Willian: "We have to be very concentrated"

Speaking to Catalan radio station RAC 1, Shakhtar Donetsk player Willian commented on tonight's European super cup game against Barcelona:

"Barcelona has great players, as Xavi, Messi, Iniesta or Henry have shown over the last years. The whole squad of Barcelona is very good. And we'll have to be very careful so they don't surprise us.

But I'm not not losing hope. I hope they won't surprise us and that we can win the title. We have to go out on the pitch being very concentrated."

read more pre-match comments:
Pique - Xavi - Puyol - Lucescu - Guardiola - Pyatov - Alves - Lucescu (bis) - Vilanova - Busquets

Shakhtar coach opens door for Chygrynskiy

Asked about the renewed rumours linking Shakhtar Donetsk defender and Ukrainian international Dmytro Chygrynskiy (22) with a move to Barcelona (read more here), Shakhtar manager Mircea Lucescu has said in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 that he thinks the player will join Barcelona in the coming week:

"It's a matter that is being dealt with by our president and Laporta, and I think that it will happen in the end. I played football until I was 36 and when a club like Barça is interested in a player, I have to give him the chance to go there.

It could depend a lot on the coach but I'm willing to let him go. We'll see what will happen, we will wait for two more days. It might be a big loss for Shakhtar and for myself but it is the wish of Guardiola. It's a great player and a player like him can play at Barcelona. I anyhow think that the normal thing is that he still plays the European super cup with us."

Read more:
Chygrynskiy on his way
Laporta optimistic about Chygrynskiy transfer

Vidic welcomes Barcelona interest

Asked about the new rumours linking Manchester United central defender and Serbian international Nemanja Vidic (27) with a move to Barcelona (read more here), the player's agent Paolo Fabbri has said in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 that the player would like to join Barcelona:

"Vidic would be delighted to play at Barça because it's his dream to play in the Spanish league. We have to analyze the situation but at this moment one should be realistic and see that things are complicated. The team has just let go Cristiano Ronaldo and Tévez and they don't want to lose another key player."

Read more:
Barcelona will try again for Vidic
Barcelona considering bids for Evans and Kompany
Vidic confirms Barcelona offer

Messi will miss first league game

Speaking to Catalan radio station RAC 1, the president of the Argentinian football association Julio Grondona has said that Barcelona attacker Lionel Messi won't be able to play the first league game with Barcelona:

"This is something that has already been agreed upon between Guardiola and Maradona. There's no problem about that."

Barcelona will play against Sporting on Monday 31 August, while Argentina faces Brazil on Saturday 5 September. Players should be at the disposal of their national team five days before a game. This way, Barcelona right back defender Dani Alves could also miss the first league game.

Read more:
Maradona on Messi and Xavi
Messi rejects blank cheque of Manchester City
Messi could miss first league game

Brazilian right back Mattioni has been offered

Catalan radio station RAC 1 claims that Grêmio right back defender Felipe Mattioni (21) has been offered to Barcelona.

Mattioni could be one of the many candidates to strenghten the right back position. The Brazilian defender played on loan with AC Milan during the first half of 2009 but the Italian club decided not to use the first option they had to buy Mattioni

Mattioni is represented by Mino Raiola, the agent of Barcelona players Ibrahimovic and Maxwell, who said a few days ago that he was talking with Barcelona about a third player. The radio station claims that the transfer fee of Mattioni would be around 3 million euro.

Asked about the rumours linkig him with a move to Barcelona, Mattioni confirmed in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 that Barcelona could be interested: "I'm waiting to see what will happen. There are possibilities, for me it would be a dream to play at Barça."

Read more:
Transfer of Arsenal right back Eboue close
Looking for a right back defender
Barcelona monitoring Gremio midfielder Douglas


Watch a goal of Mattioni here (first goal):

Transfer Mascherano has become very unlikely

Catalan radio station RAC 1 claims that the transfer of Liverpool defensive midfielder and Argentine international Javier Mascherano (25) has become very unlikely.

Despite the wish of the player to join Barcelona, his entourage would be very pessimistic after the transfer of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid and doesn't think there are a lot of chances for the deal to go through.

They are nevertheless still hoping for a final move by Barcelona that could change everything, although it is believed that only a record bid could re-open the negotiations with the English club. Mascherano would meanwhile already have accepted the fact that he will have to stay at Liverpool.

Read more:
Mascherano, Chygrynskiy, Mata: Two out of three
Looking forward to the last transfer window month
Mascherano wants to join Barcelona

Total deal on Caceres loan to Juventus

All Italian and Spanish media claim that all parties involved have found a deal on the transfer of Barcelona central defender and Uruguayan international Martín Cáceres (22) to Juventus.

