Youth: Jean Carlos Chera (Santos)

Brazilian sports site UOL Esporte reports that Barcelona is interested in Santos youth player Jean Carlos Chera (13) and has contacted the player’s family.

Asked about the rumours linking the midfielder to several European top clubs, the player’s father Celso Chera confirmed to the site that Barcelona is among the interested clubs but that there’s no intention to leave the Brazilian club soon:

“We have already received dozens of offers from other clubs. Manchester United, Barcelona, AC Milan, Sevilla? Yes, among others. And you know that local clubs cannot compete with the foreign market.

But there is a mutual respect with Santos. There’s no penalty clause like has been said but our word is worth more than anything else. The dream of Jean is to become a professional player at Santos and that’s why he now has a contract until 2011. He dreams about playing the World Cup in 2014 together with Neymar (another Santos youth player), while being a Santos player. So he doesn’t want to leave the club.”

Read more:
Barcelona interested in Keirrison and Neymar
Youth: Douglas Costa de Souza (Gremio)
Barcelona following Brazilian striker Dentinho


Watch a video of Chera here:

Barcelona interested in Keirrison and Neymar

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona is closely monitoring the Brazilian transfer market.

The club would at this moment be most interested in Palmeiras forward Keirrison (20) and Santos forward and Brazilian youth international Neymar (17 – picture).

Both players would have been scouted several times by Barcelona head scout Pepe Costa. Barcelona sports director Txiki Begristain was yesterday invited by Traffic, Keirrison’s player's agency, to assist a Brazilian league game between Palmeiras and Bragantino (read more here).

Read more:
Barcelona in pole position for Keirrison
Transfer of Aguero is well underway
Keirrison dreams of Barcelona move


Watch this video of Keirrison:




Watch this video of Neymar:

Ex-Barça: Giovanni to Mogi Mirim

Brazilian regional club Mogi Mirim has officially announced on Friday the transfer of former Barcelona player Giovanni (36).

The former Brazilian international was without a club since he left Brazilian club Recife last year. Giovanni's ex-teammate Rivaldo is the president of Mogi Mirim.

Arriving from Brazilian club Santos in 1996, Giovanni played three seasons for Barcelona. In 1999, he left for Greek club Olympiacos. With Barcelona, Giovanni won two Spanish leagues in 1998 and 1999, two Spanish cups in 1997 and 1998, one European cup winner's cup in 1997 and one European super cup in 1997.

Read more:
Ex-Barça: Geovanni to Hull City
Ex-Barça: Litmanen to Lahti
Ex-Barça: Rivaldo to Bunyodkor

Read more ex-Barça stories here