Case closed: Mancini

AS Roma winger Amantino Mancini (27) will not play for Barcelona as of next season, like had been rumoured over the last months (read more here).

Mancini has yesterday been presented as new Inter Milan player.

The Brazilian signed a four-year contract with the Italian champions, who paid Roma around 13 million euro° for the transfer.

Read more:
Case closed: Garay
Deal with Mancini
Case closed: Pjanic

Read everything on the Mancini linked with Barcelona story

Meeting with Roma on Mancini scheduled

Roma football site La Roma Siamo Noi claims that Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain will meet later this week with his AS Roma colleague Daniele Pradè later to discuss the transfer of Roma winger Amantino Mancini (27).

Asked about the rumours linking the Brazilian player with a move to Barcelona (read more here), Mancini's agent Gilmar Veloz didn't want to enter the issue during an interview with the site: "You need to ask Roma. I don't know what's going on with Barcelona, you should ask the clubs. I can only talk about Mancini and say that he has a contract until 2009."

Read more:
Deal with Mancini
Roma wants to swap Mancini for Abidal
Mancini alternative for Alves

Deal with Mancini

Roma sports paper Il Romanista claims that Barcelona and AS Roma winger Amantino Mancini (27) have already closed a deal.

Gilmar Veloz, the agent of the player, would have reached an agreement on the personal terms of the contract, by which the Brazilian would earn 4 million euro plus incentives a year. Two months ago, around Easter, Mancini would already have visited Barcelona and he liked the city a lot.

With the contract of Mancini expiring next year and the plauer refusing to renew it, Roma is willing to sell him this summer. Italian player's agent Ernesto Bronzetti would act as go-between and was in Roma yesterday to discuss the transfer. A deal between the two clubs could be closed for a fee of little over 10 million euro°.

Asked about the rumours linking the club with Mancini, Barcelona economic vice preisdent Ferran Soriano is quoted by the paper as not denying the interest in Mancini: "I'm not saying that we are not interested in Mancini, I can only say that we haven't talked with the player, noor with Roma."

Read more:

Mancini alternative for Alves

Aquilani is touchable

Silva not at any price

Mancini alternative for Alves

Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain will meet today or tomorrow with AS Roma sports director Daniele Pradé to discuss a transfer of Roma winger Amantino Mancini (27).

The polyvalent player would now be the main alternative in case Sevilla doesn't want to let go their right back defender Dani Alves. Mancini's agent, Gilmar Veloz, will arrive in Italy shortly to listen to all offers for the player

With the contract of Mancini expiring next year, Roma is willing to talk about a transfer. Barcelona is preparing an 8 million euro° bid for the Brazilian, while Roma is asking 15 million euro°. Although Roma prefers Abidal (read more here), they cannot pay his 4 million euro year salary and Barcelona is now considering to offer Brazilian left back defender Sylvinho Mendes in return to reduce the transfer fee.

pep's opinion:
if sylvinho hasn't yet signed a renewal, barcelona cannot really "offer him in a return" since his contract expires at the end of this month

Read more:
New offensive for Alves
Roma wants to swap Mancini for Abidal
Sylvinho ready to accept renewal offer

Roma wants to swap Mancini for Abidal

Italian sports paper Il Corriere dello Sport claims that AS Roma is preparing a swap offer for Barcelona.

With Roma winger Alessandro Mancini (27) not wanting to renew his contract that expires in 2009, Roma wants to sell the Brazilian this summer. The Italian club is now thinking about offering the player to Barcelona and ask for Barcelona left back defender and French international Eric Abidal (28) in return.

Abidal is seen by the Italians as the ideal candidate to fill up the left back position next year. The French defender should nevertheless be willing to accept a salary cut.

Read more:

Mancini is on the winger's list

Abidal is not untouchable

Intense contacts on Silva

How things stand: Wing attackers

(at the end of the season, Barça Transfer Zone looks forward to the coming transfer summer making an analysis for each position, in part 7 we look at the wing attackers)

2007-2008
On the right wing, Giovani dos Santos (19) got a lot more playing time than expected due to the two serious injuries of Lionel Messi (20). Bojan (17) and Eto'o also moved away from the centre to the right side a few times this season.

First choice on the left wing Ronaldinho (28) had a season full of injuries and was rarely fit and on top of his game. Andrés Iniesta (24) and Thierry Henry (30) were the players who used to replace him. Santiago Ezquerro (31) did not get many opportunities.

Out
Despite interest from Chelsea and Inter, Messi will certainly stay. The situation of Giovani is not clear. He could leave on a loan or a permanent deal. Manchester City, Inter and Chelsea are rumoured to be interested. Both players could also be used more on the left wing next season.

Ronaldinho will most probably leave in the summer. AC Milan is the main candidate for the transfer, with Manchester City and Inter Milan as the most important challengers. The contract of Ezquerro expires in June and the player didn't receive a renewal offer.

In
Franck Ribéry (Bayern Munich - 24), who can play on both wings, is probably the main candidate but is very unlikely to leave the German champions after one year. The other name that has been sticking out is left winger David Silva (Valencia - 22).

Further there were rumours about Hatem ben Arfa (Lyon - 22), Diego Capel (Sevilla - 20), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United - 23), Andrés Guardado (Deportivo La Coruña - 21) and Mancini (AS Roma - 27). Gai Assulin (17) could be promoted from the Barcelona B team.


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

Mancini is on the winger's list

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that AS Roma winger Mancini (27) is on the Barcelona summer transfer list. In talks between Barcelona and Roma officials the name of the Brazilian player would already have been put on the table.

Mancini would consider to leave Roma cause of his difficult relationship with the fans of the Italian club and with Roma star forward Francesco Totti. Mancini has a contract with Roma until 2009 and negotiations between the club and the player haven't yet lead to a renewal.

Read more:

The search of Txiki: Attack

Meeting with Silva agent

Aquilani is touchable

The search of Txiki (5) : Attack

On Thursday 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.

Up front Barcelona is looking for a winger and a scorer. Last november Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain and Barcelona sports vice president Marc Ingla met in Lisbon with the agent of Manchester United right winger Cristiano Ronaldo (23). No chance. Bayern Munich right winger Franck Ribéry (24) has been sounded. Sevilla left winger Diego Capel (20) and AS Roma left winger Mancini (27) are also on the Barcelona list. With Mancini there would be a pre-agreement.

For the center forward position, the transfer price of the first choice, Olympique Lyon striker Karim Benzema (20), is unattainable, so the club has to look at other options. Sevilla forward Luis Fabiano (27) is an alternative who would cost far less, although the problem is that the rights of the player are divided between Sevilla and investment group GSI. Chelsea striker Didier Drogba (30) will only come if his former manager José Mourinho will become the next Barcelona manager.

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