Poulsen could join Barcelona in January

Italian football site Calcio Mercato claims that Juventus midfielder and Danish international Christian Poulsen (29) could join Barcelona in January.

Although Poulsen will most probably stay with Juventus this summer (read more here), the Danish player is one of the options Barcelona is considering to strengthen the midfield during the winter transfer window, trying to deal with the absences of Barcelona players Yaya Touré and Seydou Keita who will take part in the African Cup of Nations at the beginning of next year.

Read more:
Juventus hopes Barcelona will sign Poulsen
Guardiola rejected Poulsen transfer

Guardiola rejected Poulsen transfer

Spanish news site El Confidencial claims that Barcelona was close to signing Juventus midfielder and Danish international Christian Poulsen (29) earlier this transfer window when it began to become clear that the transfers of Mascherano and Cesc would be difficult (read more here).

The Danish midfielder would even have travelled to Barcelona while his Italian club was taking part in the Peace Cup a few weeks ago, but Guardiola reportedly stopped the whole operation because he wasn't interested in Poulsen.

Read more:
Juventus hopes Barcelona will sign Poulsen
Looking forward to the last transfer window month
No concrete talks with Poulsen

Juventus hopes Barcelona will sign Poulsen

Italian sports paper Tuttosport claims that Juventus still hopes that Barcelona will end up signing Juventus midfielder and Danish international Christian Poulsen (29) later this month if other options would fail.

The Italian club wants to be released of the 3 million euro a year contract of Poulsen and now hopes that Barcelona, that will have to deal with the absences of Touré and Keita during the Africa Cup next year, or Liverpool, that might need to replace Xabi Alonso, will try to transfer Poulsen in the coming weeks.

Read more:
No concrete talks with Poulsen
Looking forward to the last transfer window month
Total deal on Caceres loan to Juventus

Looking forward to the last transfer window month

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo looks ahead to the last month of the summer transfer window.


Central defender
With the transfer of Shakhtar Donetsk defender and Ukrainian international Dmytro Chygrynskiy (22) having become unlikely because of the player's participation in a Champions league qualifying game, Barcelona could decide not to sign another centre-back and to count on Henrique and youth players Muniesa or Fontàs.

Midfielder
Signing another midfielder seems at this moment the priority of the club, with Liverpool defensive midfielder and Argentine international Javier Mascherano (25) and Arsenal midfielder and Spanish international Cesc Fàbregas (22) on top of the list. A player with a back-up profile like Poulsen is not an option.

Left winger
With a transfer of main target Franck Ribéry not being possible, a transfer of a left winger is not a priority because the alternatives don't convince. Valencia left wing attacker and Spanish international Juan Mata (21) could be an option if he cannot reach a renewal agreement with Valencia this summer. Other rumoured options like Di María, Robinho or Arshavin seem far off at this moment. Homegrown players Pedro, Jeffren or Gai are expected to get their chances.

Read more:
Transfer of Chygrynskiy becomes unlikely
Mascherano or Cesc
Mata will use Barcelona offer to get pay rise

Total deal on Caceres loan to Juventus

All Italian and Spanish media claim that all parties involved have found a deal on the transfer of Barcelona central defender and Uruguayan international Martín Cáceres (22) to Juventus.

Although some media report that Cáceres will join Juventus on a permant transfer, most media claim that it will be a one-year loan, with a buy option of (10 or) 12 million euro. Juventus player Poulsen would in the end not be part of the deal (read more here).

Italian sports paper Tuttosport claims that Cáceres will be in Turin tomorrow to undergo the medical tests. Catalan radio station RAC 1 claims that the Uruguayan centre-back and his agent Daniel Fonseca travelled already to Italy today to finalize the deal.

Read more:
This week decision on Caceres loan to Juventus
Meeting Caceres-Poulsen swap coming up

No concrete talks with Poulsen

Asked about the rumours linking Juventus midfielder and Danish international Christian Poulsen (29) with a move to Barcelona (read more here), the player's agent Jorn Bonnesen has said in an interview with Italian football site Tutto Mercato Web that there's nothing concrete so far:

"I've heard about Barcelona, but until now there haven't been any concrete talks. The English Premier League might be a good destination for my client but everything will depend on the club and the offer. We also only want to leave permanently so we won't accept a loan deal."

