Guardiola rejects transfer Bruno Alves

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain has offered Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola alternatives for Shakhtar centre-back Chygrynskiy during a meeting on Thursday evening (read more here).

The names of several central defenders and right back defenders would have been put forward, one of them being Porto central defender and Portuguese international Bruno Alves (27). Begiristain would have had several contracts with Jorge Mendes, the player's agent, and would be confident he can sign Bruno Alves if the coach gives the green light. Guardiola nevertheless rejected all alternatives.

Read more:
Bruno Alves stays an option for Barcelona
Guardiola rejects to sign Rafinha and Mongongu
Barcelona preparing strong bid for Bruno Alves

Who are the super-agents?

author: Rory Smith
source: The Daily Telegraph
date: 12 June 2009
editing: fcbtransfers.blogspot.com





Jorge Mendes (picture)
Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent made his name brokering Jose Mourinho’s move from Porto to Chelsea in 2004 and now stands to make around £5 million from the Ronaldo move alone. Mendes now deals only with the very top clubs in Europe.

Pini Zahavi
The former Israeli journalist went on to become football’s first - and some would say still only - true super-agent. He is close to Roman Abramovich and was the first port of call for Manchester City after they became the world’s richest club last year.

Ernesto Bronzetti
The man who AC Milan and Juventus turn to for advice on all of their transfer dealings. Bronzetti was at the heart of Manchester City’s botched move for Kaka in January - on the Italian side - and remains Serie A’s Mr Fix-It of choice.

Gines Carvajal
The man who represents Raul, Iker Casillas and Guti, as well as a host of other players around Spain, is the most powerful agent in a country with more players’ representatives than any other. Carvajal is closely linked with both Madrid clubs and is a friend of Florentino Perez.

Vincenzo Morabito
Closely linked with both AC Milan and Roma, few deals come to fruition in Italy without Morabito’s involvement. He is most usually mentioned in dispatches in connection with Emmanuel Adebayor, the most high-profile client of his FIMO firm.

read the full and original article here


Read more:
Deco and Marquez represented by superagent

Txiki met with agent Bruno Alves

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain dined on Wednesday evening in Hotel La Florida in Barcelona with Jorge Mendes, the agent of Porto central defender and Portuguese international Bruno Alves (27).

Although different subjects were discussed, Begiristain mainly wanted to hear first hand from Mendes, who's also the agent of (former) Barcelona players Márquez, Deco and Quaresma, about the situation of Bruno Alves (read more here).

Before Barcelona moves for the Portuguese defender, the club wants to know what they can expect. At this point, it looks like a deal with Bruno Alves wouldn't be a problem but Porto is expected to ask a high fee for the player.

Read more:
Porto denies talks with Barcelona on Bruno Alves
Possible pre-agreement with Bruno Alves

Nani was on top of the transfer list

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Manchester United winger and Portuguese international Nani (21) was at the beginning of this year one of the three names (together with Daniel Alves and Franck Ribéry) on top of the Barcelona transfer list for the 2008-2009 season.

Because the Barcelona technical staff was convinced that the Portuguese will be one of the best football players in the coming years, Nani was one of the first options on which Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain started working.

Begiristain contacted Jorge Mendes, the agent of Nani, who was very clear when he told the sports director that a transfer was simply impossible.

Manchester United had just paid 25 million euro° for the player last summer and would no way allow Nani to leave after only one season. Barcelona understood the message and didn't even ask the English champions to start talking about a transfer.

Read more:

Nike wants Ronaldo in Barcelona

Bayern rejects offer for Ribery

Henry was close to Manchester United

Chelsea and Inter want to reduce Deco fee

British newspaper The Independent claims that Barcelona midfielder and Portuguese international Deco (30) is close to agreeing personal terms with English Premier League Chelsea (read more here).

With Barcelona asking 20 million euro° for the player, a deal between the two clubs nevertheless doesn't seem as close. Jorge Mendes, Deco's agent, is negotiating with Barcelona trying to convince them to reduce the fee. Chelsea would be willing to pay 13 million euro°.

Inter Milan would als be reluctant to pay the fee demanded by Barelona and has therefore set their sights on trying to land Chelsea's Frank Lampard. Inter manager José Mourinho meanwhile suggested in Brazil to journalists that he hasn't yet given up on the Portuguese midfielder:

"I cannot forget Deco, Lampard and Drogba. I am not nostalgic but I really like those three players, they helped me win some great titles. These are players who I could never say no to. I would love to work with them again in the future, but I am not too obsessed with this idea. I don't know which of these three will leave their clubs but we will see."

Read more:
Scolari will take Deco with him to Chelsea
Deco top target for Bayern
Chelsea or Inter for Deco

Deco and Marquez represented by superagent

British newspaper The Independent had last week an interesting profile of Portuguese player's agent Jorge Mendes, who is currently representing Barcelona players Deco and Márquez.