Although some media report that Cáceres will join Juventus on a permant transfer, most media claim that it will be a one-year loan, with a buy option of (10 or) 12 million euro. Juventus player Poulsen would in the end not be part of the deal (read more here).

Italian sports paper Tuttosport claims that Cáceres will be in Turin tomorrow to undergo the medical tests. Catalan radio station RAC 1 claims that the Uruguayan centre-back and his agent Daniel Fonseca travelled already to Italy today to finalize the deal.

Read more:
This week decision on Caceres loan to Juventus
Meeting Caceres-Poulsen swap coming up

Ibrahimovic agent in Barcelona

Catalan radio station RAC 1 claims that Mino Raiola, the agent of Inter Milan forward and Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic (27), is in Barcelona to close the final contract deal between the striker and Barcelona.

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo meanwhile claims that Barcelona doesn't plan to make an offer of 75 million euro if the Inter-Eto'o deal wouldn't go through, like Italian media reported this afternoon. Barcelona is waiting until all parties have found an agreement to then finalize the whole operation. A Barcelona source told Spanish news agency EFE that the 75 million euro plus Hleb is not an option at all.

The player's agent Josep Maria Mesalles is at this moment again in Milan to hold talks with Inter officials, that started at 5:15 pm this afternoon. Italian sports paper Il Corriere dello Sport claims that the last point to be solved is the exit bonus of around 4-5 million euro. The paper thinks that a deal will be found because of the good relationships between both presidents.

Read more:
The contract of Ibrahimovic
New Ibrahimovic offer: 75 million plus Hleb on loan

Deal between Eto'o and Inter close

Catalan radio station RAC 1 claims that Josep Maria Mesalles, the agent of Barcelona forward and Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o (28) is in Milan to negotiate with Inter Milan officials.

Mesalles would have landed this afternoon at 5 pm in Milan. Inter reportedly offers the striker a year salary of 9 million euro plus incentives. Italian television channel Sky Sport 24 claims that a deal is close.

Inter president Massimo Moratti told journalists that he's confident that an agreement can be reached: "The negotiations are ongoing, we're making progress. The statements of Guardiola don't affect us, he can say what he wants and make the changes he wants. If Eto'o joins us because they don't want him anymore, we'll be happy because it's an excellent player. I'm confident. I'm sure that Eto'o will join us in the end..."

Deal with Inter on Maxwell

Italian televsion channel Sky Sport 24 claims that Inter Milan left back defender Maxwell (27) is close to joining Barcelona.

Barcelona and Inter would have found a deal on the transfer. The Italian champions will reportedly receive a transfer fee of 3,75 million euro°.

Maxwell would sign a five-year contract in the coming hours. Asked about the rumours, the player's agent Mino Raiola said in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 that the deal has been closed for 4 million euro°.



Read more:
Maxwell alternative for Filipe as left back
Barcelona has been in contact with 22 players

Eto'o decides to leave the club

Both main Catalan sports papers claim that Barcelona forward and Cameroonian international Samuel Eto'o has decided to leave the club this summer.

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that the player's agent Josep Maria Mesalles has yesterday informed Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain about the decision.

It is expected that Eto'o will next week come out and finally give his version of what has happened over the past years. A press conference would be held in Paris on Wednesday 15 July.

Catalan radio station RAC 1 meanwhile claims that the entourage of the player doubts that Barcelona president Joan Laporta has tried to get in contact with the Cameroonian by phone like he had stated earlier this week, since no phone call has been received.

Read more:
Manchester United strongly interested in Eto'o
Laporta commenting on the transfer season
The truth in the Eto'o case

60 to 80 million transfer budget confirmed

Asked about the summer transfer window, Barcelona marketing vice-president Jaume Ferrer has confirmed in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 that the club could spend between 60 and 80 million euro° without getting into economic problems and commented on some rumoured names:

"If Ribéry is the main target of the technical staff, than we will fight to sign him. I don't know much about it, but if that's what the coaches ask, we'll listen to them.

Villa is a great player too. As far as I know, we don't really know who's in charge at Valencia at the moment. I would refer to Txiki Begiristain, who is dealing with the negotiations, and I have total belief in the events turning out in a good way for the club. In the next few days, or at least in the coming two weeks, the club plans to close some transfer deals."

Read more:
Barcelona could spend between 60 and 80 million
Barcelona can spend 30-35 million this summer

Final meeting on Keirrison on Tuesday

Catalan radio station RAC 1 claims that Barcelona will hold next Tuesday a final meeting on the transfer of Palmeiras forward Keirrison (20).

Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain is then expected to meet with the Brazilian's agents and with the persons who own the transfer rights of Keirrison, who would join Barcelona in a 14 million euro° deal.

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that there's a total deal with the player and with the sports marketing agency that controls the majority of his transfer rights. The deal would nevertheless only be officially announced once there's an agreement on the transfer of Valencia forward Villa (read more here).

The paper claims that Keirrison wil sign a four-year deal and that the transfer fee that has been agreed would be 10 million euro°. Madrid sports tabloid Marca meanwhile claims that Keirrison has already accepted to join Valencia on loan next season if that's what Barcelona would want.

Read more:
Keirrison to give press conference next week
Deal on transfer of Keirrison
Medical tests and signature Keirrison next week


Watch this video of Keirrison:

Transfer of Keirrison to be closed in next hours

Both main Catalan sports papers claim that Palmeiras forward Keirrison (20) will sign for Barcelona in the coming hours.

The club and the player's representatives would be finalizing the last details of the deal.

André Cury, a representative of Traffic, the agency that owns the majority of the transfer rights of the Brazilian player, would meet with Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain today. Cury confirmed yesterday in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 that there were only some minor issues left to discuss: "Seventy per cent is done. Now there are just some details lacking."

Catalan sports paper Sport claimls that Barcelona will pay a transfer fee of 13 million euro° plus at the most another 2 million euro in incentives. Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona would pay 13 or 14 million euro°, while Villarreal would at the end of last year have offered 8 million euro for 50 per cent of the transfer rights of Keirrison, who has now been pressuring to join Barcelona.

It's not yet clear what will happen with Keirrison although it is generally believed that he will leave on a one-year loan. Barcelona would like to include the player in the transfer deal on Valencia forward Villa. While Sport claims that Valencia is not really interested in Keirrison and only wants him as a back-up, El Mundo Deportivo claims that Valencia manager Unai Emery would prefer Keirrison over Bojan.

Read more:
Keirrison will sign contract tomorrow
Barcelona could include Keirrison in Villa deal
Deal on transfer of Keirrison

Club waiting for reply Eto'o to renewal offer

Barcelona has put out an official statement confirming that they've offered Barcelona forward and Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o (28) a contract renewal and that the club is now waiting for his response (read more here).

The statement on the club's official website reads as follows: "FC Barcelona are awaiting a response from Samuel Eto'o to their offer of a two-year contract extension. The contract would give the Cameroon striker two more years at the club, whilst maintaining the same salary.

The club made the offer yesterday evening once the player's agent had made clear Eto'o's desire to stay at the Nou Camp. If he accepts the new deal, Eto'o's contract will run until June 30th 2012. In a press conference held earlier today, Eto'o's agent Josep Maria Mesalles [confirmed] that Eto'o had been informed of the club's new offer by phone, but that he wished to consult with him in person before giving a public response."

Barcelona board member Xavier Sala i Martín meanwhile said in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 that the club will sign a centre forward this summer: "If Samuel accepts the renewal offer, the whole club will be very happy. But no matter if Eto'o stays or not, we are anyhow going to strengthen the centre forward position because Samuel, like Keita and Touré, will go to the Africa Cup half-way the season and we need to have a striker for those weeks."

Read more:
Agent Eto'o Press Conference: Live Coverage
Last-minute renewal offer for Eto'o

Keirrison will sign contract tomorrow

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Palmeiras forward Keirrison (20) will sign tomorrow a five-year contract with Barcelona.



(sources: rac 1, sport, tv3, as, el periódico, globo esporte, lance)

Last Thursday, Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain and Barcelona director of football Raúl Sanllehí met with André Cury, a representative of Brazilian player's agency Traffic that owns 80 per cent of the transfer rights of the player, the other 20 per cent being in the possession of Palmeiras. Traffic chairman Júlio Mariz also took part in the meeting.

The negotiations are then said to be well-advanced, a pre-agreement would have been reached. Cury says: "We're optimistic regarding a deal. As we are concerned, we now have a pre-agreement that we hope to finalize on Tuesday." Barcelona would already have had before agreed on an option on the player that expired on 30 June.

On Friday, Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain had a lunch with Marcos Malaquias, one of the player's agents Marcos Malaquias in a Barcelona restaurant to negotiate on the player's contract. In the afternoon, Malaquias and Mariz met with Barcelona officials at the club's offices.

Naor Malaquias, the other agent of Keirrison confirmed the talks: "My brother and a Traffic director are in Barcelona to take part in the negotiations. I don't know anything about possible fees yet." Marcos Malaquias said after the meeting that a deal was very close: "There are only a few details missing before it's official."