Read more:
Meeting Caceres-Poulsen swap coming up
Agent Poulsen confirms Barcelona contact

Meeting Caceres-Poulsen swap coming up

Italian sports paper Tuttosport claims that Barcelona and Juventus officials will meet later this week to discuss the transfers of Barcelona central defender and Uruguayan international Martín Cáceres (22) and Juventus midfielder and Danish international Christian Poulsen (29).

Juventus sports director Alessio Secco will probably first meet later today in Italy (somewhere between Milan and Turin) with Daniel Fonseca, the agent of Cáceres, trying to find already a personal agreement with the player, who would be earning 2 million euro at Barcelona and doesn't want to take a pay cut.

The Italian club would only be able to afford signing Cáceres if Juventus player Poulsen, who has a 3 million euro a year salary, would leave this summer. Despite the interest of several English clubs, the Danish midfielder would like to join Barcelona and Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain is quoted by the paper as confirming that Barcelona is interested in the player: "The Dane is one of the candidates to strengthen our midfield."

Read more:
Agent Poulsen confirms Barcelona contact
Juventus President: Caceres depends on Poulsen
Loan move to Juventus only option for Caceres

Juventus President: Caceres depends on Poulsen

Asked about the rumours linking Barcelona central defender and Uruguayan international Martín Cáceres (22) with a move to Juventus (read more here), Juventus president Cobolli Gigli confirmed to Italian television channel Sky Sport 24 that the Italian club is interested:

"It's a player whom we're interested in, it's more than just rumours. But it is all linked to Poulsen and the fact that we have to bring some money in. Our priority is now to get cash in and then we can reinvest that money. Cáceres is only an option if we first sell Poulsen."

Read more:
Juventus wants Caceres-Poulsen swap
Juventus confirms Caceres interest
Guardiola about current Barca players

Agent Poulsen confirms Barcelona contact

Asked about the rumours linking Juventus midfielder and Danish international Christian Poulsen (29) with a move to Barcelona (read more here), the player's agent Jorn Bonnesen has confirmed in an interview with Italian football site Calcio Mercato that there have been unofficial contacts:

"For now there have been no official talks with Barcelona. We only have been sounded out by a Spanish agent linked with Barcelona and that's all for now.

To this date, the only offer I'm aware of is the one of Fenerbahçe, but we didn't even talk to them abiut the economic aspects since Christian immediately rejected the idea because he wants to stay at Juventus.

I don't like to talk about hypothetical cases so I don't know what would happen if Barcelona would make a concrete offer. Christian is for now only focused on his job and on Juventus. If the Barça option would become concrete, we'll sit down and discuss what is best for Poulsen. Since Juve is very big club, it's clear that for him leave, Christian really should be attracted by the offer. We'll look at it if there's something concrete on the table. For now, he'll fight to get a place in the team of Juventus."

Read more:
Juventus wants Caceres-Poulsen swap

Caceres very close to Juventus loan

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona central defender and Uruguayan international Martín Cáceres (22) could move to Juventus.

Barcelona would want Cáceres, whose contract expires in 2012, to have more playing minutes and, after having looked at an offer by Turkish club Galatasaray, a deal with Juventus on a one-year loan would now be very close.

In contrast to what had been previously mentioned (read more here), Juventus midfielder and Danish international Christian Poulsen (29) would not be part of the deal.

Read more:
Juventus wants Caceres-Poulsen swap
Galatasaray interested in four Barcelona players
Cáceres to Juventus in 10 days

Juventus wants Caceres-Poulsen swap

Italian sports paper Tuttosport claims that Juventus wants to swap Juventus midfielder and Danish international Christian Poulsen (29) for Barcelona central defender and Uruguayan international Martín Cáceres (22).

Juventus manager Ciro Ferrara would like to add another central defender to his squad, while a transfer of Poulsen would open the way for another transfer, given the Dane's high wage.

Both players would be valued at 7 million euro°, which could result in a straight swap with no money included.

Read more:
Cáceres to Juventus in 10 days
Barcelona moving for Poulsen
Juventus and Roma interested in Caceres

Barcelona moving for Poulsen

Asked about the rumours linking Juventus midfielder and Danish international Christian Poulsen (29) with a move to Barcelona (read more here), the player's agent Jorn Bonnesen has confirmed in an interview with Danish football site Bold that there have been contacts:

"There has been a request from a Spanish agent linked with Barcelona. He asked whether Christian would be interested in joining Barcelona. You never know what is happening, but Juventus sports director Alessio Seccio has apparently also admitted that there have been contacts with Barcelona.

