Showing posts with label Messi. Show all posts

Wednesday, 20 February 2019

BREAKING: Barcelona still desperate to land Paul Pogba as they offer two players plus £45m in mouth-watering swap deal

The Spanish giants were desperate to sign Pogba with their captain Gerard Pique even publicly appealing for the midfielder to sign.

Mina Raiola was keen to find Pogba a way out of Old Trafford and journalist Duncan Castles says he was ‘offered to all the big clubs’.

Only Barcelona showed any interest and they came to the table with a double swap deal.

It’s Castles’ understanding that Andre Gomes, the 25-year-old Portuguese midfielder, and 24-year-old centre-back Yerry Mina were the two players offered.

Castles told the Transfer Window podcast: “We’ve talked at length about the previous problems between Paul Pogba and former manager Jose Mourinho since last season, as things started to fall apart between them.

“We talked about how Mourinho basically couldn’t move him out in the summer because there wasn’t a viable taker for a player who is being offered to all the big clubs in Europe by his agent Mino Raiola.

“The best offer that was proposed was Yerry Mina and Andre Gomes plus £45m in exchange for Paul Pogba by Barcelona, which Manchester United understandably seems to be taking their time to figure out.”

And Barcelona have called in to inform the Manchester United boards that the offer still stands.

BREAKING: Done Deal! Chelsea finally accept Real Madrid offer of €100m for Hazard as they prepare to launch shocking bid for Barcelona star player

Chelsea look to be edging closer to making a big change in attack as they tell Real Madrid Eden Hazard can leave for £88million and contact Barcelona over the potential transfer Philippe Coutinho.

The Blues are in a weak negotiating position due to Hazard being out of contract in 2020, and Marca claim they’ll now settle for £88m for the Belgium international as they accept he’s going to leave Stamford Bridge.

While this is undoubtedly worrying news from a Chelsea perspective, it does seem as though the club are already working to replace the influential attacker by contacting Barca about Coutinho.

The Daily Express report on CFC’s interest in the former Liverpool man, and state the club would be willing to pay around £100m to bring the Br azilian back to the Premier League.

Given Coutinho’s struggles in his time in La Liga, it is little surprise to see he could be available for a pretty reasonable fee, making him just about the dream Hazard replacement.

His skill, intelligence and eye for goal mean he’d immediately offer us exactly what Hazard has, and his experience in the Premier League also shows he can settle quickly and make a big impact at this level.

BREAKING: Transfer shocker! Barcelona set to offload Brazilian flop in order to raise immediate Neymar transfer funds as PSG finally agrees to sell

Barcelona are prepared to sell Philippe Coutinho in order to fund a move to bring Neymar back to the club, claims the Evening Standard.

The former Liverpool playmaker has struggled to make an impact at Camp Nou and could end up being replaced by a fellow Brazilian.

Barcelona have been offered the chance to sign three strikers, according to Don Balon.

The Catalans can sign Alvaro Morata, Kevin Gameiro or Fernando Llorente in their bid to replace Munir El Haddadi, who is set to depart the club in June.

Barca are apparently keen to find a back-up number nine for next season when Munir leaves.

BREAKING: Paul Pogba finally set to leave Manchester United in January but Barcelona have a new rival for his 'blockbuster' signature

Juventus are on high alert once again as Paul Pogba's exclusion against Liverpool appears to be the last straw for the midfielder, according to Tuttosport.

Pogba was left on the bench throughout Manchester United's 3-1 loss to the Reds as Jose Mourinho preferred Nemanja Matic, Jesse Lingard and Ander Herrera in the midfield.

Juventus have been linked with a move for their former midfielder, whose relationship with Mourinho appears to worsen by the day.

BREAKING: Meet the new 'Messi' who dribbles even faster, that Real Madrid are finally set to steal from Man city in January making Pep Guardiola furious

Catch me if you can: that should be Brahim Diaz’s tag-line, both on and off the pitch.

With a dribbling style compared to Lionel Messi’s, the 19-year-old forward is a slippery eel for opponents but Manchester City can’t keep a hold of him either.

Diaz is poised to move to Real Madrid at the end of the season, defying coach Pep Guardiola, who wants him to pen a new deal at the Etihad.

