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

Pedro could leave on loan

Spanish football site Join Futbol claims that Barcelona wing attacker and Spanish youth international Pedro (22) could leave on loan in the summer.

Spanish second division club Tenerife would be one of the interested clubs but because Barcelona prefers to let Pedro go to a first division club, this only seems an option if Tenerife, currently second-placed, promotes this season.

First division clubs Málaga and Recreativo Huelva would also be interested in Pedro, who has played several games with Barcelona B over the last months. Both club would have contacted Barcelona and the agency of the player who joined Barcelona’s youth academy in 2004.

Catalan sports weekly paper Gol claims that Pedro has received several offers from other clubs. Barcelona would already have tried a couple of times to renew his contract that expires in 2010 but a deal couldn’t be found because Barcelona’s offer was considered to be far too low.

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo reports that Barcelona has to pay Pedro’s former club San Isidro an additional transfer fee of 300 000 euro° if the Spanish winger takes part in ten official games with Barcelona’s first team, with his presence only counting if he plays at least 45 minutes (read more here).

Read more:
Pedro: "I want to work hard so I can stay"
Barça B: Valencia, Sevilla and Villareal want Jeffren
Pedro loan could get Barcelona Celta talent Joselu

Ex-Barça: Gerard without a club

Although it was rumoured earlier this summer that former Barcelona player Gerard López (29) had signed a two-year deal with Greek club PAOK Saloniki, the Catalan midfielder is still available on a free transfer after Recreativo Huelva decided not to use the option to extend his contract for another season.

The player is currently training with local Catalan club Granollers, the club of his hometown.

Gerard came through the Barcelona youth ranks but left the club for Valencia in 1997. Three years later, newly elected Barcelona president Joan Gaspart bought the player back for a transfer fee of over 20 million euro. The Catalan midfielder joined Monaco on a free transfer in the summer of 2005. With Barcelona, Gerard won one Spanish league in 2005.

Read more:
Ex-Barça: Giuly to Paris Saint-Germain
Ex-Barça: Antic to Serbia
Ex-Barça: Overmars to Go Ahead Eagles

Caceres transfer to be announced today

Today is the day that Villareal central defender and Uruguayan international Martín Cáceres (21) will be announced as new Barcelona player. At least, that's what everybody says. Again.

The negotiations went on all day yesterday and it seems the deal is closed and that only some administrative issues should be finalized. Cáceres will sign a four-year contract and earn 2 million euro° plus incentives a year.

Madrid sports tabloid Marca claims the fee is 16 million euro° (10 for Villareal and 6 for Fonseca), Madrid sports tabloid As claims the fee is 17 million euro° (10 for Villareal and 7 for Defensor and Recreativo) and Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims the fee is 16,5 million° euro (10 for Villareal and the rest undefined).

Catalan sports paper Sport gives the most detailed and consistent explanation about the partition of the 16,5 million euro transfer fee°: 10 million goes to Villareal and 6,5 million goes to the Daniel Fonseca, the agent of the player who ownes half of the rights of Cáceres through Defensor Sporting de Montevideo, the former club of the player.

With a buyout fee of 20 million euro° and Villareal holding on to its share of 10 million euro°, it was Fonseca who accepted a lower part of the fee due to the pressure of the player and because Villareal would get full property of the player by next summer.

Besides all that, Recreativo Huelva, the club where Cáceres played on loan this season, would also receive a little one million euro of the money Villareal will get from Barcelona.

Read more:
Deal on Caceres
Villareal rejects offer for Caceres
How things stand: Central defenders

First meeting with Caceres

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona sports vice president Marc Ingla and Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain met yesterday afternoon in the 'Juan Carlos I' hotel in Barcelona with Daniel Fonseca, the agent of Recreativo Huelva central defender and Villareal loan out Martín Cáceres (21).

Barcelona wants to bring in another centre back defender who can play alongside Puyol during the first months of next season when Gabriel Milito will be out due to an injury. Cáceres would be one of the main options. This is confirmed by Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo.

During the meeting the contract situation and the wishes of the player were discussed. It seems that the Uruguayan defender would be very interested in a transfer but that the fee could be a main problem, with Villareal not willing to let Cáceres go for less than 20 million euro° (read more here).

But since the defender belongs for 50 per cent to his agent, El Mundo Deportivo claims that Fonseca could choose to just keep that part of the ownership which would mean Barcelona should only pay 10 million euro° to Villareal.

Read more:
Caceres too expensive for Barcelona
How things stand: Central defenders

Villareal loan out Caceres scouted

Caceres too expensive for Barcelona

Madrid sports tabloid Marca claims that Barcelona sports director has contacted Recreativo Huelva central defender Martín Cáceres (21) to hear more about his situation (read more here).

The Uruguayan player belongs to Villareal and to Daniel Fonseca, the former Uruguayan international who represents Cáceres. Because Cáceres will not move for less than 20 million euro°, Barcelona has put the option aside for the moment.

Read more:

Villareal loan out Caceres scouted

How things stand: Central defenders

The search of Txiki: Defence

Villareal loan out Caceres scouted

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona scouts have been following Recreativo Huelva central defender Martín Cáceres (21) (read more here). The Villareal loan out is mentioned high on wish the list of the Barcelona tecnical staff but since Cáceres will return to Villareal after this season, it seems highly unlikely that the Barcelona interest in the Uruguayan will result in a transfer in the coming summer.

The search of Txiki (1) : Defence

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

At the back, Barcelona is looking to replace Italian full back Gianluca Zambrotta (31), who will leave for AC Milan, and French central defender Lilian Thuram (36), whose contract expires in June and won't be renewed.

For the right back positon, three names are on the Barcelona list: Sevilla right back Daniel Alves (24), Bayern Munich full back Philipp Lahm (24) and Bayern Munich right back Willy Sagnol (30). While Barcelona doesn't seem willing to pay up to 30-35 million euro for the Brazilian, they would already have found a pre-agreement with the two Bayern defenders.

For the centre defence position, Barcelona is mainly considering two options: Racing Santander defender Ezequiel Garay (21) and Recreativo Huelva defender Martín Cáceres (20). The Uruguayan central defender is only playing on loan with Recreativo and is owned by Villareal. Espanyol defender Daniel Jarque (25) has also been followed.

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