Jorquera could leave for free

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain will soon meet with Arturo Canales, the agent of Barcelona goalkeeper Albert Jorquera (30), to discuss the future of the player.

The Catalan goalkeeper can leave this summer and despite several Spanish first and second division clubs, among which Mallorca, Tenerife and Cádiz, having shown interest in Jorquera, his salary of 1 million euros a year would be an obstacle for a transfer.

Catalan sports paper Sport reports that Spanish second division club Girona is the last club to have asked for Jorquera, whose contract expires in the summer of 2010.

El Mundo Deportivo claims that in case it wouldn't be possible for Jorquera to leave on a permanent or even a loan deal, Barcelona would be willing to pay the player the rest of his contract and to let him go for free. The whole operation could be agreed upon during an upcoming meeting with Canales, a representative of sports marketing agency IMG.

Read more:
Jorquera doesn't plan to leave
Barcelona's wage structure
Jorquera offered himself to Cadiz

Barcelona will sign Moya or promote Mino

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona is still looking to sign a goalkeeper this summer.

Real Valladolid goalkeeper Asenjo has confirmed he will join Atlético Madrid and isn't an option anymore. Mallorca goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moyà (25) would now be the only remaning candidate (read more here).

After the deal on the renewal of Barcelona goalkeeper Valdés, a transfer of Moyà nevertheless isn't a priority anymore for Barcelona. Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain still wouldn't have contacted Mallorca or Manuel García Quilón, the agent of the player. If Moyà doesn't join Barcelona, Barcelona Atlètic goalkeeper Rubén Miño (20) will be promoted to the first team, although he would in that case keep on playing with the B team.

Moyà, whose contract expires in 2011, has a buyout clause of 12 million euro° but Mallorca needs to sell players and would be ready to lower that. Madrid sports tabloid As claims that Mallorca is willing to negotiate with interested clubs if a bid of 6 million euro° comes in.

El Mundo Deportivo nevertheless claims that Valencia would at this moment be leading the race for the goalkeeper. Mallorca regional news site Mallorca Confidencial claims that Moyà won't join Barcelona because Valdés in the end seems to renew his contract and Barcelona would only have wanted him in case Valdés left.

Read more:
Barcelona in pole for Mallorca goalkeeper Moya
Three candidates to become back-up of Valdes
Barça B goalkeeper Mino will be promoted

Barcelona in pole for Mallorca goalkeeper Moya

Madrid sports tabloid Marca claims that Barcelona is at this moment leading the race for the transfer of Mallorca goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moyá (25) (read more here).

Mallorca, who cannot transfer any players due to a financial dispute with Athletic Bilbao, would like to sign Barcelona wing attacker Pedro (21) on loan and is expected to try to include him in the deal on Moyá if Barcelona makes a formal bid.

Valencia, Atlético Madrid and Villarreal would also be interested in the Spanish goalkeeper.



Read more:
Mallorca goalkeeper Moya confirms interest
Barcelona not willing to accept Valdes demands
Osasuna wants Pedro on loan

Mallorca goalkeeper Moya confirms interest

Asked about the rumours linking him with a move to Barcelona (read more here), Mallorca goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moyá (25) confirmed the interest in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1:

"I didn't talk directly with Barcelona, but they made contact in two different ways. The first time when Barça played against us alst month after they had won the Liga.

And the second time a few weeks ago through my agent. He told me that it's an option I shouldn't reject. I guess the asking price will be a little less than last year when Valencia was interested, especially because Mallorca needs money.

When I was informed about the interest of Barcelona I was of course delighted. The truth is that I had four good games to end the season. I've recovered very well from my injury and I've again picked up the rhythm. If Barcelona has noticed me, it should mean that they've seen something interesting in me and I think I can compete with Valdés.

I wouldn't mind having to rival with him for one spot. We'll have to take a close look at the offer to see if it convinces me. I suppose that it's highly unlikely I'll play from the start because there's no doubt about Valdés. I know it will be very difficult but I'm young and my priority is to play always."

In an interview with Baleares regional television station IB3, Moyá also left the door open for other teams: "It's not just a rumour because Barcelona apparently wants to sign a goalkeeper and I would be an option because they are looking for a young goalkeeper, who still can make progress and who has experience in the Liga.

And there aren't a lot players with those characteristics. I seem to be one of them. I wouldn't have a problem with starting as back-up. Of course, when I would have a similar offer from another club that is also competing for the prizes and where I would have more chances to play, I would prefer that option."

Baleares regional newspaper Ultima Hora claims that Barcelona officials have informally asked about the situation of the Spanishgoalkeeper during the official dinner before the league game on 17 May. Barcelona could make an offical move in the coming weeks.