His contract runs out in June and, frustrated at limited first-team opportunities in Manchester, the Spaniard has been seduced by the promise of playing time at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Reports suggest Diaz has agreed a £60,000-a-week contract with the European champions, who have, crucially, guaranteed him a spot in the senior squad. Unlike Vinicius Junior, he would not be initially asked to line out for the club's reserves in the third tier of Spanish football.

Besides, given Real's struggles in La Liga this season, Diaz believes that he is good enough to make an instant impact at the highest level.

Indeed, the No.10 felt he was ready to play a small part in City's 2018-19 campaign and even rejected the chance to move to Girona on loan.

However, he has yet to see a minute of Premier League action, as he struggles with the intense competition for places in a City squad that also contains Riyad Mahrez, Leroy Sane, Bernardo Silva and Raheem Sterling.

As Diaz will have observed, it would be a lot easier to get into the Real Madrid side.

Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde, Marcos Llorente and Sergio Reguilon have all appeared this season for Los Blancos in La Liga, while Diaz’s only games at City thus far have been in the Carabao Cup.

Brahim Diaz Pep Guardiola Man City PS

The forward featured in the 3-0 win at Oxford and starred against Fulham, scoring twice in a 2-0 win that took Manchester City through to the quarter-finals.

This was just his third start for the club and the performance showed he is ready for much more than being held in stasis most weeks.

“The case of Brahim is very simple," Guardiola explained. "We want him to stay, we want to extend his contract for four or five years and we’ll do absolutely everything to keep him here but it’s in his hands."

What may hurt Pep the most about Diaz leaving City is the fact that he has invested so much time and effort in the youngster's development – not to mention the fact that Diaz's agent is Pere, Guardiola's older brother.

Back in 2011 when Diaz was in the Malaga youth academy, then-Barca coach Guardiola showed him around Camp Nou.

The Catalan giants were close to signing him, even agreeing terms with Diaz’s father, but Malaga refused to sell, promising him he would be playing in La Liga by the age of 16. That never came to pass, though, with City picking him up as a 14-year-old for a fee of just £300,000 ($383,000), rising to £4.5 million ($5.75m).

From the start, Diaz’s technique has been outstanding – a video of him playing at youth level for Malaga made waves. The Spaniard manipulates the ball with the same care, attention and precision as Messi and David Silva, and, just like that illustrious duo, he can play in attacking midfield or anywhere across the front line.

Diaz isn’t keen on playing as an out-and-out striker but that’s where he was used sometimes in the City youth team, which was a formative experience.

Brahim Diaz Edward Francis Man City PS

“In the Premier League, we can compare him with Eden Hazard, but he is a bit like Messi in the way he dribbles,” Diaz’s Manchester City youth team-mate Edward Francis, now on loan at Almere City, told Goal . “He is also a bit like David Silva and it's good to have a player like him in the team.”

Diaz is excellent with both feet, even if his left now appears his preferred weapon of choice after growing up using his right more as a child.

In 2017, he scored a brilliant goal against Real Madrid in a pre-season friendly, a left-foot thunderbolt which ripped past Kiko Casilla and lived long in the memory.

It is that quality which brings to mind Messi, his shimmering movement to create space for himself and leave defenders wondering which way he will turn.

Many of Europe’s top sides have been interested in him at one point or another but now it seems he only has eyes for Madrid.

Diaz debuted in the Champions League last season as a late substitute against Feyenoord in November but from his point of view progress has been frustratingly slow since then.

Every time he has been given a chance for club or country, he has shone, proving pivotal in Spain’s run to the U17 European Championship final in 2016 and Man City’s charge to the FA Youth Cup final the following year.

Last season, Spain made him their third youngest U21 international at 18 years and 28 days in a clash with Italy, while he picked up a Premier League winners' medal after making five appearances in the competition, all from the bench.

All little tastes of the stage he craves – and hopes to find with Real Madrid.

BREAKING: Real Madrid finally set to beat Barcelona to signing of top transfer target as Tottenham slam €250m on star player

Real Madrid remain keen on Tottenham playmaker Christian Eriksen but have, according to Marca, been told that he will cost €250 million (£223m/$285m).

Spurs are understandably keen to retain the services of a prized asset and will only consider a sale if a record-breaking bid is tabled.

BREAKING: Lionel Messi overtakes Cristiano Ronaldo to reclaim Champions League 'Goalscoring' record

Lionel Messi's goal against PSV Eindhoven helped the Barcelona star surpass Cristiano Ronaldo to reclaim a Champions League record and the Portugal star will have a long way to go to win it back.

