Bruno Saltor still not excluding Barcelona move

Although several media claim that the player could sign a deal with Valencia today, Almería right back defender Bruno Saltor (28) said yesterday in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 that Barcelona was still an option:

"I don't really know what is going on because I'm on holiday, but I'm relaxed because I know my representatives are taking care of things.

It's true that with Barça everything seems to be put on hold, but I still can't exclude joining them. It's great that important clubs like that are intrested in you, but what should happen will happen.

The deal with Betis was cancelled after they got relegated. There are still some things to take care off, but I don't think that will cause any problem."

Read more here:
Right back Bruno Saltor could be first transfer
Barcelona wants Cesc and four other players

Bojan will not leave on loan this summer

Catalan sports papers El Mundo Deportivo and Sport both claim that Barcelona forward and Spanish youth international Bojan Krkic (18) will not leave on loan in the summer.

With the permission of Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola and according to the wish of the player (read more here), the club would have decided on Wednesday that Bojan will stay with the team next season. Barcelona would have informed the player's agent Ramón Sostres about the decision during a meeting yesterday.

Sport claims that Dutch champions AZ Alkmaar would have been the last club to have asked for the player, with new AZ manager Ronald Koeman having discussed a possible loan with Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain.

El Mundo Deportivo claimed earlier this week that Deportivo had given up on Bojan (read more here) but that Barcelona was considering to include the loan of Bojan in an offer for Atlético Madrid striker Forlán.

Almería sports director Alberto Benito said two days ago in an interview with local televisión channel Interalmería Televisión that Almería would give a loan another try (read more here): "Our president is very interested in Bojan. We know it will be very difficult but the president has a great relationship with Joan Laporta and I can assure you that we will try to sign him."

But the sports director gave up on the player in an interview with Madrid sports tabloid As today: "Our interest in Bojan was real. It's a young and motivated player who could have fit in in the team. But if Barça doesn't want him to leave, we cannot do a lot about that. It's a shame, also because it's very hard to find born strikers."

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Barcelona wants Cesc and four other players

Madrid sports tabloid As claims that Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain and Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola met on Monday to discuss the coming transfer market.

Barcelona would want to sign five players this summer: a central defender, a right back defender, a left back defender, a midfielder and a left wing attacker. The right back would be Almería player Bruno Saltor (28) (read more here), while Bayer Leverkusen central defender Henrique (22) could return from loan (read more here).

Arsenal midfielder and Spanish international Cesc Fàbregas would have moved to make a transfer possible. The Catalan player wouldn't want to stay at a club where he cannot compete for the trophies. Some sources indicate that Cesc and Barcelona would even already have signed a deal and that the player will join Barcelona next month. The transfer price wouldn't be less than 50 million euro°, although it cannot be excluded that the fee would drop because of clauses based trophies won and games played.

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Barcelona ready to move for Cesc

Right back Bruno Saltor could be first transfer

Catalan radio station Ona FM claims that Barcelona wants to sign Almería right back defender Bruno Saltor (28) this summer.

The Catalan defender had a pre-agreement with Betis Sevilla, but the agreement will be broken because Betis got relegated to the Spanish second divsion last weekend and Bruno could now accept an offer by Barcelona.

Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain would already have met twice with the agent of the player. Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola would have talked with Bruno when Barcelona faced Almería in March to inform him that they were closely following him.

Valencia and Atlético Madrid are also interested but the negotiations with Barcelona are the most advanced and the player prefers to join Barcelona. The contract of Bruno at Almería expired this summer, which means he would join Barcelona on a free transfer.

Sources closes to the player told Spanish news agency Europa Press that Bruno is looking at other options after the relegation of Betis. Asked about the rumours linking him with a move to barcelona, Bruno said in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 that he's very happy with the interest: "Barça is the best team in the world and I would be delighted to be able to play there. If this would go through, I won't play complicate things but I want to stay calm now."

Read more:
Almeria president confirms interest in Bojan loan

Zaragoza and Shakhtar interested in Bojan

Madrid sports tabloid As claims that Spanish second division club Zaragoza is interested in Barcelona forward and Spanish youth international Bojan Krkic (18).

At the petition of manager Marcelino, Zaragoza wants to make Barcelona a formal offer for a one year loan without option to buy once they're mathematically certain of the promotion to the Primera División.

It is expected that a possible loan of Bojan will be discussed this summer between the player, Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola and Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain. Almería and Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk would the clubs that are at this moment most insisting for the Catalan striker (read more here).

Read more:
Bojan has received almost twenty loan offers
Poll result: Bojan's future
Bojan linked with loan move to Deportivo and Betis

Negredo not excluding joining Barcelona

Asked if he would be willing to join Barcelona (read more here), Almería forward Alvaro Negredo (23) has said in an interview with Spanish online newspaper Diario Siglo XXI that he doesn't exclude the option:

"I'm not closing the door for anything. Barça is a big club and football players want to play at the best teams and Barça is one of them... Can they be stopped? Yes... but not at this moment (laughs). It's clear that the way they are playing is incredible. They have the treble within reach.

