues on which there's disagreement have been postponed.

Barcelona has offered the player, whose current contract expires in the summer of 2010, to renew until 2011 with an optional two years and his new salary already starting next season. Xavi, who prefers to renew until the summer of 2014, wants to be one of the five best paid players of the squad.

Barcelona site Pelikano claims that Xavi wants to earn the third highest salary of the Barcelona squad, behind Messi and Eto'o but ahead of Henry, who would be earning 8 million euro a year.

Read more:
Barcelona wants to close Xavi renewal today
Xavi confirms that renewal deal is close
Principal agreement on Xavi renewal

Xavi renewal closer after new meeting

Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain and Barcelona general director of football Raül Sanllehí held yesterday morning a new one-and-a-half-hour meeting with Iván Corretja, the agent of Barcelona attacking midfielder and Spanish international Xavi (28), whose contract expires in 2010.

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that the negotiations are slowly proceeding in the right direction. The final deal should nevertheless only be expected in a few weeks time. There still would be differences about the salary and the duration of the contract, with Xavi asking a contract until 2014 and Barcelona offering to renew until 2013 (read more here).

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona has made a new financial offer, which would make Xavi the best paid Spanish player in the squad. As for the contract duration, the parties could be looking to agree on a contract until 2013 that could be automatically renewed for another year if certain condiditions are met.

Barcelona site Pelikano claims that Xavi wants to be one of the five best players of the squad. Madrid sports tabloid Marca claims that a final deal is very close after yesterday's meeting. There would be a deal on the salary and Xavi would sign until 2013. With only a few details left, a new meeting would be scheduled for next week.

Asked about the renewal negotiations, Barcelona president Joan Laporta has said to journalists that he's satisfied with the progress: "Our sports director Txiki Begiristain informs me regularly about the negotiations. At this moment things are going in the right direction, because both parties want Xavi to continue as player of FC Barcelona. I don't know if he has received offers from other clubs, but I think that Barcelona is the only option for Xavi now.

He knows that we will do everything that is needed and possible, and probably even a little more since he's a former youth player. For us, Xavi is a key player and an example for all our youth players. It shows how Barça takes care of the homegrown players and at the same it proves that you can get to the first team and become a worldclass player with hard work and motivation."

Read more:
Principal agreement on Xavi renewal
Xavi is top target for Manchester United
New Xavi renewal meeting scheduled next week

Jorquera considering January exit

Barcelona site Pelikano claims that Barcelona goalkeeper Albert Jorquera (29) is considering an exit during the winter transfer window.

The Catalan goalkeeper, who is again fit after a serious knee injury (read more here), feels he won't have much playing time and is therefore looking at the possibility of leaving Barcelona in January.

Jorquera, who is represented by former Barcelona board member Alejandro Echevarría, signed earlier this year a contract renewal until the summer of 2010 (read more here).

Read more:
Guardiola asked for three goalkeepers
Two years renewal for Jorquera
Medical: Green light for Jorquera

Busquets renewal is priority for Barcelona

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona wants to offer Barcelona Atlètic defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets (20) a contract renewal as soon as possible (read more here). The current contract of the player expires at the end of this season.

Barcelona would be considering two possibilities: a new second team contract with high incentives or a first team contract with a higher fixed salary and lower incentives.

Barcelona site Pelikano claims that the renewal negotiations already started and doesn't exclude that Busquets has already received offers from interested clubs after his good performances over the last weeks.

Read more:
Contract renewal for Busquets coming up

First renewal talks with Xavi
Barça B: Busquets represented by father

Arshavin didn't convince Guardiola

Barcelona site Pelikano claims that the transfer of Zenit Saint-Petersburg forward and Russian international Andrei Arshavin (27) didn't go through because Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola wasn't convinced of the qualities of the player.

Besides that, Metallurg Donetsk vice president Dimitri Sellyuk, the agent of Barcelona player Yaya Touré who acted as intermediary (read more here), would have tried to arrange an agreement with former Barcelona player and manager Johan Cruijff without fully informing Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain.


Read more:

Arshavin confirms Barcelona offer

Five players on left wing short list

Final offensive for Arshavin

Barcelona talking with Miami FC on MLS franchise

Barcelona site Pelikano claims that Barcelona wants to cooperate with American club Miami FC in order to create a Barcelona sister team that participates in the Major League Soccer (MLS), the professional league in the United States and Canada (read more here).

Miami FC was founded in 2006 and is currently playing in the USL First Division, the American second football division behind Major League Soccer.

Last week Barcelona president Joan Laporta and new Barcelona general director Joan Oliver travelled to Miami where they would have held talks with Miami FC officials and several interested sponsors.

Although Barcelona hasn't yet officially confirmed the talks, the negotiations would develop positively and are backed by football event management company Traffic Sports, the owners of Miami FC. The project is also being supported by American television networks Gol TV and Univision and football equipment store Soccer Locker.

The plan is that the cooperation between the two clubs leads to a Miami based MLS team that would play its home games in the new Orange Bowl stadium that should be ready in 2011 and that would also be the home of the current Florida Marlins, a professional baseball team.

Read more:
Will there be a 'Barcelona USA' in 2011?
Henry negotiating with new MLS team
Ex-Barça: Romario retires

Barça B: Manchester United offer for Iago

Spanish football site Air Futbol claims that Barcelona Atlètic attacking midfielder and Spanish youth international Iago Falqué (18) has been contacted by Manchester United, that wants the player to join their reserves team (read more here).

Iago thinks that he hasn't been treated correctly by Barcelona and wants to end his stay at the club (read more here). If he's given the permission to leave on a free transfer, he'll most probably join the English champions.