It was then decided that Keirrison wouldn't train or play anymore with Palmeiras. The Brazilian striker travelled the same day to his home-town Keirrison, where he was getting ready to fly to Barcelona. Palmeiras put out a statement confirming a formal offer by Barcelona, Keirrison did the same (read more here). Barcelona president Joan Laporta says the next day that they're on the verge of finalizing the deal.

Despite having more than four years left on his contract, Keirrison can leave Palmeiras without an extra fee. When he signed his contract earlier this year, a clause was inserted that allowed him to move at any moment to Barcelona, his favourite club since childhood (read more here). Sport claims that Keirrison also insisted that in his contract with Traffic a buyout clause would be included saying that he could leave to Barcelona for 15 million euro°. For other clubs, the buyout clause would be 50 million euro.

Other sources mention other figures regarding the agreed transfer fee: "13 million plus 3 million in incentives" (tv3), "around 14 million euro" (el periódico), "around 15 million euro" (globo esporte), "16 million euro" (lance). Keirrison, who also rejected an offer by Real Madrid in January, will most likely be included, on loan or permanently, in a transfer deal on Villa or (more unlikely) on Forlán or Bruno Alves.

Read more:
Deal on transfer of Keirrison
Keirrison dreams of Barcelona move
Barcelona prepares final offer for Villa

Filipe calm about Barcelona rumours

Over the past days, Deportivo La Coruña left back defender Filipe Luis (23) has talked several times about the rumours linking him with a move to Barcelona (read more here).




Catalan radio station RAC 1
I'm in Brazil waiting for the confirmation. I'll only leave Deportivo to go to a top club and I would like to stay in Spain. If Barça and Depor reach an agreement and everybody is happy, that would be perfect. I've always thought about the national team and to get there, you should play at a top club. I'm ready for it. As a player, I've grown a lot at Depor, especially regarding the defensive aspect of my game.

But until everything isn't finalized I cannot close my eyes and imagine myself with another shirt. I have a contract with Depor and I cannot start dreaming because there's no deal. It sure is an honour that Barcelona is thinking about me. Every player would like to be part of the Barcelona team that has won the treble. I've enjoyed watching them play this season.


Galician radio station radio Galega
I'm calm, what choice do I have? I have a contract with Deportivo and until the president tells me that there's an offer and that he wants me to go, there's no reason for me to get nervous. Until now, nobody said me anything, so I have to stay calm like usual. My agent doesn't call me a lot. He knows that when it's just to speculate, I don't want to know anything about. He'll only call me when there's something concrete, in case Depor would accept an offer. I'm not interested in rumours, so I'm waiting.

But of course the people here in Brazil are asking me about it. People told me what the media are reporting on it, I've seen things. One gets happy and very proud of it because you know you have been doing a good job and that others are recognizing that. That's something that makes me very happy. But I cannot do anything about that, it's not in my hands. It's in the hands of my agent, president Lendoiro, the club that wants me, so it's not up to me to do something. Since I cannot do anything, I'm just gonna be calm, looking at the sea and that's it.

When I arrived, I signed a contract and nobody forced me to do that. When I signed, I knew I could be at Deportivo for five years. If I won't leave, I will happily return to Deportivo. It's a great club, a former Liga champion, something few clubs are. We were seventh last season and we have a great team. I wouldn't have problems to return.


Catalan sports paper Sport
Depor is a great club but I've always dreamed about and prepared myself to play one day in a club that competes for all trophies. Barça is the best team in the world, they've won everything and they're the team to beat. After five years in Europe, I'm ready to make this step.

I think that I have the right profile to play in the current Barça defense. When you play at a mid-table team, you have to defend more, while when you're playing at a big club, you have more possibilities to show all your qualities because you have more ball possession. My style to defend is maybe similar to that of Dani Alves, but we play differently, he's more someone who will finish an action, when I reach the goal-line, i'm more looking for the cross. We're different. I'm Filipe and I have my own personality.

At all the clubs I have played for, I've always had to fight for my place. At Deportivo for example, it wasn't easy to win myself a spot in the team. I have total confidence in my qualities because I've grown a lot during those two years at Depor. I have four more years on my contract, so Deportivo has every right to ask a certain fee for my transfer. Nobody foreced me last year to sign a five-year contract. I did it because I wanted it, so I cannot start a fight with Deportivo one year later.


Catalan radio station Ona FM
I want to go to a Spanish top club and Barça is at this moment the best club in the world. I'm better prepared than ever to deal with the pressure of a top club. I don't know what would happen. A player has to compete for a spot and one wants to play always. I played all games with Depor and if I leave, I will keep on fighting like I always do.

