Barcelona has arrived in England

FC Barcelona's official website reports that the team arrived in London at 5:35 PM, on July 21st. They were led by team vice-president Rafael Yuste on a specially chartered flight. 52 other members of the club joined Yuste on the trip, totaling 28 players and 25 staff.

The team held an early training session this morning at the Sports Centre before heading to the airport. The flight left Barcelona at 4:50 pm and landed at Luton airport just under two hours later. Upon landing in London they headed to the Danesfield House Hotel & Spa, where they will make their stay for the duration of the trip.

The team will conduct two training sessions, one in the morning followed by one in the afternoon, during each of the following two days. FC Barcelona will match up against Tottenham Hotspur on Friday in their first friendly of the season. On Sunday they are scheduled to play Al-Ahly from Egypt.

Read more:
First training of the season
Medical tests to start pre-season

Bolton could try for Gudjohnsen

Greater Manchester regional newspaper Manchester Evening News claims that English permier League club Bolton Wanderers could be interested in Barcelona attacker and Iceland international Eidur Gudjohnsen (30).

Bolton manager Gary Megson is thought to have enquired about the former Bolton player last year and Bolton might now have been alerted to Gudjohnsen's statements that he could return to England (read more here). West Ham, Blackburn and Tottenham are also said to have been linked with Gudjohnsen, whose contract expires next summer.

Read more:
Gudjohnsen still didn't make a decision on future
Jaaskelainen is on the list
Gudjohnsen will most likely leave

Youth: Carmona followed by European clubs

Italian football site Tuttomercatoweb claims that several European clubs are interested in Barcelona Juvenil A left wing attacker Adrià Carmona (17).

Tottenham, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Sevilla, Manchester City, Panthinaikos and Borussia Dortmund would all be monitoring Carmona, but Barcelona would have no plans to let the Catalan winger leave.

Read more:
Youth: Adria Carmona
Barcelona's Spanish U-17 Stars
English and Italian clubs monitoring Barça youth

Barcelona offers Eto'o to English clubs

British tabloid The Daily Mail claims that Barcelona is offering Barcelona forward and Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o (28) to clubs from the English Premier League.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta is said to have flown into London yesterday seeking to sound out several possible buyers, with a Spanish source being quoted as saying that Manchester City is on top of the list: "Laporta will meet first with Manchester City, but will also listen to any club ready to pay a good fee."

Barcelona would be asking a transfer price of around 35 million euro° for Eto'o, who could be the sort of high profile player Manchester City want to sign during the summer transfer window. Chelsea and Tottenham would also be asked if they are interested.

British newspaper The Guardian claims that Laporta met in London with Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook and that Barcelona is asking a fee of 45 million euro° for Eto'o, whose contract with Barcelona expires at the end of next season. The rest of the British media have taken over the report.

British sports site Sky Sports meanwhile claims that Manchester City officials would have denied that talks took place on Monday and have dismissed reports about having made a formal approach and a bid for the Cameroonian forward.

pep's opinion:
quite unoriginal attempt by the british press (i cannot understand that also presumed quality paper like the guardian and the times are bringing this) to destabilize barcelona ahead of tonight’s game. if they had done their homework, they would at least have suggested that it was txiki who has travelled to london…

Read more:
Eto'o turns down Manchester City offer
Next week negotiations with Tottenham on Eto'o
Eto'o repeats his intention of staying

Ex-Barça: Giovani to Ipswich Town on loan

English Premier League club Tottenham has yesterday officially announced the transfer of Tottenham attacker and Mexican international Giovani dos Santos (19) to Ipswich Town on loan for the rest of the season. The English second division club has officially confirmed the deal.

The statement on the official website of Tottenham reads: "Giovani Dos Santos has joined Ipswich Town on loan for the rest of the season. The Mexican international was a summer signing from Barcelona and has gone on to make 12 appearances in our colours. The 19-year-old scored his first goal for the Club against Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Cup last month."