How Mendes has made himself key player behind the biggest deals in Europe

Scolari's move to Chelsea is just the latest multi-million pound move to be brokered by the Portuguese superagent.

When Jorge Mendes was asked to write a column for the Portuguese sports daily, O Jogo, during the European Championship, the title that was originally suggested, somewhat jokingly, was "My Millions". Mendes said no to that, instead agreeing to the column being called "The Value of Euros" which could, even so, be interpreted two ways. It's not just the football competition; it's the currency.

Mendes' name doesn't mean much to the average football fan. But it should. Still just 42, he is one of the most powerful men – maybe in terms of deals the most powerful man – in the game. Mendes is also an agent, a shrewd businessman and a clever media operator with his own management company, website, which employs full-time journalists, and contacts that spread from his Portuguese base throughout the world, particularly in the valuable markets of South America.

Pini Zahavi has long been regarded as the number one super-agent but, this summer, as with last year, Mendes' name is being mentioned by the biggest clubs in Europe as the man with the greater influence. He has just taken Jose Mourinho to Internazionale and Luiz Felipe Scolari to Chelsea to make the pair the highest-paid club managers in world football.

That Mendes has found time to write a column is astonishing. He has been, and is set to continue to be, the busiest agent in the business and makes many millions indeed. Having been allowed by Scolari to have access to the Portugal team hotel during the European Championship, Mendes has been a visible presence at the opulent lakeside complex as he looks after his clients and plots their futures.

Referred to as a "tranquil oasis" in the hotel blurb, the Beau Rivage in Neuchâtel has been anything but that for Mendes. Not only has he schemed to get Scolari to Stamford Bridge but he is also at the heart of deciding what will happen to his star client, Cristiano Ronaldo, who wants to move to Real Madrid. Then there is Deco, Ricardo Carvalho, Ricardo Quaresma. The list goes on.

Not a single player, it seems, leaves Portugal, or moves clubs, without Mendes being involved and it has already been calculated, probably correctly, that Scolari's squad is the most valuable in the tournament on the transfer market. And Mendes represents the eight biggest names.


Read the full story here


Read more:
Deco chooses Chelsea over Inter
Marquez offered to Atlético Madrid
Deco could swap places with Lampard or Gattuso

Deco chooses Chelsea over Inter

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona midfielder and Portugal international Deco (30) has decided to join English Premier League club Chelsea in the summer.

Deco's agent Jorge Mendes has been talking over the last weeks with Inter sports director Marco Branca and Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon. Deco himself would have talked several times with new Inter manager José Mourinho.

Because Chelsea made a better financial offer and because he would really become the key figure in the English team, Deco would now have chosen the Chelsea option. If nothing unexpected happen, Deco will soon sign his contract. At Chelsea the Brazilian born player could possibly team up again with current Portuguese national team coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.

British tabloid Mail on Sunday also claims that Deco is close to signing for Chelsea. The arrival of Deco would clear the way for Frank Lampard to leave Chelsea for Inter. Barcelona would receive a transfer fee of little less than 20 million euro°.

Read more:

Deco could swap places with Lampard or Gattuso

Mourinho takes Deco with him to Inter

Malouda is on the list

Marquez offered to Atlético Madrid

Madrid sports tabloid As claims that Jorge Mendes, the agent of Barcelona cental defender and Mexican international Rafael Márquez (29), has offered the player to Atlético Madrid (read more here).

Márquez' current year salary of 5 million euro could be a major problem, although Mendes would have suggested that the player would accept a lower salary.

While Barcelona last year blocked a transfer of the player to Atlético, they would now be willing to cooperate. The contract of Márquez expires in 2010.

Read more:
Atletico Madrid confirms Marquez interest
Guardiola wants to keep Marquez
Marquez wants to stay

Deco could swap places with Lampard or Gattuso

British tabloid News of the World claims that Chelsea is interested Barcelona midfielder and Portuguese international Deco (30), who will leave Barcelona in the summer (read more here).

And with Chelsea midfielder and English international Frank Lampard (29) still wanted by Barcelona, a swap deal could be a possibility.

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that AC Milan has contacted Jorge Mendes and Sergio Alves, the agents of Deco, to ask about the situation of the player, who is also followed by Newcastle.

Milan is aware of the interest of city-rivals Inter, who contacted Deco before through former Barcelona and Inter player Luis Suárez. The Italians would want to close the deal before former Chelsea manager José Mourinho joins Inter, since Deco would like to team-up with his former coach. Milan defensive midfielder Gennaro Gattuso (30) could be included in the deal.

Read more:
Which Milan for Deco?
Deco out? Lampard in
Chelsea closing in on Xavi