I don't know where I will play next season. Real Madrid has an option to buy me back, although I don't know if they will use it. I also will have to look at the different options. If Madrid wants me back just to use me in another transfer deal, it should also be in my interests. I can only say that I have three games left this season and no better way to end my stay here than winning three times."

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Almeria's Diego Alves to rival Valdes


Watch a video of Negredo here:

Almeria president confirms interest in Bojan loan

Asked about the rumours linking Barcelona forward and Spanish youth internacional Bojan Krkic (18) with a loan move to Almería (read more here), Almería president Alfonso García has confirmed to Almería fan site Laudalmeria that the club is interested in the striker:

"Yes, we want Bojan. Bojan's father is part of Barça's technical staff and I talked with him when he came to Almería.

I asked him about the possibility of a loan. He was accidentally around and I told him we were considering the option. I will now contact Barcelona and talk with Laporta to see if there's any chance to sign Bojan so he plays with us next season.

Will he replace Negredo? Between four and eight players will leave Almería. With our budget, we cannot do anything about that. There are players who want to compete at a higher level, who have other goals, and there are bigger clubs who are interested in our players. You impossibly can prevent that from happening and not only because of financial reasons."

Read more:
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Bojan wants to stay for many more years
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Almeria wants Bojan on loan next season

Spanish television channel Canal Plus claims that Almería is interested in Barcelona forward and Spanish international Bojan Krkic (18).

Almería would already have contacted Barcelona to sound them out on the possibility to sign the Catalan striker on loan next season. Bojan would be an option to replace Almería striker Negredo, who is expected to return to Real Madrid in the summer.

Catalan sports paper Sport unconfirmedly claims that Bojan's father was in Almería last weekend to negotiate on the loan deal. Almeria fan site Laudalmeria claims that the player's parents assisted the Almería-Numancia game on Saturday and that they would already have looked for a house in the Aguadulce neighbourhood. Madrid sports tabloid As claims that Almeía has denied the rumours saying that Bojan Krkic senior was in Almería as scout for Barcelona.

Read more:
Valencia interested in Bojan loan
Bojan wants to continue next season
Arsenal interested in Bojan

Barcelona wanted to keep Chico this summer

Almería central defender and Spanish youth international José Manuel Flores "Chico" (21), who played last season on loan with Barcelona B in the fourth division, has said in an interview with Catalan sports paper Sport that Barcelona wanted to keep him this summer:

"Once the season ended, Guardiola offered me to start the pre-season with the first team but Barcelona and Cádiz, the club I still belonged to, couldn't reach an agreement.

At the same time, I received a proposal from Almería, that gave me the chance to play in the first division, and I accepted that. I would have been delighted to stay with Barcelona, although for me everything in the end also turned out well."

In an interview with Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo, Chico said that the initial plan was that he would play with Barcelona Atlètic: "I talked two or three times with Barcelona Atlètic coach Luis Enrique and his assistant Joan Barbarà. They told me back in June that they counted on me for their new project and I told hem that if I wouldn't find another deal, I would be happy to continue, but in the end things changed.

Everything has gone really fast over the last months. I didn't expect this because I went from Barcelona's second team to a first division club and I knew the competition would be hard. But I immediately had playing minutes, I scored my first goal and I was called-up for the Spanish under-21 team. I cannot ask more but this is not a time to relax. I'm delighted but the most dificult things is to keep this level now.

In the first division you have more space so in that sense it's more easier, but on the other hand the quality of the players is very good. You're playing against the best players of the world, so it's a big change. Although the level of Barcelona's second team was already quite high and almost all of them could play in the first team. And Guardiola knows that, that's why he already promoted Busquets, pedrito and Víctor Sánchez.

Barcelona has been a very positive experience for me. I developed as a player, although I came from a higher division. We won the league and promoted, I got to wear the Barcelona shirt and I got to know a lot of people, players and members of the technical staff.

When I said goodbye to Guardiola, I told him that it was a pleasure to have known him and to have learned so much from him. Guardiola wished me luck. I knew him as a player, but as a person and as a coach he's even better. He knows how to deal with a group and how to treat the players. I wish him the best. He has very clear ideas, he's a winner and he can transmit that to the group. Barcelona made an excellent choice."

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Barça B - Official: Chico to Almeria
Seven B players taking part in pre-season
Barça B: Chico could continue and be promoted

Barça B - Official: Chico to Almeria

All parties concerned have officially confirmed that Cádiz central defender José Manuel "Chico" Flores (21), who played on loan with Barcelona B during the first half of this year, will join Primera División club Almería, with whom Chico has signed a five-year contract.

It's unclear how much Almería has paid for the central defender. Madrid sports tabloid Marca claims that Almería paid 700 000 euro for 70 per cent of the transfer rights, Cádiz local newspaper La Voz de Cádiz thinks the tranfer fee is close to 1 million euro and Almería local news site El Almería says that Cádiz received around 300 000 euro.