Giovani dos Santos came through the Barcelona youth ranks and joined the first team squad in the summer of 2007. One year later, he left for Tottenham.

Read more:
Giovani says goodbye
Marquez: "Giovani couldn't deal with the pressure"
OFFICIAL: Giovani to Tottenham

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."

Read more:
Tottenham wants Bojan on loan next season
Bojan's first tattoo
Villarreal wants Bojan for next season

Tottenham wants Bojan on loan next season

British tabloid The Daily Mirror claims that Tottenham is interested in Barcelona forward and Spanish youth international Bojan Krkic (18).

The English Premier League club would be bidding to sign the Catalan striker on loan next season.

Read more:
Bojan monitored by half of Europe
Barça B: Chelsea and Tottenham following Gai
Villarreal wants Bojan for next season

Youth: Father Deulofeu denies Liverpool deal

Asked about the rumours linking Barcelona Cadete A wing attacker and Spanish youth international Gerard Deulofeu (14) with a move to Liverpool (read more here), the player's father Marcelo Deulofeu has denied to Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo that the player has a pre-agreement with the English Premier League club.

Marcelo Deulofeu did confirm that Liverpool is following his son for a while now and that Barcelona already asked the Catalan player not to leave the club.

The player's father regretted that people are trying to set things up without his involvement, while he and his wife María Jesús are the only legal representatives of the young attacker. The paper claims that other clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid, Tottenham and Villarreal are also interested in the player.

Read more:
Youth: Chelsea confirms monitoring Deulofeu
English and Italian clubs monitoring Barça youth
Youth: Liverpool prepares offer for Deulofeu

Last summer's search for a striker

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that, after deciding that they wouldn't count on Samuel Eto'o for the next season, Barcelona started looking earlier this year for the best possible successor.

Barcelona's technical staff started with a list of 15 to 20 players, on which Barcelona had detailled reports. In a first shifting, several names were deleted from the list, among which Ajax forward Huntelaar (25), who didn't get the full support of Joahn Cruijff.

The first choice of Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain was Lyon forward Karim Benzema (20), who soon appeared not to be for sale despite Barcelona being willing to make a bid of 40 million euro°. Barcelona then started working on the transfers of Arsenal forward Adebayor (24) and Tottenham forward Berbatov (27).

Because of the unclear plans of Mourinho at Inter and the uncertainty surrounding Drogba leaving Chelsea or Cristiano Ronaldo joining Real Madrid, the market didn't move between May and July. Barcelona tried to force a deal by offering Eto'o in swap deals with Adebayor and with Inter forward Ibrahimovich (27), but no club was willing to accept Eto'o's salary demands.

Although other names - like Stuttgart forward Gómez (23) and Bayern forward Luca Toni (31) - were discussed, it was in the end decided that Eto'o would stay with the club and that no transfer would be made.

Read more:
Barcelona working on Benzema transfer
Berbatov alternative for Adebayor
Meeting with Inter president on Ibrahimovich

Gai not looking for an exit

Spanish football site Airfutbol claims that Barcelona Atlètic wing attacker and Israel youth international Gai Assulin (17) is not looking for an exit.

Asked about the rumours linking him with a move to the Enghlish Premier League (read more here), Gai said that he doesn't have plans to leave Barcelona. The player would like to continue with Barcelona because he is grateful that the club believed in him when he was an unknown player.

Besides that, Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola would have told the Israeli winger that he will start training with the first team once he obtains the Spanish nationality, something that would allow Gai to keep on switching between the first team and the B team (read more here).

The site claims that Gai has already rejected several offers from English clubs in the past years. In the summer of 2007, the attacker would have been very close to a transfer. Back then he visited the Chelsea facilities and was ready to sign but after his holidays in Israel he decided to continue at Barcelona.

British tabloid News of the World nevertheless claims that Gai, who is represented by player's agent Pini Zahavi, is not happy in Barcelona and would be ready to leave Spain, with London being his favoured destination.