Spanish news agency EFE claims that Moyá is one of the two player Mallorca will certainly sell because of the financial situation of the club. Although several clubs, among which Barcelona, would have shown interest in Moyá, the club didn't yet receive any concrete bids. Madrid sports tabloid As claims that Mallorca would be ready to accept an offer of around 5-6 million euro°.

Read more:
Valdes exit would open door for Asenjo
Three candidates to become back-up of Valdes
Barcelona not willing to accept Valdes demands

Three candidates to become back-up of Valdes

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona is looking to replace Barcelona third goalkeeper Albert Jorquera (30), who will most probably leave in the summer.

After having searched the market for several months, the possible candidates would have been reduced to a short-list of three: Real Valladolid goalkeeper and Spanish youth international Sergio Asenjo (19), Mallorca goalkeeper Miguel Àngel Moyà (25 - picture) and Recreativo Huelva goalkeeper and Real Sociedad loan out Asier Riesgo (25).

Asenjo was the main option but the player would want to become the first-choice goalkeeper at his new club and seems now very close to joining Atlético Madrid (read more here). Moyà and Riesgo would accept to be the back-up of Valdés and both are expected to leave their clubs during the transfer window.

Mallorca wants to sell one of their three goalkeepers and thinks Moya, who would be delighted to join Barcelona, could get them a higher fee than Dudu Aouate and Germán Lux. Moyà, whose contract expires in 2011, was last summer already close to an exit, and Mallorca president Mateo Alemany would now feel morally obliged to let him go if an offer from a big club comes in.

Because of the economic situation of the club, second division team Real Sociedad has informed Riesgo's agent that they plan to sell the goalkeeper this summer. Barcelona would already have asked for Riesgo and the transfer fee wouldn't be more than 1 million euro°. Villarreal would also be interested in the Basque goalkeeper.

Read more:
Who could replace Valdes?
Scouting report recommends transfer Asenjo
Barcelona managing list of four goalkeepers

Barcelona considering move for Jurado

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona is interested in Mallorca midfielder and Atlético Madrid loan out José Manuel Jurado (22).

Barcelona wants to add another midfielder to the squad. Jurado is in that perspective an option that is being looked at, although it hasn't yet been decided if they will move for the Spanish player this summer.

Read more:
Barcelona willing to pay Forlan's buyout clause
Eto'o wants to end career at Marseille and Mallorca
Jorquera is looking for an exit

Eto'o: "I already made a decision on my future"

Barcelona player Samuel Eto'o gave an interview to French sports site Sportweek.





When invited by Sportweek to put together an ideal team that didn't include French players, French national team coach Raymond Domenech chose you as centre forward, together with Wayne Rooney. Does that kind of recognition means something to you?
It's of course a great honour if someone like Raymond Domenech, who knows the game of football and what he's talking about, names me in that kind of things. It's an enormous recognition but I don't conclude from that that I'm the best striker in the world. I'm Samuel Eto'o and each day that goes by, I do everything to reach the highest possible. That's all.

You sometimes say that France and Cameroon have a similar place in your heart. Where does this love for France come from?
Where I live, in Cameroon, France is considered an ideal place. There's more, when a player leaves the country for example to go and play in Italy, people say that he leaves "for France". As if France and Europe are the same thing. The language of course plays an important part in this. As I'm concerned, France even means a little more.

Explain that to us...
I arrived in France when I was an adolescent. I participated in a youth tournament in Avignon and I took advantage of it to join an aunt who lived in the Paris region. I stayed a few months with her, in Bobigny.

That was a happy period in your life?
Not really. I didn't have the right documents. I couldn't live and move freely. And football, that meant everything to me, didn't bring me anything good either. I tried to present myself at a draft organised by Paris Saint-Germain, but since I didn't have documents, I was refused at the gate. I was also refused by le Havre and I think I also went to Cannes, but it didn't work out. After nine months, I returned to Cameroon.

You blame France that they didn't received you well?
How could I blame France? I didn't have documents. There are rules in France and they are made to be respected. No, honestly, I don't have any regrets. If my fate would have turned in another direction then, I maybe would have become a Frenchman, and I maybe would have played in the team of Raymond Domenech. Or maybe not.

From the team of Barcelona, people first think about Leo Messi or, over the last years, Ronaldinho. You feel underestimated in France?
I don't think so. And even if that would be the case, that in fact would be a good thing. I spend a lot of time in Paris, I have an apartment there, I have family there and my wife and my children lived there for quite a while before they joined me in Barcelona... In Paris, I can breathe normally. I can walk on the streets without being recognized the whole time. In Barcelona, that's impossible.