Asked about the rumours linking him with Manchester United, Iago said to the site that he doesn't see himself staying at Barcelona and that Manchester United is in that case an excellent option: "I consider that club to be the ideal place for me to keep on growing as a football player."

Spanish football site Join Futbol claims that sources close the the current Champions League holders have confirmed that Manchester United are currently the best placed team to sign Iago.

Barcelona site Pelikano claims that, while Barceloa Atlètic coach Luis Enrique told Iago that he doesn't count on him for next season (read more here), other people within the club are having doubts on letting the player go.

Iago's agent would have receive several offers and clubs like Real Madrid and Liverpool would be ready to pick the player up in the last days of the summer transfer window if he would be able to leave on a free transfer.

Read more:
Youth: Iago wants to leave permanently
Nike wants Ronaldo in Barcelona
Youth: English clubs interested in Iago

Barça B: Valiente to Panathinaikos

Spanish football site Airfutbol claims that Barcelona Atlètic captain and central defender Marc Valiente (21) will join Greek club Panthinaikos on a free transfer.

New Panathinaikos manager Henk ten Cate knows the player from his time as assistant coach in Barcelona.

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that second division club Celta Vigo is also interested in Valiente and would like the include him in a deal with a Celta B player.

Barcelona site Pelikano claimed last week that Valiente had ended up in some kind of no man's land after his transfer to Sevilla B didn't went through (read more here), with the central defender not being allowed to join the first team nor the B team and with Barcelona not looking for another club.

Read more:

Barça B: Talks with Sevilla on Valiente stopped

Barça B - Official: Coto to Sevilla B

Barça B: Valiente waiting for free transfer

How old is Ronaldinho?

Barcelona site Pelikano questions the age of former Barcelona playmaker Ronaldinho, who officially celebrated his 28th birthday last March.

The site claims that during the party for his last birthday Ronaldinho asked to put two extra candles on the cake before blowing out the candles and doing the traditional wishes. The Brazilian cheered that he was actually 30 years old.

It would be a common practive for Brazilian players to take a couple of years of their real age, because it's quite easy to change the legal documents and it can make them gain more money.

Read the complete Ronaldinho transfer story from the first rumours until the official confirmation

Diego Lopez was sounded out

Barcelona site Pelikano claims that Barcelona has sounded out Villareal goal keeper Diego López (26) about a possible transfer to Barcelona (read more here).

This happened after a meeting between Barcelona president Joan Laporta and English national team coach Fabio Capello at the airport of a European capital in May.

The Italian, who also recommended Arsenal striker Adebayor, would have suggested Laporta to offer Diego López, who Capello knows from his time with Real Madrid, a contract.

Read more:
Villareal's Diego Lopez to rival Valdes
Guardiola asked for three goalkeepers
How things stand: Goal keeper

Tottenham was looking for Valdes agent

Barcelona site Pelikano claims that Tottenham, like some other clubs, had a hard time finding out who they had to contact when they wanted to learn more about the interest of Barcelona goal keeper Víctor Valdés (26) to join the English club (read more here).

Since Valdés broke with his agents Eduardo Ipiens and Gorka Arrinda back in 2006, the player has been represented by several people, amongst which Ramon Sostres, the agent of Barcelona players Carles Puyol, Andrés Iniesta and Bojan Krkic. Since a few months Valdés doesn't have a legal representative anymore and it now looks like his father José Valdés will take charge of the task.

The uncertainty about the issue has also postponed the negotiations with Barcelona sports vice president Txiki Begiristain on the possible contract renewal of Valdés, whose current contract expires in 2010.

Read more:

Barcelona rejects Tottenham offer for Valdes

Looking for a goal keeper

Villareal's Diego Lopez to rival Valdes

Almeria's Diego Alves to rival Valdes

Barcelona site Pelikano claims that Almería goal keeper Diego Alves (22) is the last name to have joined the list of possible goal keepers who could be transferred in the coming months (read more here).

Barcelona thinks that first-choice goal keeper Víctor Valdés (26) performs at his best when he feels the pressure of having to compete for his place and is therefore looking to bring in a new goal keeper in the summer transfer window. Future Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola has relaunched the search for a competitor to Valdés.

Brazilian goal keeper Diego Alves, who also has an Italian passport, came to Spain last summer from Atlético Mineiro and has a contract with Almería until 2012. He was a youth international for many years and is expected to make his debut for the Brazilian national team in the near future.

Read more:
Looking for a goal keeper
Villareal's Diego Lopez to rival Valdes
How things stand: Goal keeper

Could Guardiola be the emergency solution?

After Saturday's defeat, people really started to believe that Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard (45) could well be replaced before the end of the season and that the game against Schalke tonight could be decisive (read more here and here). Because there are only two months left and because he already knows the ins and outs of the club, the only possible successor who has been put forward by the press is Barcelona B manager Josep Guardiola (37).

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo reports that a lot of Barcelona officials don't like the idea of Guardiola taking over with a few months left because they are afraid of burning him in the last two months of the season, what could very well be the case if things would not change under his command. Others have another vision and indicate that this could be a chance for Guardiola to get to know the players, what would allow him to make decisions in the summer. That is, if Guardiola would not be seen as provisional solution. Barcelona site Pelikano indeed states that Guardiola would not be prepared to be a temporary coach, but would want to change things drastically, having a long-term perspective.

Catalan sports site Info Esports claims that Guardiola was already sounded to take over after last December's defeat against Real Madrid, but that the manager rejected the offer cause he didn't feel ready for the job. Guardiola wants to gain more experience and his only wish now is to finish the season with Barcelona B, who will most probably play the promotion play off to return to the Segunda División B. Madrid sports tabloid As even claims that Guardiola's agent, Josep María Orobitg, last summer negotiated to include an explicit clause in the contract allowing Guardiola to reject an offer by the Barcelona board to coach the first team.