Mourinho's eleven

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo has today a report on how Barcelona would have looked like if new Inter Milan managerJosé Mourinho would have taken over.

During a meeting with Barcelona officials earlier this year (read more here), Mourinho asked for the total control over the technical organization, the medical staff and the transfers. The Portuguese didn't think many transfers were needed and wanted to focus on changing structural things like the preparation.

Former Barcelona player and probabe future Barcelona B manager Luis Enrique (38) would have been his assistant. Both would already had met to discuss the project (read more here).

Mourinho counted on Messi and Eto'o, wanted to have a talk with Deco and Ronaldinho and would have tried to sell Henry. He didn't like Abidal, Touré, Giovani and Pinto and knew little on Bojan.

Mourinho agreed with the transfer of Alves and would have brought in a decent back-up for Valdés, a left back defender and a left winger. From his former club Chelsea, he wouldn't have tried to bring Drogba, but was interested in Carvalho, Lampard and Essien. Keita was the alternative for Essien.

This could have been the Barcelona XI under Mourinho:

Valdés

Alves - Puyol - Milito - Maicon

Essien (or Deco) - Iniesta - Lampard

Messi - Eto'o - Ribéry

Read more:

Next season's eleven

Next season's squad

Meeting with Mourinho

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

How things stand: Attacking midfielders

(at the end of the season, Barça Transfer Zone looks forward to the coming transfer summer making an analysis for each position, in part 6 we look at the attacking midfielders)

2007-2008

Looking at the numbers, Xavi was clearly the central figure in this department over the almost past season. The three pairs who played the most this years in official games are Xavi-Iniesta (17 starts), Xavi-Deco (16 starts) and Xavi-Gudjohnsen (15 starts).

Out

Iniesta (24) will certainly stay and although Xavi (28) has recently been linked with Chelsea, it can be expected that he won't leave either. Depending on the tactical choices of new Barcelona manager Guardiola, both players could be pulled back a line.

Deco (30) and Gudjohnsen (29) look like they're on their way out, although both players don't seem very enthusiastic about the idea. Especially Deco could play it hard and only leave under his conditions. Deco has been linked with Bayern, Milan, Inter, Juventus, Newcastle and Atlético Madrid. Gudjohnsen is rumoured to be on the lists of Portsmouth and Newcastle.

In

Many names are circling around for these positions but none of them is really sticking out at this moment. Players that have been mentioned are, amongst others, Cesc (Arsenal - 20), Diego (Bremen - 23), Aquilani (Roma - 23), Lampard (Chelsea - 29), Hleb (Arsenal - 27), Van der Vaart (Hamburg - 25) and Lucho (Porto - 27).

Read all How things stand contributions here or read the contribution about:
Goal keeper - Right back defender - Central defenders - Left back defender - Defensive midfielder - Attacking midfielders - Wing attackers - Centre forward

Mourinho in? Lampard maybe in

In an interview with British tabloid The Sun, Steve Kutner, the advisor of Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard (29), has told that the player could leave his club for quite a low price: "As things stand, he can leave in the summer for 6,4 million euro (°) under FIFA regulations or sign a pre-contract with a foreign club in nine months’ time and leave for free."

The adviser said that staying with Chelsea is Lampard's priority, but that the club isn't doing the necessary to renew the contract, which leaves the English international in doubt about his future: "We were promised a definitive, final offer in January and we’ve still not heard a word from Chelsea." Kutner suggests Lampard could follow former Chelsea manager Mourinho to his new club: "It’s no secret that Jose Mourinho would love to team up with Frank again."

(read more on the Lampard transfer story here)

Deco out? Lampard in

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard (29) has decided to leave his club in the summer. Chelsea would want to cooperate to avoid seeing the player leave on a free transfer in 2009. The transfer price of Lampard would be around 18 million euro, which could drop to 12 million euro if the player, who is also being followed by AC Milan and Juventus, would be willing to use the so-called Webster-ruling.

Barcelona has already let Lampard know they are interested in him. The departure of Barcelona midfielder Deco (30), who would have received a spectacular offer from Atlético Madrid, could open the way for a deal with the English international.

The paper says that Lampard's partner, Catalan ex-model Elen Rivas, has spent two weeks living in Barcelona with the Gudjohnsen family lately. During that period she has been looking for a house in the city, finding in the end what she was looking for in Sitges.

The search of Txiki (3) : Midfield

Yesterday Catalan sports paper Sport gave a global analysis of the Barcelona transfer activity for next summer. In five episodes we bring this story to you.

In midfield Barcelona is looking for a defensive midfielder and a more dynamic player and has therefore contacted several candidates. Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso (26), who will be sold by his club in the summer, has also an offer from Atlético Madrid, but the player prefers Barcelona. Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard (29) will only come if his former manager José Mourinho becomes the next Barcelona manager.

Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fàbregas (20) is not a real option, although the fact that he could change his current agent in May for the agent of Thierry Henry, who has a good relationship with Barcelona, could be seen as a first move to make a future return possible. Sevilla midfielders Christain Poulsen (28) and Seydou Keita (28) are also on the Barcelona list, with the second having a transfer price disadvantage. If Barcelona midfielder Deco (30) leaves, Werder Bremen attacking midfielder Diego (23) could be the first option. Barcelona has already contacted the father and agent of the Brazilian international, who wants to leave Germany in the summer.

Although there are excellent reports about Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Luka Modric (22), the Croatian international played a bad game when Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain went to see him during Croatia-Holland in the beginning of February. Later this month he'll have a second chance in the game against Scotland. Begiristain already contacted with Dinamo Zagreb vice president Zdravko Mamic and with his brother Dinamo Zagreb sports director Zoran Mamic, the agent of the player. Zagreb would be asking 20 million euro.

(this is the third part of this story, the first part and the second part were published yesterday, the fourth part will be published later today, the last part on Saturday. The five episodes are: 1. Defence, 2. How it works, 3. Midfield, 4. Marital status, 5. Attack)

A look at the coming transfer summer (2)

Last weekend Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo gave a global analysis of the possible transfer activity in the summer.

With relation to the incoming transfers, the paper states that the technical staff has three priorities: a right back defender, a central defender and a scoring midfielder.

For the right back position Inter defender Maicon (26) is being followed for a while now. At the moment he would be, together with Bayern Munich defender Philipp Lahm (24), the preferred option. Sevilla defender Daniel Alves (24) is a case apart: there are mixed opinions about the question if his capacities justify the huge transfer price.

The central defender the club is looking for should be a young player who can grow, who is strong and who has a good pass. Racing Santander defender Ezequiel Garay (21) fits this perfectly.

In midfield Barcelona wants to bring in a strong player, who can score ten goals in a season, who has a good distance shot and works hard. Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard (29) looks like the ideal candidate and there aren't many other options. Arsenal midfielder Aleksandr Hleb (26) could be an alternative, although he's a different type of player. Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Luka Modric (22) is looked at but will be hard to get since Chelsea will probably make a very high offer.

Up front Olympique Lyon forward Karim Benzema (20) is the main target. Barcelona could try in the coming months to get an option to buy the player in the summer of 2009. If Eto'o stays, Chelsea forward Didier Drogba (29) probably won't come.


(read here the first part of the analysis, concerning the outward transfers)

Mourinho waiting for Barcelona

French football magazine France Football claims that former Chelsea manager José Mourinho (45) has recently rejected an impressive long term offer from French champion Olympique Lyon because he would prefer to join Barcelona. Bernard Lacombe, the adviser of Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas, confirms the talks but says they did not go very far.

Besides reporting on the January meeting in which Mourinho and Barcelona would have principally agreed on a future collaboration (read more here and here), the French magazine claims a number of possible summer signings were then discussed, including Bayern Munich full back Philipp Lahm (24), Sevilla right back Daniel Alves (24), Inter right back Maicon (26), Sevilla midfielder Seydou Keita (26), Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard (29), Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Luka Modric (22), Lyon forward Karim Benzema (21) and Chelsea forward Didier Drogba (29). If Eto’o stays, Drogba will not come. And Ronaldinho could well leave.

Chelsea holding on to Lampard and Drogba

In an interview this weekend with the British radio station BBC Radio, Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon reacted to the rumours linking midfielder Frank Lampard (29) and forward Didier Drogba (29) to a summer exit, with Barcelona appearing in both cases as a possible destination (read more here and here).

Kenyon insisted the club intends to keep the players and that this is the wish of the players too. Renewal negociations with Lampard are nevertheless postponed until the end of the season: “He's still got a year left on his contract. He is a great player by anybody's standards and of course we would like him to see his career out with us.”

Mourinho in? Lampard in

British tabloid The Mail on Sunday states that the further approach between former Chelsea manager José Mourinho (45) and Barcelona (read more here), makes the Chelsea future of English international Frank Lampard (29) more uncertain. The close relationship the Chelsea midfielder has with his former manager would make it almost certain that Lampard would join Barcelona if Mourinho becomes their next manager.

Does Lampard wear the breeches?

Italian television station Italia I claims that Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard (29) is still considering leaving Chelsea at the end of this season. The player is quoted as saying: “Going to another country, getting to know another language and culture, would certainly make me a better person.”

Lampard, who still didn’t sign a renewal with his current club and who due to a new ruling could leave Chelsea for some 7-8 million euro, would be close to make a decision about his future, with Barcelona and Juventus being named as the most likely destinations for the English international. Lampard’s fiancé and the mother of his two children, Catalan ex-model Elen Rives, would be wanting to leave London and return to her home ground.

There's Lampard again...

British newspaper The Mail on Sunday is again linking Barcelona with Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard (29). The player’s contract expires in June 2009 and without a renewal in the coming months a new FIFA ruling would enable Barcelona to sign Lampard at the end of the current season for 6,8 million euro. The appointment of former Chelsea manager José Mourinho as the successor of Frank Rijkaard could be a crucial element.