Barcelona interested in PSG defender Sakho

Asked about the rumours linking Paris Saint-Germain central defender and French youth international Mamadou Sakho (19) with a move to several European top clubs, the player's agent Tim Hager has said in an interview with British sports site Sport that Barcelona has also shown interest:

"He will be moving clubs this summer. Arsenal are interested, but the club are too cheap at the moment. I think a transfer will happen soon. He wants to play football in England and Arsenal are a good club but Manchester United is a better club. Arsenal want him, but Manchester United not yet.

Barcelona in Spain, and Bayern Munich in the German league are also interested. They are all the teams at the moment that are interested in the player. But the most interested club is Arsenal, they want him the most. Bayern Munich is a top European club, so I think it will be Bayern or Arsenal."

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Barcelona confirms offers for Bojan

British sports site Sky Sports claims that Barcelona has confirmed that other teams have made contact with the club about Barcelona forward and Spanish youth international Bojan Krkic (18).

Despite supposed reports in Spain that Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola would be happy to let Bojan leave on loan next season, a Barcelona official insisted that nothing has yet been decided over striker's future.

Asked about Bojan being linked with several clubs, among which Tottenham, Villarreal, Paris Saint-Germain and Ajax, a club source told the site: "Bojan Krkic is a player who has a deal with Barcelona and is very much part of the squad. Nobody has decided anything about his future. Some clubs have asked about Bojan, but until the end of the season we will not even visit this subject."

The player's father meanwhile also insisted that his son wanted to continue to try and make his mark in Catalunya and is quoted by the Sky Sports as saying that he's onfident about Bojan's future at Barcelona: "We are calm because I am convinced my son will get his chance and will triumph."

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PSG goalkeeper Landreau offers himself

French newspaper Le Parisien claims that Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper and French international Mickaël Landreau (29) could have offered himself to Barcelona.

Landreau, who doesn't have an official agent since his represantive broke some time ago with player's agency IMG, would want to live a new experience by joining a foreign club and has ordered an intermediary to look for a team in the Spanish league.

The French player has already been contacted by Real Madrid to become their second goalkeeper but could think to have better playing chances at Barcelona. The contract of Landreau at PSG expires at the end next season but the Frenchman can buy out his contract for 2 million euro°.

Watch a video of Landreau here:




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Paris Saint-Germain interested in Eto'o

Eto'o: "I already made a decision on my future"

Barcelona player Samuel Eto'o gave an interview to French sports site Sportweek.





When invited by Sportweek to put together an ideal team that didn't include French players, French national team coach Raymond Domenech chose you as centre forward, together with Wayne Rooney. Does that kind of recognition means something to you?
It's of course a great honour if someone like Raymond Domenech, who knows the game of football and what he's talking about, names me in that kind of things. It's an enormous recognition but I don't conclude from that that I'm the best striker in the world. I'm Samuel Eto'o and each day that goes by, I do everything to reach the highest possible. That's all.

You sometimes say that France and Cameroon have a similar place in your heart. Where does this love for France come from?
Where I live, in Cameroon, France is considered an ideal place. There's more, when a player leaves the country for example to go and play in Italy, people say that he leaves "for France". As if France and Europe are the same thing. The language of course plays an important part in this. As I'm concerned, France even means a little more.

Explain that to us...
I arrived in France when I was an adolescent. I participated in a youth tournament in Avignon and I took advantage of it to join an aunt who lived in the Paris region. I stayed a few months with her, in Bobigny.

That was a happy period in your life?
Not really. I didn't have the right documents. I couldn't live and move freely. And football, that meant everything to me, didn't bring me anything good either. I tried to present myself at a draft organised by Paris Saint-Germain, but since I didn't have documents, I was refused at the gate. I was also refused by le Havre and I think I also went to Cannes, but it didn't work out. After nine months, I returned to Cameroon.

You blame France that they didn't received you well?
How could I blame France? I didn't have documents. There are rules in France and they are made to be respected. No, honestly, I don't have any regrets. If my fate would have turned in another direction then, I maybe would have become a Frenchman, and I maybe would have played in the team of Raymond Domenech. Or maybe not.

From the team of Barcelona, people first think about Leo Messi or, over the last years, Ronaldinho. You feel underestimated in France?
I don't think so. And even if that would be the case, that in fact would be a good thing. I spend a lot of time in Paris, I have an apartment there, I have family there and my wife and my children lived there for quite a while before they joined me in Barcelona... In Paris, I can breathe normally. I can walk on the streets without being recognized the whole time. In Barcelona, that's impossible.