You plan to end your career with a French club?
I've already said that if that would be the case, I would like to play at Olympique Marseille. But I don't think it will happen. In contrast, I wish to end my career at Mallorca, where everything started for me. It's there where I launched my career and where I took one of the most important decisions in my life. After having gained some fame there, I could choose between going to England, to Italy, returning to Real Madrid or joining Barcelona. I didn't make a mistake. But I didn't only make excellent decisions in my life...

What's the baddest decision you've ever made?
That has to do with my private life.

Your contract with Barcelona expires in 2010. Are you on the verge of taking a difficult decision: staying with Barça or leaving the club, maybe this year already?
No, that's easy. I actually already made my decision. But I cannot tell anything at this moment.

In general, when one talks like this in February, that's because there's already a deal on a transfer...
That's what you say.

Could Karim Benzema join Barcelona next season to, who knows, replace you?
Benzema is one of those players who can play at every club in the world. So why not Barça? But we also could play together...


This was the first part of this interview. You can read the second part of the interview here in the coming days, with Eto'o talking -among other things- about Olympique Lyon, the next oppnent in the Champiosn League, and about his mobile phone collection.


Read more:
Eto'o wants to negotiate renewal in the summer
Benzema not a transfer target anymore
Eto'o: "Every goal gives you more confidence"

Madrid presidential candidate approached Eto'o

Catalan sports weekly paper Gol claims that former Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, who is expected to be a candidate in the Madrid presidential elections in the summer, has given orders to his team to sound out Barcelona forward and Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o (27).

One of Pérez' closest staff members would have met with Josep Maria Mesalles, the agent of Eto'o, to ask if the Cameroon striker would want to join his bid.

Madrid sports tabloid As claims that Barcelona wants to renew the contract of Eto'o, who is ready to hold talks, but only at the end of the season because he now wants to focus on the rest of the season (read more here).

Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola, who last summer said Eto'o could leave the club, has changed his opinion because of the performances and the attitude of the player and the technical staff is now in favour of a renewal of the contract that expires in the summer of 2010.

Asked about his statements that he would like to finish his career at Mallorca (read more here), Eto'o has meanwhile repeated this wish in an interview with Mallorca local radio station Ràdio Mania and the club's official website: "I insist that I like this club a lot, it's in my heart. I insist that I would like to finish my football career playing one or two years at Mallorca. Whatever division they play in, although hopefully it will be the first."

Read more:
First positive meeting on Eto'o renewal
Could Eto'o join Real Madrid?
Eto'o postpones renewal negotiations

Jorquera is looking for a club in Spain

Madrid sports tabloid As claims that Barcelona goalkeeper Albert Jorquera (29) has decided to leave the club in January (read more here).

Jorquera has been negotiating with first division club Mallorca about a loan deal with an option to buy the player at the end of the season. But with Deportivo La Coruña goalkeeper Dudu Aouate being close to Mallorca, a transfer of Jorquera to the Spanish club now seems unlikely.

Mallorca local newspaper Diario de Mallorca claims that Jorquera is still on the list in case the negotiations with Deportivo on Aouate would collapse. Mallorca nevertheless would only want to sign the Catalan goalkeeper on a free loan until the end of the season. ­

Asturias regional newspaper El Comercio claims that Jorquera has been offered to Sporting Gijón, but the technical staff of the Spanish first division club would have rejected the offer.

Read more:
Jorquera is looking for an exit
A goalkeeper, a left back and a left winger
Guardiola asked for three goalkeepers

Jorquera is looking for an exit

Catalan sports weekly paper Gol claims that Barcelona goalkeeper Albert Jorquera (29) wants to leave the club during the winter transfer window because of a lack of playing time (read more here).

Jorquera, who signed earlier this year a contract renewal until the summer of 2010 (read more here), would have ordered his agent to be aware of the transfer market movements and opportunities. If a good offer comes in, the goalkeeper wants to leave in January.

Asked about Jorquera not being called up for the Catalonia versus Colombia game (read more here), Catalan national team coach Pere Gratacós said yesterday at a press conference that the player wanted to avoid getting injured:

"Jorquera has received some offers for the winter market and because he could accept one of these offers, we thought that it was better not to play this time, keeping in mind that he got seriously injured during last year's game with Catalonia."

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Spanish first division club Mallorca, who was already interested in signing the player last summer, has contacted Jorgquera again. Barcelona wouldn't have yet received any concrete offers and hasn't initially planned any transfer this winter.

