Alves chooses Barcelona

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Sevilla right back defender and Brazilian international Daniel Alves (25) has made the decision to leave for Barcelona in the summer and will not listen to other offers coming in. Alves has not yet made plans to return to his home country because he first want to see the deal with Barcelona closed.

Alves has already agreed terms with Barcelona (read more here). Barcelona has made a formal offer for the player and it is expected that the negotiations with Sevilla could start this week since both teams have nothing left to play for in the Liga which allows them to start concentrating on next season.

After the Betis game on Sunday, where Alves saw a red card which won't allow him to play the last game of the season with sevilla, the right back seemed to announce his goodbye in an interview with Spanish radio station Onda Cero: "There shouldn't be much fuss about all this. It has been five brillant years here in Sevilla and we all knew that one day or another this moment would arrive. I hope that I can say goodbye to the fans next week and that it can be a positive experience."

Read more:

Personal agreement with Alves

Alves can leave this summer

How things stand: Right back defender

Milan wants Puyol to replace Maldini

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona captain Carles Puyol (30) is a major AC Milan summer target (read more here). The Italian club wants to rebuild the squad and thinks that Puyol could be 'the new Maldini'. Milan president Adriano Galliani, who has an excellent personal relationship with Puyol, is a known admirer of the Catalan defender.

Milan does not want to wait much longer to make a bid, since some other clubs are monitoring the situation of Puyol. The paper claims that Manchester United could be willing to offer Manchester United central defender Gerard Piqué (21) plus an amount of money for the Spanish international.

The Barcelona board would not immediately reject an offer coming in for Puyol since a squad reshuffle is planned and this could be the last big opportunity to get an important transfer fee for the player.

Puyol has expressed in the past that he prefers to retire playing for Barcelona but does not plan to stay at any cost if the club would ask him to go. Milan has always been his preferred destination in case of having to leave.

Read more:

Milan considering new Puyol bid

The swap deal as transfer strategy

Transfer history: Puyol

Euro 2008: Portugal squad

Portugal national team coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has named his squad for Euro 2008. Barcelona midfielder Deco (30) and ex-Barcelona players Simão Sabrosa (28 - Atlético Madrid - 1999-2001) and Ricardo Quaresma (24 - Porto - 2003-2004 picture) are included in the list.

Portugal, who were drawn into Group A along with Switzerland, Czech Republic and Turkey, will play their first match of the tournament on the 7th June, against Turkey.

(Barça Transfer Zone will follow the performances of the Barcelona players at the Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland)

Crosas was close to Sociedad

Olympique Lyon midfielder and Barcelona loan out Marc Crosas has told in an interview with Spanish news agency EFE that he was close to joining Segunda División team Real Sociedad in the January transfer window (read more here):

"It was a done deal with Real Sociedad. I was very motivated to help them to return to the Primera División, but in extremis there was an offer from Olympique Lyon. Eric Abidal told me that Lyon was interested and brought us together. With all due respect to Real Sociedad but I guess everybody sees the difference between the two clubs and can understand my decision."

Read more:

Crosas wants to stay in Lyon

How is Crosas performing in Lyon?

Transfer period analysis: Winter 2008

Fake agent links Huntelaar with Barcelona

Italian player's agent Vincenzo Morabito, who says he represents Ajax forward Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (24), has said in an interview with Italian radio station Radio Radio that he thinks the player will leave this summer for Spain: "Real Madrid and Barcelona have already shown interest in a transfer. Johan Cruijff likes the player a lot and he's very influential in Barcelona, so I think he'll join them in the end."

Last month, Huntelaar nevertheless denied to have any link with Morabito in a message on his official website: "Klaas-Jan Huntelaar wants to give a clear message. There is a man who says to be the manager of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, but he's not. His name is Vincenzo Morabito. The things he says are unreliable and not true. There is only one official manager and his name is Arnold Oosterveer."

Read more:

Huntelaar agent invites Barcelona

Huntelaar is in Barcelona

Ajax wants Gai Assulin on loan