You plan to end your career with a French club?
I've already said that if that would be the case, I would like to play at Olympique Marseille. But I don't think it will happen. In contrast, I wish to end my career at Mallorca, where everything started for me. It's there where I launched my career and where I took one of the most important decisions in my life. After having gained some fame there, I could choose between going to England, to Italy, returning to Real Madrid or joining Barcelona. I didn't make a mistake. But I didn't only make excellent decisions in my life...

What's the baddest decision you've ever made?
That has to do with my private life.

Your contract with Barcelona expires in 2010. Are you on the verge of taking a difficult decision: staying with Barça or leaving the club, maybe this year already?
No, that's easy. I actually already made my decision. But I cannot tell anything at this moment.

In general, when one talks like this in February, that's because there's already a deal on a transfer...
That's what you say.

Could Karim Benzema join Barcelona next season to, who knows, replace you?
Benzema is one of those players who can play at every club in the world. So why not Barça? But we also could play together...


This was the first part of this interview. You can read the second part of the interview here in the coming days, with Eto'o talking -among other things- about Olympique Lyon, the next oppnent in the Champiosn League, and about his mobile phone collection.


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Benzema not a transfer target anymore
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Eto'o wants to negotiate renewal in the summer

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona wants to renew the contract of Barcelona forward and Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o (27), whose current contract expires in 2010, or sell the player in the summer.

Barcelona's first option is the renewal of Eto'o but the club doesn't want the negotiations to drag on and is keeping an eye on the market in case a renewal deal wouldn't be found.

Eto'o would also want to renew the contract but wants to focus on football first. The player's agent Josep Maria Mesalles is quoted as saying that they don't want to talk in the coming months: "I already said before, and Eto'o has confirmed it, that we will talk about the future at the end of the season.

This is not to put some more pressure on the club or to gain more time. The player is happy, Barcelona has still a lot to fight for and I think that at this moment the most wise thing is to focus all efforts on trying to win the three trophies that are still in play. When all this comes to an end, that will be the moment to negotiate."

Asked about the future of Eto'o, the player's brother David Eto'o said in an interview with Catalan radio station Onda Cero that the Cameroonian won't leave the club: "The fans can be calm because me brother is and will continue to be a Barça player. If the club wants, I think he will renew. If the club doesn't want it, that's when he'll start to look for another club."

Madrid sports tabloid As claims that Eto'o plans to ask for a pay rise of a little one million euro net, which would make him earn as much as Messi is doing at this moment. Barcelona would like to reach an agreement before the start of next season. Madrid news agency EFE claims that Barcelona will wait until the end of the season to see what will happen but that the club is already looking for alternatives.

Asked about his future, Eto'o meanwhile repeated earlier this week in an interview with French radio station Europe 1 that he doesn't exclude playing in France one day: "I still adore Paris Saint-Germain, even though I've always said that I would like to play with Marseille for one season. If one day I decide to come to France, I would like it to be at Marseille but why not somewhere else? But I won't deny that, given the current circumstances, it will difficultly happen."

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Paris Saint-Germain interested in Eto'o

Asked about the future of his club, Paris Saint Germain president Charles Villeneuve has said in an interview with french sports paper L'Equipe that the French club could try to sign Barcelona forward and Cameroonian international Samuel Eto'o (27):

"We're interested in Eto'o. The player loves Paris. Gucci, Gianfranco Ferre, Dolce & Gabbana... I don't think it will be a matter of money. Paris Saint-Germain is worth more than Manchester City, so more than 200 million euro. A PSG that works, a PSG that can participate in the Champions Legaue, believe me that this would be worth a lot."

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Barcelona has to hand over part of Arteta fee

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo reports that after four years of judicial proceedings, Barcelona will have to pay Basque youth club Antiguoko a fee of 105 000 euro° related to the transfer of now Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta (26) from Barcelona to Glasgow Rangers six years ago.

Antiguoko board member Javier García 'Pitu' is satisfied with the decision: "We're very happy with the verdict. Barcelona argued that they didn't have to pay 'solidarity rights' because they already paid the 'origin rights'. But it's a FIFA rule and Barcelona didn't want to respect that. They thought they could get away with it but we won against a big shot. We hope this can be a precedent for other cases."