Asked about a possible exit of Jorquera, Barcelona sports vice-president Rafael Yuste denied the rumours last week in an interview with Catalan radio station Catalunya Ràdio: "I regularly talk with goalkeeping coach Juan Carlos Unzué, who keeps a close eye on the three goalkeepers and he didn't tell me anything about this."

Read more:
Guardiola asked for three goalkeepers
Medical: Green light for Jorquera
Jorquera considering January exit

Eto'o wants to end career at Marseille and Mallorca

Asked about his contract expiring in 2010 (read more here), Barcelona forward and Cameroonian international Samuel Eto'o (27) has said in an interview with French sports paper L'Equipe that he wants to play with French club Marseille at the end of his career:

"I dream about playing for Marseille one day, even being a Parisian. I have an apartment in Paris. I grew up there and still often spend time there. France is like Cameroon for me. So at the end of my career, when my body won't allow me to play at the highest level anymore, I maybe will play a last season in France. And also one season at Mallorca. I owe this to them."

Read more:

Lyon again looking at Eto'o option
Eto'o: "I have no intention of leaving"
Eto'o first choice striker for Milan

Case closed: Guiza

Mallorca forward and Spanish international Dani Güiza (27) will not play for Barcelona as of next season, like had been rumoured over the last months (read more here).

Fenerbahçe has announced on its official website that the player will move to Turkey this summer: "Fenerbahce signs Spanish striker Daniel Gonzalez Güiza, just days after Luis Aragonés took over as coach of the Fenerbahce side. Güiza is going to come to Istanbul on Monday to sign the official four-year contract."

The transfer has been officially confirmed by Mallorca. Fenerbahçe is believed to have paid the buyout clause of 15 million euro° (plus vat).

Güiza's agent and girlfriend Nuria Bermúdez showed some disappointment about the past months of negotiations in an interview with Spanish news site El Confidencial: "Several Spanish clubs have circled around us, they told us not to sign yet, to wait some more... But we couldn't keep on waiting, we wanted something on paper. It's a shame that in his own country they don't want the European Silver Shoe. They use to pay millions for foreign players but nothing for compatriots."

Read more:
Barcelona taking part in reopened Guiza race
Case closed: Lahm
Case closed: Pjanic

Barcelona taking part in reopened Guiza race

Madrid sports tabloid As claims that the race for the transfer of Mallorca forward and Spanish international Dani Güiza (27) could be reopened because Turkish club Fenerbahçe, which has a pre-agreement with the player (read more here), has problems finding the funds to pay the 15 million euro° buyout fee.

Mallorca president Vicenç Grande has in the last days been receiving phone calls from several clubs that are willing to pay the fee immediately. Barcelona is said to be amongst the candidates.

Despite closing an earlier deal with Fenerbahçe, Nuria Bermúdez, the wife and one of the agents of Güiza, would now be again looking at the offers that the Spanish striker received from other clubs.

Read more:

Barcelona has first option on Guiza

Looking for a new Larsson

Guiza's blaugrana dream won't come true

Guiza's blaugrana dream won't come true

Spanish newspaper El Mundo claims that Mallorca forward and Spanish international Dani Güiza (27) had set his mind on moving to Barcelona this summer. His dream was to return to the club where he couldn't force his break through a few years ago and take this second chance.

But with Barcelona focusing on Arsenal forward Adebayor, a transfer didn't seem very likely, forcing Güiza to take other offers into consideration. The newspaper claims that the striker has signed a pre-agreement with Turkish club Fenerbahçe and that he underwent a medical in Munich last week.

Read more:

Guiza off the list

Eto'o could be Fenerbahçe star transfer

Barcelona has first option on Guiza

Guiza off the list

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Mallorca forward and Spanish international Dani Güiza (27) is no longer amongst the candidates to join Barcelona this summer (read more here).

The Barcelona technical staff would have deleted the name of Güiza, who could be on his way to Fenerbahçe, of the centre forward list and is now focusing on other options, the main one being Arsenal striker Adebayor.

Read more:

Barcelona has first option on Guiza

Inter interested in Xavi

Guiza hopes for Barcelona move to come true

Ex-Barça: Fernando Navarro to Sevilla

Sevilla announced on Wednesday the transfer ofMallorca left back defender and Spanish international Fernando Navarro (25). The Catalan defender will sign a five-year contract, including a buyout clause of 30 million euro.

A transfer price has not been made public and it's unclear if Barcelona, who still owned 30 per cent of the transfer rights on the player, receives a part of the fee (read more here).

Fernando Navarro came out of the Barcelona youth academy and joined the first team in 2002. In 2004 he played half a season on loan with Albacete in the Segunda División. In the summer of 2005 he left on loan for Mallorca, who bought the defender one year later. With Barcelona, Navarro won one Spanish league in 2005.