Zahavi, who took Giovani to Tottenham last summer, is now hoping to succeed in persuading Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp to make an offer for Gai. English Premier League club Chelsea could also make a move in the January transfer window.

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that the entourage of the player thinks that Gai isn't getting enough chances at Barcelona. Zahavi would therefore have offered the player to Manchester United and Chelsea.

Read more:
Barça B: Chelsea and Tottenham following Gai

Gai could soon make first team debut
Barça B: Gai coming to terms with non-promotion

Watch this video of Gai:

Barça B: Chelsea and Tottenham following Gai

Madrid sports tabloid Marca claims that English Premier League clubs Chelsea and Tottenham are very closely following Barcelona Atlètic wing attacker and Israel youth international Gai Assulin (17) (read more here).

The two clubs have excellent scouting reports of Gai and both Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari as new Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp would have asked their clubs to try to sign the Barcelona youth player.



Read more:
Gai could soon make first team debut
Youth: Chelsea all over Barcelona youth academy
Barça B: English clubs interested in Gai







Watch a video of Gai here:

Youth: Jonathan on his way to Tottenham

Spanish footbal site Airfutbol claims that Barcelona Juvenil A attacking midfielder and Mexican youth international Jonathan dos Santos (18) will most probably join Tottenham during the winter transfer window (read more here).

Jonathan, whose brother Giovani joined the English Premier League club this summer (read more here), would start playing for Tottenham's reserves team from January.



Read more:
Youth: Tottenham wants Jonathan dos Santos
Youth: Jonathan dos Santos
OFFICIAL: Giovani to Tottenham


Watch a video of Jonathan:

Giovani doesn't regret summer move

In an interview with his new club’s official magazine Hotspur, Tottenham attackerand Mexican international Giovani dos Santos (19) has insisted he does not regret leaving Barcelona for the English Premier League during the summer:

"I'm looking for opportunities to grow as a player and I saw Spurs as the kind of place where I could really develop. I did have other offers, but Spurs was the club I keenly wanted to come to because I know this team is really developing. I believe this club has a big, big future and I want to play my part in that. Now I'm here, I'm really happy."

Read more:
OFFICIAL: Giovani to Tottenham
Deco and Giovani are seen as bargains
Youth: Tottenham wants Jonathan dos Santos

Read the complete Giovani dos Santos transfer story from the first rumours until the official confirmation

Deco and Giovani are seen as bargains

British tabloid The Sun has put together a list of the best Premier League bargains this summer.

With Mikael Silvestre (from Manchester United to Arsenal for 850 000 euro) as number one bargain, former Barcelona players Deco and Giovani are on the list at places 3 and 7, with the following comments:




3. Deco (10 million euro)
Deco was hardly cheap but when you compare his fee to the number of expensive flops at Chelsea and beyond, he may emerge as a sharp piece of business. The Portugal midfielder has already proved himself as a matchwinner at Wigan last month and he has a track record of success.

7. Giovani (6+5 million euro)
It was not long ago that Chelsea were weighing up an eight-figure move for the Mexican, so Spurs now look like an early riser at the Christmas sales. Dos Santos is still a raw talent but if boss Juande Ramos can bring the best out of him, Barcelona may rue letting him go.

Read more:
OFFICIAL: Deco to Chelsea
OFFICIAL: Giovani to Tottenham

Youth: Tottenham wants Jonathan dos Santos

Spanish football site Join Futbol claims that English Premier League club Tottenham is interested in Barcelona Juvenil A attacking midfielder and Mexican youth international Jonathan dos Santos (18), the younger brother of Tottenham player Giovani.

Tottenham manager Juande Ramos has personally asked his club to try and sign Jonathan for Tottenham's reserve team.

Spanish football site Airfutbol claims that an agreement couldn't be reached before the summer transfer window closed on Monday. Tottenham will come back in January and a transfer deal will most probably be found then.