The president is entitled to ask the fee he wants since there's a contract that nobody obliged me to sign. Depor treated me as if they were my family, they took care of me. They know what I want, we already talked several times about it and I will keep on doing that. I wish to stay in Spain and go to a top club. Spain is the country I like most, I'm totally adapted to the game of the Liga and to the language. I don't want to leave Spain.

It's very difficult to be part of the Brazilian national team but I have this ambition. That's why this would be an excellent move and I would have more options. On the right we have the best full-back in the world but at the left there's less competition. That's why I think that I can do it and I hope to be able to occupy that spot in the national team.


Read more:
Filipe: "I'm totally prepared for the pressure"
Deportivo rejects bid for Filipe
Filipe could sign five-year deal on Monday

Barcelona could include Keirrison in Villa deal

Catalan radio station RAC 1 claims that Barcelona could try to include Palmeiras forward Keirrison (20) in the transfer of Valencia forward and Spanish international David Villa (28).

Barcelona would have a first option on the Brazilian striker and would be considering to sign the player to include him afterwards in the deal on Villa. Valencia would nevertheless not be interested in the player.

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain met yesterday with André Cury, the head of sports marketing agency Traffic that owns the transfer rights of Keirrison. A transfer fee of between 10 and 15 million euro° would have been put forward.

Asked about the rumours, Palmeiras sports director Toninho Cecílio said in an interview with Brazilian sports paper Lance that a transfer is not an option at the moment: "We shouldn't be answering this type of questions the whole time. We know how to deal with this, we know that is normal because he's a very good player, but the club wants to win trophies and the sale of Keirrison isn't an issue for now. He has signed for four years and we plan to keep him. We will only sell when the club and his agency think it's a good deal. Our president Belluzzo has to sign too and that's not close to happen at this moment."

Read more:
Barcelona met with Keirrison last week
Barcelona makes new bid for Villa
Principal agreement with Keirrison

Ribery prefers to join Madrid

Asked about the rumours linking Bayern Munich attacker and French international Franck Ribéry (26) with a move to Spain (read more here), the player's agent Alain Migliaccio has said in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 that the Frenchman prefers to join Real Madrid:

"Ribéry rather prefers to play at Real Madrid than at Barcelona. The player has talked with Zinédine Zidane and because of him he wants to join Madrid. At this moment, everything is put on hold because the people of Bayern are on holidays until the end of the month. I cannot tell you anything more until after we've met with them in the coming weeks."

Read more:
Bayern denies again that Ribery is for sale
The report of Txiki (3) : 60 million for Eto'o
Laporta talks with Bayern president about Ribery

Liverpool rejects first bid for Mascherano

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona has made Liverpool a few days ago a 20 million euro° bid for Liverpool defensive midfielder and Argentine international Javier Mascherano (25) through the player's agent Walter Tamer but that the English club has rejected the offer.

Tamer would then have raised the bid to 20 million euro plus the loan or the transfer of a Barcelona player who can leave the club but Liverpool doesn't seem willing to consider the offer unless more important players are offered.

Asked about the rumours linking Mascherano with a move to Barcelona, Federico Vitali, another agent of the player, said in an interview with Catalan radio station Ona FM that there aren't direct negotiations between the two clubs at this moment: "Barcelona is of course interested in Javier Mascherano but until Barcelona start talking with Liverpool, no progress will be made. It's clear that Mascherano wants to play at Barcelona, every Argentinian player would want that."

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Liverpool asks 40 million euro° plus the loan of Barcelona forward Bojan (18). British tabloid The Daily Mail claims that Liverpool wants to let the player go for a fee of at least 41,5 million euro°, while Barcelona would be ready to offer 24 million euro° plus Bojan. Sport claims that a loan of Bojan is not an option. British newspaper The Times claims that Mascherano is valued at 36 million euro°.

British tabloid The Daily Mirror on the other hand claims that Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez has made it clear that Mascherano will not be allowed to leave at any price and that the coach will now call a summet with the player's agent to insist that the Argentinian midfielder must honour the three years left on his contract.

Spanish radio station Cadena Ser meanwhile claims that Real Madrid made an 30 to 35 million euro° bid for Mascherano. Catalan radio station RAC 1 claims, based upon sources from the entourage of the player, that Madrid didn't yet make a formal offer. The Times claims that Madrid is prepared to pay 45 million euro° for Mascherano and Liverpool right back Arbeloa and that Benítez is close to conceding defeat in his attempts to keep he Argentinian.

Read more:
Meeting on Mascherano in Barcelona
The report of Txiki (2) : Mascherano priority