Read more:

Will Barcelona earn from Navarro transfer?

Ex-Barça: Ronald de Boer

Euro 2008: Spain squad

Read all ex-Barça stories here

Guiza hopes for Barcelona move to come true

Asked about the rumours linking him with a summer move to Barcelona (read more here), Mallorca forward and Spanish international Dani Güiza (27) said at a press conference that he is very much open to the possibility:

"Of course I would like to play there. It's a big club, every player would like that. I wouldn't really consider it a revenge after my short stay with Barcelona B. I hope it will come true. But if not, I'll play at another club who is willing to pay me. Let's wait and see what will happen. "

Read more:

Barcelona has first option on Guiza

Will Barcelona earn from Navarro transfer?

Guiza considered to be a good buy

Will Barcelona earn from Navarro transfer?

Although several papers reported last week that Mallorca left back defender and former Barcelona player Fernando Navarro (25) had been transferred to Sevilla, this wasn't yet announced on the official websites of the teams. Today Madrid sports tabloid As claims that Valencia has again joined the race.

Mallorca and Sevilla would have a deal on a transfer fee of 4,7 million euro (+ 0,3 million euro variables) for the 60 per cent of the transfer right that are owned by Mallorca.

Barcelona still ownes 30 per cent of the transfer rights on their youth product Navarro, who himself ownes the other 10 per cent but would have agreed to drop his share of the fee. It is nevertheless unclear if Barcelona accepted to just drop their share in the deal on Sevilla right back defender Daniel Alves (read more here).

Madrid sports tabloid As and Marca and Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claim that Barcelona has agreed with Sevilla to drop their 30 per cent which would mean they won't receive anything if Navarro is transferred to Sevilla. Catalan sports paper Sport nevertheless claims that Barcelona would receive 1,9 million euro° for their part of the transfer rights and that this money will be used to lower Alves' transfer fee.

Josep Maria Orobitg, the agent of Navarro, said two weeks ago in an interview with Madrid sports taloid Marca that the 30 per cent was one of the remaining issues in closing the deal on Navarro: "But it's not only that. And I know little about this because that should be solved between the clubs. We keep on talking but there won't be a deal soon since it's a complicated matter involving a lot of parties and a lot of interests."

Read more:

Deal on Alves

Barcelona has first option on Guiza

Sergio Garcia transfer will benefit Barcelona

Looking for a new Larsson

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that, although this is not a priority, Barcelona is searching the market for an experienced and cheap back-up goalscorer, a new Larsson so to say.

The first option would be Inter Milan forward Julio Ricardo Cruz (33), who has been followed by the Barcelona technical staff for years and could leave the Italian champions after the appointment of José Mourinho as new Inter manager.

AC Milan forward Filippo Inzaghi (34) would be the second name on the list, with Juventus forward David Trezeguet (30) and Mallorca forward and Spanish international Dani Güiza (27) also being possible candidates to fill that role.

pep's opinion:
last year i said they should bring in a veteran goalscorer as back-up for eto'o. back then i had three names: cruz, inzaghi and klose. with a new guy (or eto'o) + henry + bojan, I don't really think this is a priority anymore.

Read more:
How things stand: Centre forward
Trezeguet is still an option
Barcelona has first option on Guiza

Barcelona has first option on Guiza

Asked about the rumours linking the player with Barcelona, Félix Moneo, the agent of Mallorca forward and Spanish international Dani Güiza (27), has said in an interview with Spanish local radio station IB3 Ràdio that Barcelona is the priority of the player:

"Dani Güiza has informed me that he would like to return to Barcelona. Of course a lot of things should be talked about, but this kind of means that Barcelona has the first option to reach an agreement. Apart from the financial issue, the most important thing for Dani is the football project and the city where he's going to live. I think Barcelona is one of the clubs with whom we most easily could find a deal."

The agent thinks money won't be the problem for the interested clubs: "Right now, Dani Güiza is the cheapest scoring striker on the market. He has a buyout fee of 15 million euro°, that's right. But who else can say he has scored 27 goals in the Liga, none from a penalty, playing for a team like Mallorca?" Moneo added that he lately has received offers from Turkey and from many European clubs and that he and the player would like to sort things out in the next two or three weeks.

Güiza meanwhile said to Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo that he now wants to focus on the European Championship: "I have told my agents that they should not disturb my preparation for the tournament. If there's something important, they should tell me. If not, they shouldn't be talking the whole time about the subject. The most important thing right now is the national team."

Read more:
Guiza considered to be a good buy
Guiza willing to return to Barcelona
First talks with Guiza