Our idea for now is that Christian should not be going anywhere. It is only if something very attractive comes up, that we might consider our options. Barcelona would obviously be very attractive, but we have nothing to deal with as yet. At the moment, Christian is 100 per cent focused on Juventus.

He's currently on training camp and in great physical shape since he just set a club record at running three kilometres. He is good enough to play at Juventus and it is now up to him to decide whether he wants to stay and fight for a place but he is a confident player. He has three years left on his contract at Juventus and he's willing to fulfill that."

Read more:
Deal with Poulsen
Poulsen alternative for Mascherano
Meeting with Poulsen

Poulsen alternative for Mascherano

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona are interested in Juventus midfielder and Danish international Christian Poulsen (29).

With three years still remaining in his contract, Poulsen is said to have fallen out of favour with Juventus coach Ciro Ferrara who has deemed him surplus to requirements in light of recent additions to their squad.

The transfer of Mascherano would have been seen as too expensive and so
Barcelona would have rekindled their interest in the ex-Sevilla defensive midfielder. Barcelona would offer 15 million euro for Poulsen according to Sport.

Read more:
Case closed: Poulsen
The Poulsen Problem
Meeting with Poulsen

Case closed: Poulsen

Sevilla midfielder and Danish international Christian Poulsen (28) will not play for Barcelona as of next season, like had been rumoured over the last months (read more here).

Sevilla and Juventus have yesterday officially announced the transfer of the Danish player to the Italian club. Poulsen signed a four year contract with Juventus that will pay Sevilla 250 000 euro more than the buyout fee of 10 million euro°.

Read more:

Case closed: Guiza

Case closed: Modric

Case closed: Ben Arfa

Read everything on the Poulsen linked with Barcelona story

Toure would like to play with brother at Arsenal

Asked about the rumours linking him with a summer move to Arsenal (read more here), Barcelona defensive midfielder and Ivorian international Yaya Touré (25) has said in an interview with British sports site Sky Sports that he would love to play alongside his older brother Kolo (picture, at the left): "I am aware of the interest from the Premier League but I can't say anything yet. However it would be great to play in a big team with my brother. It could be fantastic but you never know."

Madrid sports tabloid As claims that Guardiola prefers that Sevilla midfielder Christian Poulsen (28) would occupy Touré's position before the defence (read more here). Catalan sport paper El Mundo Deportivo claims the opposite: Touré is a key player for Guardiola and Barcelona would only consider to let him go to Arsenal if that would be the only way to bring Arsenal forward Emmanuel Adebayor (24) to Barcelona (read more here).

Read more:

Wenger wants Touré to replace Vieira

How things stand: Defensive midfielder

(at the end of the season, Barça Transfer Zone looks forward to the coming transfer summer making an analysis for each position, in part 5 we look at the defensive midfielder)

2007-2008

He was the least known of the four transfers last summer, but Ivorian defensive midfielder Yaya Touré (24) established himself from the start as a key player in the team. If he was not fit or during the Africa Cup he was replaced by Rafael Márquez (29), Andrés Iniesta (23) or José Edmílson (31), who was injured during the first part of the season.

Out

The contract of Brazilian defensive midfielder Edmílson, who arrived in 2004 from Olympique Lyon, expires in June and will not be renewed. In the last months the player has been linked with clubs like Betis, Besiktas and Villareal. Mexican central defender and defensive midfielder Márquez could also leave (read more here).

In

Barcelona had planned to bring in a solid back-up for Touré. But it is now to be seen what the effect of the appointment of Josep Guardiola as the new Barcelona manager will be on how this position will be filled in. If Guardiola wants to bring back the 'pivote', the playmaker before the defence that he has been during his career, it could well be that Xavi or Iniesta, who were formed at this position, could be pulled back.

Olympique Lyon midfielder and Barcelona loan out Marc Crosas (20), who was nicknamed "the new Guardiola" (both for the position he played as for the physical resemblance), has now probably more chance to come back, despite having said he would prefer to stay at least one more year at Lyon.

This could also cause Barcelona to look for another type of player. Barcelona has been linked with players like Christian Poulsen (Sevilla - 28), Seydou Keita (Sevilla - 28), Daniele De Rossi (Roma - 24), Stéphane Mbia (Rennes - 21) and David Albelda (Valencia - 30), but Guardiola could well prefer a player like Xabi Alonso (Liverpool - 26).