Mikel Arteta joined Barcelona from Antiguoko in 1997. The former Spanish youth international didn't make it to the first team squad and after going out on loan to French club Paris Saint-Germain for two years, Arteta was sold to Glasgow Rangers in the summer of 2002.

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OFFICIAL: Crosas to Celtic

Thuram underwent PSG medical

Thuram will know more about future soon

French sports paper L'Equipe reports that French club Paris Saint-Germain is still waiting for the final results of the medical tests former Barcelona central defender Lilian Thuram (36) underwent before making a decision.

Doctors last month detected a heart malformation during the medical tests of the player prior to his signing for PSG (read more here).

If the results are confirmed, this would mean the end of the football career of Thuram. In the coming days the situation should be cleared out.

In an interview with the paper after the first tests, Thuram said he hoped to be able to play again: "The doctors have told me that my heart is somewhat big. I knew about it, cause my mother has the same problem and my brother died of it. When I was a young player at Monaco they already said somethign about it, but it was nothing worrying. Apparently things have changed since then and now there's a risk.

I want to thank PSG and president Villeneuve for their support. I can understand that PSG is in the meantime looking for someone else. We'll know more when the final results are there. I hope to return to the game and PSG is then an attractive option. I would like to help the club and take them back to the top of the table.

In any case, I will have to stop playing one day. If I will have to stop that would mean I have the luck that they have discovered it now. If there's something seriously wrong, I could say that they've discovered it at the right moment."

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that it doesn't look good and that the player probably will have to retire. Thuram could be offered a job as sporting advisor of Paris Saint-Germain.

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Paris Saint-Germain not interested in Gudjohnsen

French sports paper L'Equipe claims that Barcelona attacker and Iceland international Eidur Gudjohnsen (29) has been offered to officials of Paris Saint-Germain.

Because Gudjohnsen doens't fit the profile that PSG manager Paul Le Guen is looking for, the French club would not have shown interest to start negotiations.

Asked about his situation, Gudjohnsen meanwhile said in an interview with Catalan radio station Catalunya Ràdio that he's still thinking about his future: "Before it was clear to me that I had to look for another club this summer, but after talking with Guardiola it's not all that clear anymore."

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Ex-Barça: Sorin leaves Hamburg

Former Barcelona left back defender Juan Pablo Sorín (32) has left Hamburg last week after the final year of his contract was paid up by the German club. With his contract expiring next summer, the Argentinian player received a sum of around 1 million euro and is now free to join another club.

Sorín joined Barcelona on loan from Lazio Roma during the transfer window of January 2003. Six months later he returned to Lazio. The next season he played for French club Paris Saint-Germain.
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Ex-Barça: Giuly to Paris Saint-Germain

Fomer Barcelona right wing attacker Ludovic Giuly (32) has yesterday been officially presented as new player of Paris Saint-Germain, where Giuly signed a three-year contract. The French club would pay AS Roma a transfer fee of around 2,5 million euro.

Arriving from French league club Monaco, Ludovic Giuly joined Barcelona in the summer of 2004. One year ago the Frenchman left after three seasons and signed for Italian club AS Roma. With Barcelona, Giuly won two Spanish leagues in 2005 and 2006, two Spanish super cups in 2005 and 2006 and one Champions League in 2006.

Watch Giuly's goal against Milan in 2006 here

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Heart problem could cause end of Thuram's career

While the French media believed a transfer would be made public, Barcelona central defender Lilian Thuram (36) has announced today at a press conference in Paris that during the medical tests prior to the player signing for French club Paris Saint-Germain (read more here) the doctors have detected a problem with his heart:

"When I'm holding this press conference, it's sadly not to announce my transfer to Paris Saint-Germain, but to tell you that the doctors have found a heart malformation. It seems like it could be the same problem my brother had and which has cost him his life on a basketball court."

Thuram will now wait for the complete results of the tests, which will be available in one month time. After that the Frenchman will decide if he will continue his career or not.

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Paris Saint-Germain denies Thuram deal

In a reaction to a report yesterday that a deal had been found between Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona central defender and French international Lilian Thuram (36) (read more here), the French club issued a statement on its official website denying that everything has already been agreed upon:

"PSG wants to make clear that at this moment no agreement has been reached with Lilian Thuram. The negotiations are still ongoing."

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Thuram underwent PSG medical

French sports paper L'Equipe claims that Barcelona central defender and French international Lilian Thuram (36) underwent this morning medical tests in Paris prior to the player signing a contract with French club Paris Saint-Germain.

