Pedro loan could get Barcelona Celta talent Joselu

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Spanish second division club celta Vigo wants to sign a Barcelona player on loan in january.

During last summer, Celta sports director Ramón Martínez already tried to include a loan of Barcelona wing attacker and Spanish youth international Pedro (21) in the transfer of then Celta B player Goran Maric to Barcelona Atlètic (read more here).

With the team having a lack of wingers, Celta would still be interested in Pedro. If a loan of Pedro wouldn't be possible, Celta would want to sign Barcelona Atlètic wing attacker Jeffrén (20) on loan during the winter transfer window.

A loan of Pedro or Jeffrén could be part of the transfer of Celta Juvenil forward and Spanish youth international José Luis Sanmartín Mato "Joselu" (18 - picture) to Barcelona. Both Barcelona and Real Madrid would already ahve asked for the striker and Celta is waiting for a concrete offer coming in.

Galicia regional newspaper El Faro de Vigo claims that Celta doesn't plan to use Joselu as change in January although with the bad financial situation of the club, every player is for sale if a good offer comes in. The contract of Joselu with Celta, including a 10 million euro° buyout clause, expires in 2013.

Read more:

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Barça B: Iago talks about exit

Asked about the transfer of former Barcelona youth player Iago Falqué (18) to Juventus (read more here), people from his entourage told Spanish news agency EFE that sporting issues were the only reason to leave for Italy:

"Iago leaves Barcelona purely because of football reasons. Money has nothing to do with it. He's just looking for an opportunity to play, which wouldn't have been possible in Barcelona. In Italy, he's already training with the first team. In Barcelona this has never been possible."

In an interview with Galicia regional newspaper El Faro de Vigo, Iago already talked last weekend about his move to Italy:

What does this transfer mean to you?
It's a very good change for me. I leave a great club but I join a club that is at least as prestigious as the former one. They are both European top clubs and both of them have their own history. I'm very motivated to start this new cycle in my football career.

It seems strange that Barcelona didn't count on you, even more so after your good performances recently.
Yes, it is. Luis Enrique told me from the start that he had a lot of people for my position. Later he said that he counted on me, but by that time I didn't want to continue anymore. I was already talking with other clubs and my mind had left the club.

The case of Cesc Fàbregas shows that Barcelona often makes a mistake in letting a young player go. You would like to follow his example?
Cesc is a different kind of player and each person is also different. He went to Arsenal, I'm going to Italy. Said all that, it would of course be a dream to be able to follow his example and to repeat what he has done.

It is said that Claudio Ranieri was the main driving force behind your transfer.
I think that's true, his opinion has been important. They came to see me in Ireland last week and they showed that they were really interested. It was the club that offered me the best conditions, both at a sporting level and financially.

The plan is that you'll start playing with their reserve team. You see chances to make your first team debut in a short term?
I think so, yes. Although I'll have to work for it. They don't sign an 18 years old player like me just to play with the reserves. Of course it will depend on my performances. But I think I will get opportunities if I train well and show what I'm worth.

It will be a big move from Barcelona to Turin. How will you deal with that?
I don't think I will have a lot of problems. I have the total support of my family, which is the most important thing in this kind of situations. They will be close to me and help me around.

Read a more extensive interview with Iago later this week

Read more:
Barça B - Official: Iago to Juventus

Barça B: Iago will sign with Juventus tomorrow

Thinking about Eto'o-Trezeguet swap

Barça B: Iago will sign with Juventus tomorrow

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona Atlètic attacker and Spanish youth international Iago Falqué (18) will sign a four-year deal with Italian club Juventus on Monday (read more here).

Iago, for whose transfer Juventus manager Claudio Ranieri has pushed hard, will always train with the first team, although he'll start playing with the reserves. The plan is to integrate the player step by step in the first team. After maximum one and a half season he should be a full member of the senior squad.

Barcelona has accepted to let Iago leave for free. If the attacking midfielder will play 30 matches with Juventus' first team, Barcelona will receive 1 million euro°. When Juventus sells the left-footed player, Barcelona will get 30 per cent of the transfer fee.

Asked about the rumoured transfer to Juventus, Iago's mother and Spanish senator Carmela Silva confirmed the news to Galicia regional newspaper El Faro de Vigo: "He's very happy. There were other clubs who were seriously interested in him, like Real Madrid or Valencia. But he really wanted to leave for a foreign club and the fact that Claudio Ranieri has confidence in him was decisive."

The paper claims that Ranieri sent a member of his technical staff to Ireland last week, where Iago played an international youth tournament with the Spanish U-19 national team. Iago was elected as best player of the tournament and Ranieri was delighted about the scouting report he received.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta would already have given his approval to the deal. Now everything has to be formally put on paper and signed. Iago, who played seven years for the Barcelona youth teams, is ready to travel today to Turin, where he will undergo the medical tests and sign his contract.

Read more:

Barça B: Iago close to Juventus

Barça B: Luis Enrique building a new team

Barça B: Iago is negotiating his exit

Barça B: Goran Maric (Celta Vigo B)

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Celta Vigo B forward Goran Maric (24) is the first choice to replace Barcelona Atlètic forward Guerra, who left the club earlier this week (read more here). Maric, who is a former Barcelona youth player, was last season the top goal scorer of the Spanish third division.

While it was believed that Maric is on his way to second divison team Deportivo Alavés, Celta Vigo sports director Ramón Martínez would now have proposed Barcelona a swap deal including Maric and Barcelona Atlètic central defender Marc Valiente (21), who can leave Barcelona this summer (read more here).

Galicia regional newspaper El Faro de Vigo claims that Alavés is still the main option for Maric, who would already have agreed personal terms with the club but Celta doesn't want to let the Serbian striker go for for free.

Maric, who is doing the pre-season with the first team of Celta but who has to leave this summer, has said in a reaction to Galicia regional newspaper La Voz de Galicia that he prefers to play in the Spanish second division: "I want to play in the second division and the club knows about my wishes."

Read more:
Victor Sanchez and Pedro could join first team
Barça B - Official: Contract of Guerra cancelled
Barça B: Valiente to Panathinaikos

Renewal offer for Pinto

Spanish local newspaper El Faro de Vigo claims that Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain has offered Barcelona goal keeper and Celta Vigo loan out José Manuel Pinto (32) a one-year renewal offer.

Pinto, who still has two years left on his Celta contract, is considering the offer and will give Barcelona a reply in the coming days. If he accepts the offer, Barcelona will not have to pay an extra fee to Celta since the option to buy Pinto 'for free' was included in the 500 000 euro° loan deal (read more here).

Although Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain told at a press conference last week that Pinto would not be offered a renewal (read more here), Pinto said in an interview with Barcelona sports paper Sport yesterday that no final decision on his future had been taken yet: "I know that the club is talking with my agent and the rumours that I won't stay are not true. Nobody has said to me that I will not continue, the negotiations are still ongoing. I know that the club is satisfied with my work but I think that they have other priorities at this moment. I would sure like to stay longer."

Pinto came on loan to Barcelona in January to replace substitute goal keeper Albert Jorquera who got injured. Despite only having played three games, he says that his time in Barcelona has been "an incredible experience" on a personal level.

Read more:

Pinto wants to stay

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Pinto will stay