Read all How things stand contributions here in the coming weeks or read the contribution about:

Goal keeper - Right back defender - Central defenders - Left back defender - Defensive midfielder - Attacking midfielders - Wing attackers - Centre forward

Poulsen denies Barcelona offer

Asked about a presumed meeting with Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain last week (read more here), Sevilla midfielder and Danish international Christian Poulsen (28) has denied at a press conference that the meeting took place: "I've read in the papers that I met with Barcelona representatives but this is not true. I don't know anything about that hotel, I was at home that day."

Poulsen, who assured that he could not play this weekend cause of physical problems (read more here), nevertheless said that, although he's happy at Sevilla, all options for the future are open: "I'm very happy here but I don't know what will happen in the future. Every club and every player thinks about himself. For now I don't have any contact with other clubs and I certainly have no concrete offers, those stories are just rumours. But if a club wants to talk with me, they know that I have an agent. If an offers comes in, I will listen to it and see if it's good for my future and that of my family. I also would consider a renewal offer by Sevilla."

Read more:

Meeting with Poulsen

Poulsen punished for meeting with Barcelona

The Poulsen problem

Poulsen punished for meeting with Barcelona

Sevilla midfielder and Danish international Christian Poulsen (28) has been left out of the squad for this weekend's game against Real Valladolid. Since the player is not injured and although the player has denied the rumour, it is believed that the club wants to punish the player for a meeting with Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain earlier this week (read more here) while Sevilla had asked the players to focus on the last games of the season and to set personal things aside.

Asked about a possible meeting, Sevilla president José María del Nido said yesterday that he could not say anything about it: "I know everything what has happened but I cannot deny or confirm that Poulsen has met with a representative of Barcelona. I do can tell you that they have not talked with us, in the first place because they know that I don't talk about players before the season ends. In any case, I don't think the meeting was with Txiki, cause he is dealing with other things."

Catalan sports paper Sport says that Barcelona is not interested in Poulsen. The only Sevilla player they want to transfer is right back defender Dani Alves and to keep good relations with Sevilla the club is very careful not to approach other players. Barcelona officials would therefore have denied that a meeting with Poulsen took place and that Begiristain was working in Barcelona on Wednesday and did not travel to Sevilla that day.

Read more:
Meeting with Poulsen
Poulsen deal under lock and key
First Poulsen contact

Meeting with Poulsen

Spanish local radio station Radio Sevilla claims that Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain met on Wednesday at the 'El Boticaria' hotel in Alcalá de Guadaira (near Sevilla) with Sevilla midfielder Christian Poulsen (28) and Bayram Tutumlu, the Turkish go-between who brought Poulsen to Sevilla (read more here).

Poulsen, whose contract expires in 2009, would be one of the main candidates to strengthen the Barcelona midfield. The Danish international, who has a tense relationship with his club because the player is rejecting all offers to renew his contract, has a buyout clause of 10 million euro°.

Read more:
Poulsen waiting for a free transfer
Deal with Poulsen
Bigger club but lower salary for Poulsen

Poulsen waiting for a free transfer

Madrid sports tabloid Marca claims that Sevilla midfielder Christian Poulsen (28), whose contract expires in 2009, is not planning to leave Sevilla in the summer despite the interest of several European top clubs, including Barcelona (read more here). Poulsen has informed his lawyer and legal representative Jorn Bonnesen about his decision.

Like he did in his former club Schalke 04, the Danish international wants to stay until his contract ends next year and then leave on a free transfer. This puts Poulsen in a better position to negotiate the economic conditions of the new contract with his next club. French champion Olympique Lyon would already have offered to pay the Dane's buyout clause of 10 million euro°, but Poulsen rejected the offer.

Poulsen is convinced that some of the big clubs that are interested now, will still be next year. Although Turkish go-between Bayram Tutmlu, who brought the midfielder to Sevilla, had been talking to different clubs, Poulsen came out to assure during a press conference that Tutumlu is not his agent (read more here). Sevilla has been trying several times to renew and extend the player's contract and to raise the buyout clause, but Poulsen has always made clear he does not want that.

Read more:
Deal with Poulsen
The Poulsen problem
Poulsen deal under lock and key

Read everthing:
The Christian Poulsen transfer story