By scoring Barcelona's opening goal in the 61st minute, Messi moved to 106 career Champions League goals for Barcelona.

The finish sees the Argentine reclaim the record for most Champions League goals for one club, surpassing the mark of 105 set by Ronaldo during his time at Real Madrid.

Now with Juventus, Ronaldo would be very unlikely to reclaim that record any time soon.

The two still remain atop the competition's all-time scoring charts with Ronaldo currently on 121 Champions League goals to lead the way.

Prior to the arrival of Messi and Ronaldo, Raul was the competition's most prolific scorer, having scored 71 goals with Real Madrid and Schalke.

In addition to surpassing Ronaldo, Messi's goal was his 15th of the season, ensuring that he has scored 15 or more goals in each of the last 13 seasons.

Messi's goal came in the second half, as the Argentinian star weaved his way through the PSV defense before firing a shot and finding the top corner to give Barcelona the lead.

He then assisted the club's second, finding Gerard Pique on a free kick to double the Spanish side's advantage and all but seal the top spot in their Champions League group.

Messi has now scored six Champions League goals this season, moving him past Eden Dzeko and the Roma star's five finishes to lead the goalscoring chart through five rounds of group stage play.

Barcelona can now turn their attentions back to La Liga, where they sit second, one point back of league leaders Sevilla.

The Blaugrana are back in action at the weekend against Villarreal to open up their December schedule.

They will close out Champions League group play with a home match against Tottenham on December 11, with Spurs' win over Inter on Wednesday helping Barcelona claim top spot in Group B

Paris Saint-Germain have 'tentatively' agreed a €200m deal to allow Brazil star Neymar to move back to La Liga in the summer, just two years after he left Barcelona in dramatic fashion.

The Brazilian has been an unqualified success on the pitch, contributing to an outrageous 64 goals in 46 games since his world record move to the French capital. Yet he has failed so far to bring the Champions League success and individual acclaim that both parties were hoping the deal would lead to.

Last season fizzled out for Neymar when he broke his foot at the end of February, ending his season prematurely and leaving him racing to be fit in time for the World Cup, with PSG failing to overcome a two goal deficit in their Champions League round of 16 second leg against Real Madrid without him just weeks later.

AS report that Catalan TV station Betevé report that PSG have agreed a tentative starting point of a €200m fee for a summer departure, with Neymar thus far failing to get close to his main objective while in Paris – individual recognition outside of the shadow of Lionel Messi.

Part of the reason for his failure to distance himself from the pack as an individual superstar is the arrival and emergence of Kylian Mbappe at the club – which goes some way to explaining why PSG appear willing to let their world record buy leave just two years after his arrival, with a Financial Fair Play investigation looming.

Barcelona and Real Madrid, unsurprisingly, are the two sides leading the race, with the former apparently already opening talks with the French club via club negotiator and Neymar 'confidant' Andre Cury.

BREAKING: Barcelona star player pushes for transfer as Barca board make secret plot to use him in Neymar talks with PSG

Ousmane Dembele has asked Barcelona to allow him to leave the club in the January transfer window, Goal understands, and his exit could help facilitate Neymar's shock return.

The 21-year-old has struggled to adapt to life at Barca following his €105 million (£93m/$120m) move from Dortmund in 2017 and has now requested the board sanction a sale when the transfer window reopens in the winter.

As reported by Goal in October, the Liga champions were already looking at offloading Dembele and will be open to offers for the forward in January.

Ernesto Valverde's side are planning to include Dembele in any potential deal for PSG forward Neymar, with the Catalan giants keen to bring back the Brazilian, who wants to push through a return to Camp Nou.

Indeed, preliminary discussions over an offer in the New Year for the 26-year-old that would include Dembele and a substantial cash fee have already taken place.

Premier League clubs are likely to also be interested in the latest developments regarding Dembele's future, with press reports having linked Liverpool with a move for the World Cup winner.

There is, however, no concrete interest from Jurgen Klopp's side at this stage, with Barca having confirmed that there has been no approach from Anfield for the player.

Dembele has seen his attitude called into question in recent weeks, with Spanish newspaper AS having reported that the Frenchman had missed a training session following an all-night video game session with friends.

His professionalism and diet have also been criticised - a source has previously told Goal about the presence of countless fast food cartons at his house, while he apparently threw away a healthy fish dish that had been prepared for him by his chef.