An agreement between the player and the Parisian club has been found: Thuram will sign a one-year contract with an option for a second year (read more here).

After leaving Monaco twelve years ago, Thuram could now return to France. A PSG spokesperson nevertheless couldn't yet confirm the deal to the paper: "We're still negotiating."

The contract of Thuram at Barcelona expires at the end of this month and with Barcelona not planning to offer the Frenchman a renewal (read more here), the player is free to negotiate with other clubs.

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Deal between Thuram and PSG close

French sports paper L'Equipe claims that Barcelona central defender and French international Lilian Thuram (36) was last night very close to a deal with French club Paris Saint-Germain (read more here). Thuram would sign a one-year contract with an option for a second year.

Asked about the rumours linking the player with his club, PSG president Charles Villeneuve has confirmed in an interview with French football weekly paper France Football that his club is indeed interested:

"I cannot deny that, but I will never launch a name myself. Thuram is a top player who I know very well and who is very capable to play in the French league and be important. Besides that, it's a man with values and someone who can be an excellent mentor for the younger players. But he's not the only one, I'm not obsessed by Thuram's arrival. We have talked but there are also other options."

The contract of Thuram at Barcelona expires at the end of this month and with Barcelona not planning to offer the Frenchman a renewal (read more here), the player is free to negotiate with other clubs.

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PSG has second thoughts on Thuram

PSG has second thoughts on Thuram

French sports paper L'Equipe claims that French club Paris Saint-Germain isn't so keen anymore on the transfer of Barcelona central defender and French international Lilian Thuram (36) (read more here).

The performance of Thuram against the Netherlands on Friday has caused doubts in the minds of PSG president Charles Villeneuve and main PSG shareholder Sébastien Bazin. Thuram's demand of a three-year contract worth 3 million euro a year is now really thought to be excessive.

The contract of Thuram at Barcelona expires at the end of this month and with Barcelona not planning to offer the Frenchman a renewal (read more here), the player is free to negotiate with other clubs.

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PSG offers Thuram two-year contract

Lazio considering Thuram offer

Thuram close to joining Paris Saint-Germain

Thuram postpones decision on future club

Asked about the rumours linking him with a summer move to French club Paris Saint-German (read more here), Barcelona central defender and French international Lilian Thuram (36) has admitted in an interview with French television channel TF1 that PSG is an option but that he didn't make a decision yet and certainly didn't have signed already:

"There are a lot of things that interest me, including joining PSG. I don't know what will happen in the coming days, so I can't say much about it. A foreign club is still an option and is being discussed. There are contacts with clubs in Italy, England and even Scotland. We'll see."

The contract of Thuram at Barcelona expires at the end of this month and with Barcelona not planning to offer the Frenchman a renewal (read more here), the player is free to negotiate with other clubs.

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PSG offers Thuram two-year contract

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Arsenal considering Thuram offer

PSG offers Thuram two-year contract

French sports paper L'Equipe claims that French club Paris Saint-Germain will offer Barcelona central defender and French international Lilian Thuram (36) a contract for two years with a net year salary of 1,5 million euro° (read more here).

The player is considering the proposal of joining the Parisian club and has frequent contacts with PSG officials. Despite interest from Monaco, Galatasaray, Los Angeles Galaxy, Fluminense and some Qatari clubs, PSG seems like the logical destination for Thuram who wants to be closer to his family.

The contract of Thuram at Barcelona expires at the end of this month and with Barcelona not planning to offer the Frenchman a renewal (read more here), the player is free to negotiate with other clubs.

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Thuram close to joining Paris Saint-Germain

French newspaper Le Parisien claims that Barcelona central defender and French international Lilian Thuram (36) is a priority of French club Paris Saint-Germain, who wants the French national team captain to become the key figure of their new project (read more here).

After a terrible season, the French club thinks that the signing of Thuram could bring some calm inside and outside the club.

Thuram will be offered to sign a contract for one, two or even more years and would after that be able to stay with the Parisian club, as member of the technical staff or as some kind of ambassador. Because of personal reasons Thuram would be ready to accept an offer (read more here).

Thuram, whose contract with Barcelona expires this summer, would already have held long talks about a possible transfer with PSG manager Paul Le Guen three weeks ago and with new PSG president Charles Villeneuve last Tuesday. The paper claims that French president Nicolas Sarkozy even raised the subject when meeting with the French squad on Monday. A new meeting with the PSG president is scheduled in the coming days.

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