Guardiola rejects to sign Rafinha and Mongongu

Catalan sports paper El 9 Esportiu claims that Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola has rejected the transfers of AS Monaco central defender and Congo international Cédric Mongongu (20 - picture) and Schalke 04 right back defender Rafinha (23).

Both players reportedly had been put forward by the club earlier this week as alternatives for the transfer of Shakhtar centre-back Chygrynskiy. After the rejection by Guardiola, Barcelona would have decided to make a new attempt for the Ukrainian defender.

Catalan sports paper Sport and El Mundo Deportivo both confirm that Chygrynskiy is the only defender Guardiola wants to sign before the end of the summer transfer window. If that transfer would not be possible, the Catalan coach would prefer to give the youth players a chance.

Madrid sports tabloid As claims that Rafinha was offered to Barcelona by Brazilian sports marketing agency Traffic through players' agents Marcos and Naor Malaquías. Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain would have been in favour of the option to sign the Brazilian right back.

Read more:
Bid for Schalke right back Rafinha
New contacts with Shakhtar on Chygrynskiy
Three central defenders offered to Barcelona

Bid for Schalke right back Rafinha

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona has made a first bid for Schalke 04 right back defender Rafinha (23).

Marcos Malaquías, the agent of both Rafinha and Barcelona player Henrique, met with Barcelona oficials yesterday before travelling to Germany to discuss a transfer of Rafinha with Schalka 04 board members.

While Barcelona reportedly made an offer of 4 million euros°, the German Bundesliga club would be asking a transfer fee of 10 million euros° for Rafinha, who isn't comfortable at Schalke anymore after an incident regarding the player's participation in last year's Olympic games, and would be delighted to join Barcelona. The contract of Rafinha expires in the summer of 2011.

Read more:
Eight names on right-back short list
Rafinha dreaming of Barcelona

Eight names on right-back short list

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola has been proposed by the club a short list, including videos, of candidates to strenghten the right back positon.

It's now up to the coach to inidicate his priority so Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain and Barcelona director of football Raúl Sanllehí can then start to move for the player.

Barcelona would be looking for a quality player, with good technical skills, an attacking way of playing, who's physically strong and agressive.

The names on the short list would include the following eight players:

César Azpilicueta (19 - Osasuna)
Cicinho (29 - Roma)
Emmanuel Eboué (26 - Arsenal)
Zdenek Grygera (29 - Juventus)
Jonás Gutiérrez (26 - Newcastle)
Andoni Iraola (27 - Athletic)
Rafinha (23 - Schalke)
Darijo Srna (27 - Shakhtar)

Read more:
Decisive day for transfer Eboue
Looking for a right back defender
Cicinho and Grygera also options for right back

How things stand: Right back defender

(a few weeks before the end of the season, Barça Transfer Zone looks forward to the coming transfer summer making an analysis for each position, in part 2 we look at the right back defender)

2007-2008
With Belletti joining Chelsea in late August, everything was clear at the start of the season: Gianluca Zambrotta (31) would act as regular with Oleguer Presas (28) as his back-up.

Consecutive injuries of Oleguer caused the return of captain Carles Puyol (30) for more than ten official games to the place where he started his first team career. It even looked for a while like Puyol would become the first-choice right back, with Márquez replacing him in the centre. An injury of the Mexican could have prevented this from happening.

Out
Italian international Zambrotta, whose contract expires in 2010, is almost certainly returning to his home country in the summer. A deal with AC Milan seemed close (read more here and here), but the difficult negotiations on a transfer of Ronaldinho could postpone the final agreement. Milan seems to offer between 5 and 7 million euro° for the player. There have also been rumours about Juventus and Inter Milan.

Being a good team player, Oleguer is probably not very high on the Barcelona exit list. But if the player would like to leave to have more playing time, the club would not prevent that from happening. After being linked with Lazio Roma and Wolfsburg during the January transfer window, a few weeks ago there were claims about Ajax wanting to sign the Catalan defender on loan.

In
With Zambrotta on his way out, one of the main tasks in the coming transfer window is the transfer of a top right back defender. The first choice for this position is undoubtedly Dani Alves (Sevilla - 24). If Sevilla wants to sell this time, the player is not expected to leave for less than 30 or even 35 million euro°.

Second choice is Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich - 24), whose contract with Bayern expires in 2009 and who is not planning to sign a renewal. If Bayern accepts the full back to leave, the transfer price is expected to be between 9 and 15 million euro°. Lahm can also play as left back defender.

Other players that have been mentioned are David Cortés (Getafe - 28), Rafinha (Schalke 04 - 22), Emmanuel Eboué (Arsenal - 24), Willy Sagnol (Bayern Munich - 31) and Maicon (Inter Milan - 26). Central defenders Fabricio Coloccini (Deportivo - 26) and Gerard Piqué (Manchester United - 21) and defensive midfielder Stéphane Mbia (Rennes - 21) have also experience on the right back position.


Read all How things stand contributions here in the coming weeks or read the contribution about:
Goal keeper - Right back defender - Central defenders - Left back defender - Defensive midfielder - Attacking midfielders - Wing attackers - Centre forward

Rafinha dreaming of Barcelona

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that, if a transfer of Sevilla right back Dani Alves (24) or Bayern Munich full back Philipp Lahm (24) wouldn't be possible, the alternative to replace Gianluca Zambrotta (31) could well be Schalke 04 right back Rafinha (22). The Brazilian is quoted as saying: "Signing for Barcelona, since always one of my favourite clubs, would be dream come true."

The paper thinks the market value of the player, whose contract expires in 2011, would be between 10 and 16 million euro (°).