Cádiz stated in an official announcement that the third division club will obtain a percentage of the fee if Chico is transferred by Almería. The club confirmed that Barcelona also made an offer but that it wasn't even taken into consideration. Madrid sports tabloid Marca claims that Barcelona offered 250 000 euro°.

On the website of his new club, Chico explains why he didn't continue with Barcelona Atlètic (previously known as Barcelona B): "It's an important step from the fourth to the first division but over the last months I have been training several times with the first team of Barcelona and I learned a lot doing so. I feel prepared.

It's true that I had several offers, but Barcelona and Almería were the best options. The thing is that Barcelona didn't want to pay for me, they wanted me for the second team and would only pay if I was promoted to the first team. One of the things that have influenced my decision is that Almería wants me for their first team."

Read more:
Barça B: Offer for Chico rejected
Barça B - Official: Dimas to Numancia
Barça B: Chico could continue and be promoted

Almeria's Diego Alves to rival Valdes

Barcelona site Pelikano claims that Almería goal keeper Diego Alves (22) is the last name to have joined the list of possible goal keepers who could be transferred in the coming months (read more here).

Barcelona thinks that first-choice goal keeper Víctor Valdés (26) performs at his best when he feels the pressure of having to compete for his place and is therefore looking to bring in a new goal keeper in the summer transfer window. Future Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola has relaunched the search for a competitor to Valdés.

Brazilian goal keeper Diego Alves, who also has an Italian passport, came to Spain last summer from Atlético Mineiro and has a contract with Almería until 2012. He was a youth international for many years and is expected to make his debut for the Brazilian national team in the near future.

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Looking for a goal keeper

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona is looking to bring in a goal keeper who should put pressure on current first choice goal keeper Víctor Valdés (26) (read more here).

With substitute goal keeper Albert Jorquera (29) not expected to return before July, with the loan deal of Celta Vigo loan out José Manuel Pinto (32) not being made permanent and with a qualification round for the Champions League coming up, Barcelona doesn't want to take any risk.

Barcelona would have good scouting reports on a number of goal keepers amongst which Manuel Neuer (Schalke 04 - 22), Hugo Lloris (Nice - 21), Dudu Aouate (Deportivo La Coruña - 30) and Diego Alves (Almería - 22). Heurelho Gomes (PSV Eindhoven - 27) and Sébastien Frey (Fiorentina - 28) would have been offered.

Nicolás Lozano, journalist of Mexican sports site Medio Tiempo, claims that Club América goal keeper Guillermo Ochoa (22 - picture) could come to Barcelona because Rafael Márquez and Giovani dos Santos will leave: "And Barcelona needs a Mexican player in the squad because of marketing purposes."

Catalan sports paper Sport nevertheless claims that nothing will change: Valdés stays the number one with Jorquera as his back-up, Pinto will return to Celta and no new goal keeper will be brought in.

Read more:

Villareal's Diego Lopez to rival Valdes

How things stand: Goal keeper

Pinto wants to stay

Eusebio has offer from Almeria

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona assistant coach Eusebio Sácristan (44), who will leave the club together with manager Frank Rijkaard (read more here), has received an offer to become the new head coach of Primera División team Almería.

Former Barcelona player (1988-1995) and former Spanish international Eusebio has been Rijkaard's second assistant over the last five years. Eusebio said yesterday at a press conference that he feels ready for a new challenge and thanked Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain for the opporunity he had given him five years ago: "It has been a privilege working with the whole technical team, especially since they gave me a real chance although I was starting from scratch."

Read more:

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Official: Rijkaard out, Guardiola in

Meeting with Mourinho (report)

Guardiola or Laudrup

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that, with the Barcelona board having decided that they don't want a change in the style of the team, there are only two candidates left to replace current Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard (45) as of next season: Barcelona B manager Josep Guardiola (37) and Getafe manager Michael Laudrup (43).

Josep María Casanovas, the founder of Sport, described the elimination process in his column yesterday as follows: "Van Basten fell off the list when he preferred to go to Ajax. Mourinho had the sympathy of some board members but was rejected because of his character and his way of playing. Benítez was just a passing rumour. Pellegrini has been closely analized but stays in the waiting room. Laurent Blanc, the manager of the moment in France, had some sympathy but little more. The name of Lippi was considered but was disapproved because the Italian Calcio style has never worked in the Liga. The possibility of bringing in a young Spanish manager, like Marcelino or Emery, wasn't supported by anyone."

At this moment Guardiola would have the most support in the board. Some board members nevertheless think that the former Barcelona defensive midfielder lacks some experience and that appointing him would therefore be a risk both for Barcelona and Guardiola. They prefer Laudrup who is having an excellent season with Getafe.

While Barcelona has not yet contacted Laudrup, who plays tonight the final of the Spanish cup with Getafe against Valencia, they would have asked Guardiola to make a report about how 'his' Barcelona would look like. Guardiola has already handed his report to Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain, who has spread it to the board.

( you can read the headlines of the report here )


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