The forward was omitted from Barca’s matchday squad for the recent 4-3 defeat to Real Betis, although both his agent and club officials claimed that was due to illness, rather than a form of punishment.

Injuries haven't helped Dembele's attempts to properly settle into life at Camp Nou, with a serious hamstring problem having hampered his first season at the club.

The France international's team-mates at Barca have offered their support to the 21-year-old in what is now his second season at the club, and he was even on the scoresheet in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid.

That has not stopped him seeking an exit, however, and it now seems likely that, barring a turnaround in his and the club's circumstances in the near future, he'll be moved on in January.

Dembele has made seven starts in La Liga this season, his last coming in the 1-1 draw with Athletic at the end of September, and he has often had to play second fiddle to the likes of Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Philippe Coutinho.

BREAKING: Ballon d'or Shocker! Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi miss out on the top three finalists for the first time in over ten years.

Edinson Cavani has claimed that a French player must win the Ballon d'Or this season, as reports suggest that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will both finish outside of the top three in the voting.

The award will be handed out on December 3, and Tuttosport have claimed that the top three will consist of Real Madrid duo Luka Modric and Raphael Varane, and young Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe.

The Italian publication stopped short of claiming who will win the award, with Modric widely regarded as the favourite, after beating both Ronaldo and Messi to UEFA's 'The Best' title having helped Croatia to the World Cup final.

Cavani, though, insists that there must be a French winner of the prize, following their World Cup success.

There have been a total of four French winners of the award, the most recent of which came in 1998, when Zinedine Zidane was crowned the world's best player.

Jean-Pierre Papin and Michel Platini - twice - have also been victorious, and Cavani thinks it should be Varane, Mbappe or Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann who comes out on top this time around.

"Varane may well be there, Griezmann, Mbappe... I think a Frenchman should win," the PSG striker told RMC .

"There are other players who could win it, but it should be a Frenchman, they have won the World Cup.

"Modric has had a great season, but his team-mate Varane won the Champions League and the World Cup. Modric was a finalist and had a great campaign, but Varane deserves it more."

L'Equipe have, meanwhile, released a teaser video for the ceremony, which has also sent the rumour mill into overdrive.

Mbappe, Varane and Modric are the first three players shown in the video before some of the other candidates feature after a delay.

That has led publications in Italy, including Corriere della Sera and Tuttosport, to claim that both Ronaldo and Messi will not be included in the final three for the first time in over 10 years.

A journalist for French publication RFI had previously claimed on November 9 that, with half the votes having apparently been collated at that point, Modric was placed at No.1, with Varane second and Mbappe third.

Should one of Modric, Varane or Mbappe claim the title, they would become the first player since Kaka in 2007 to break the dominance of the Juventus and Barcelona stars.

BREAKING: Fresh injury blow rocks Barcelona as star player is set to be out for the rest of the year

Barcelona have announced that Philippe Coutinho is to be sidelined for up to three weeks with a hamstring injury.

The Brazil international will be forced to sit out upcoming fixtures for club and country after damaging the femoral biceps in his left leg.

He was able to play a full part for Barca in their most outing, against Inter in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Coutinho completed 90 minutes at San Siro,providing the assist for Malcom’s effort in a 1-1 draw in Milan .

He is, however, set to miss the rest of the month after picking up an untimely knock.

A statement released by Barca on their official website read: “Tests undertaken on Thursday morning have confirmed that Philippe Coutinho has a small rupture in the femoral biceps of his left leg.

“He will be out for approximately two to three weeks.”

If Coutinho is unable to make a speedy recovery, then it is unlikely that he will be seen again in November.

He will be absent from La Liga and Champions League fixtures as a result, while also missing out on international duty.

Barcelona are set to face Real Betis at Camp Nou on Sunday before domestic action shuts down once more.

Coutinho would have been expecting to link up with Brazil, offering him a chance to add to his 45 caps, but he will play no part in friendly dates with Uruguay and Cameroon on November 16 and 20 respectively.

If he is able to shake off his ailment inside two weeks, then he could play some part in a crunch La Liga clash with Atletico Madrid on November 24.

That contest may, however, come too soon, as could a European date with PSV in Eindhoven on November 28.

Barca’s first outing in December will see them play host to Villarreal, and they will hope to have Coutinho back at their disposal by then.

Ernesto Valverde’s side are currently perched at the top of the Liga standings and safely through to the last-16 of the Champions League .