Read more:
Youth: Jonathan dos Santos waiting for renewal
Youth - Official: Valles to NAC Breda
Youth: Jonathan dos Santos won't follow brother

Case closed: Berbatov

Tottenham forward and Bulgarian international Dimitar Berbatov (27) will not play for Barcelona as of this season, like had been rumoured over the last months (read more here).

Manchester United has yesterday officially announced the transfer of Berbatov. The statement on the club's official website reads as follows: "Manchester United are delighted to announce the signing of Dimitar Berbatov. The Bulgarian international striker, 27, has signed a four-year contract after joining from Tottenham Hotspur for an undisclosed fee. As part of the deal, United striker Fraizer Campbell will spend the rest of the 2008/09 season on loan at White Hart Lane."

Tottenham officially confirmed the news earlier today: "The Club can announce that it has reached agreement with Manchester United for the permanent transfer of Dimitar Berbatov for a fee of [37,8 million euro°]. As part of the settlement the Club has agreed not to pursue its official complaint to the Premier League. The deal sees Fraizer Campbell coming the other way on a season long loan."

Read more:

Case closed: Adebayor
Case closed: Guiza

Case closed: Pavlyuchenko

Read the complete Berbatov-linked-with-Barcelona story

Case closed: Pavlyuchenko

Spartak Moscow forward and Russian international Roman Pavlyuchenko (26) will not play for Barcelona as of next season, like had been rumoured a few times over the last months (read more here).

English Premier League club Tottenham has yesterday officially announced the transfer: " We are delighted to announce that we have reached agreement with Spartak Moscow for the transfer of Roman Pavlyuchenko to the Club."

It is reported that Spartak Moscow has received a transfer fee of 17,5 million euro° for their striker.

Read more:

Case closed: Adebayor

Case closed: Guiza

Case closed: Van der Vaart

Tottenham manager denies Eto'o and Berbatov

Asked about the rumours linking Barcelona forward and Cameroonian international Samuel Eto'o (27) with a move to his club (read more here), Tottenham manager Juande Ramos has said in an interview with Catalan sports paper Sport that the striker is not an option for his club:

"I can only say that at this point I don't know anything about that. We have a list of forwards we're interested in and that's the one we're working on, which is not the one composed by journalists and agents."

About the rumours linking Tottenham forward and Bulgarian international Dimitar Berbatov (27) with Barcelona (read more here), Ramos said that he's unaware of that also: "No one of Barcelona has asked me anything about Berbatov. I'm not aware of any talks or negotiations. I only know the things that have been reported in the press. I don't know if Berbatov will stay with us or not. We're waiting to see what will happen."

Read more:

Barcelona still interested in Berbatov

Tottenham, Chelsea and Inter looking at Eto'o

Who has the money to buy Eto'o?

Barcelona still interested in Berbatov

British tabloid The Daily Express claims that Barcelona is still interested in signing Tottenham forward and Bulgarian international Dimitar Berbatov (27).

Barcelona thinks that the good relationship they built up with Tottenham during the negotiations that saw Giovani dos Santos move to the English Premier League earlier this summer will work to their advantage.

It is believed that Tottenham would be prepared to accept an offer of around 30 million euro° in order to sell Berbatov abroad, rather than accepting a Manchester United bid.

Read more:

Berbatov prefers Barcelona

Txiki on Eto'o, Benzema, Henry and other strikers

Looking for a left winger and a centre forward

Tottenham, Chelsea and Inter looking at Eto'o

British tabloid The Daily Mail claims that English Premier League clubs Tottenham and Chelsea and Italian champions Inter Milan are closely monitoring the events surrounding Barcelona forward and Cameroonian international Samuel Eto'o (27).

With Barcelona wanting to solve the situation in the coming week, Tottenham and Chelsea could be set to battle it out for the striker.

Tottenham is said to be in pole position since Barcelona is keen on Tottenham forward Berbatov, who could be included in the deal. Tottenham manager Juande Ramos would be a long-time admirer of Eto'o.

Read more:
Chelsea leads the race to sign Eto'o

Guardiola agrees to Eto'o staying

Eto'o only considering four teams