Barcelona
Barcelona agree to swap 20-goal star for 26-year-old defensive midfielder – report
Barcelona have agreed to sell Antoine Griezmann to Atletico Madrid in a swap deal that would see Saul Niguez move to the Camp Nou, COPE reports. The Blaugrana have yet to register any of their new signings, and it has been reported that they need to reduce their wage bill by another €175 million to meet La Liga’s salary cap. It won’t be a straightforward process, and the Catalan giants are expected to offload several high-profile players in the coming weeks in order to meet the financial rules. Griezmann has been one of those touted to leave the club, and it is now reported that they have agreed to swap him with Atletico for the services of Saul. The move would allow them to free up around €12m in wages with an amortisation of around €60-70m, which was reportedly the price t...
Barcelona defender on Everton’s radar
Everton are looking at Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet this summer, according to Spanish outlet Sport. Lenglet joined Barcelona from Sevilla back in 2018 for a fee of €35 million. His career at the Camp Nou got off to a good start, shaping a formidable partnership with Gerard Pique as his side won the 2018/19 La Liga title and reached the Champions League semi-finals. Lenglet in action for Barcelona However, the Frenchman has failed to reach those heights since and has become an unpopular figure at Camp Nou. Last season, he conceded four penalties, with three of them coming in crucial games against Real Madrid, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain. With the younger options of Ronald Araujo and Oscar Mingueza coming through, as well as the arrival of Eric Garcia from Manchester City, Lenglet...
Messi miles ahead of Bayern and Chelsea stars in Ballon D’Or race
The 2020/21 season has officially come to a close, and it’s around this time when we start to speculate about our award winners. The Ballon d’Or is the most high profile individual award in the game, recognising the world’s best player from the past 12 months. With the season over, we’re now looking at our potential winners. Two months ago, we compiled a list of the leading candidates for the prize. Since then, we’ve had a Champions League final and a summer of international football. Some of the list has aged well. Other parts….not so much (whose idea was it to give Antoine Griezmann an honourable mention?). Anyway, two months on, and we now have a clearer picture of who our 2021 Ballon d’Or winner could be. Lionel Messi The Copa America has tipped the balance in Messi’s favour As things ...
Euro 2020: Team of the Tournament
After a month of goals, late drama, penalty shoot-outs, controversy and everything else that makes football so wonderful, Euro 2020 has finally come to an end. Congratulations to Italy, who defeated England on penalties in the final on Sunday. All things considered, it was the correct result. Over the last few weeks, they’ve been the best side of the 24. Following all that excitement, here is our pick for the Team of the Tournament. Gianluigi Donnarumma (GK) – It feels like Donnarumma has been around for a while now, but he is still just 22-years-old. He’s already one of the best goalkeepers in the world and could go down as one of the greatest of all time if he continues on his current trajectory. Donnarumma was crucial in two penalty shootout victories He was given the Player of the...
Gary Lineker urges Three Lions to ‘treasure’ Euro 2020 final
Gary Lineker has urged the England players to “treasure and enjoy” Sunday’s Euro 2020 final against Italy – but believes it is just the beginning and success will soon come even if they are beaten at Wembley. Gareth Southgate’s side are preparing for their first major tournament final in 55 years, something not even Lineker achieved during his time as a Three Lions player. The former Tottenham, Everton and Barcelona forward also praised the players for the showing a “shining social conscience” off the field which represents the “very best” of England. In an open letter to the England team in the Players’ Tribune, Lineker said: “I wish I was playing with you. This is the sort of occasion you dream about as a player. And honestly, it’s much less nerve-racking out on the pitch than in the sta...
Manchester City legend Kun Aguero to play backup role at Barcelona
Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero will play a backup role at Barcelona next term. The striker spent 11 trophy-laden years in Manchester, winning the Premier League five times and the FA Cup once. He is fourth in the all-time Premier League goalscoring charts with 184 strikes in 275 appearances. The ‘perfect’ combined England and Italy Euro 2020 XI Despite his incredible record, Barca have warned Aguero that he could spend a significant amount of time on the bench next season. That’s according to Spanish outlet AS (via Daily Mail), who claim that the Argentinian has already accepted the role. Barca are worried about Aguero’s fitness after he was limited to 12 top flight appearances in 2020/21. He suffered with a knee injury at the start of the campaign, a hamstring problem in November an...
€25m-rated star wants to leave Barcelona, feels ‘disrespected’ by contract offer – report
Barcelona midfielder Ilaix Moriba is eyeing a move away from the club after feeling disrespected by the contract offer on the table, Marca reports. The 18-year-old made his breakthrough with the Catalan giants last season, registering one goal and three assists from just 536 minutes in the Spanish La Liga. He has now entered the final year of his contract. Talks over an extension have completely stalled with the club’s offer being well below his expectations. The club have offered him a salary similar to some academy graduates, who are yet to make their debuts or don’t have much chance of playing next term. Moriba has been left angry and disrespected by the proposal. His refusal to sign the extension has seen the club demote him to the B team. There has been no renewed offer on the table, ...
Dutch FA opens talks with Louis van Gaal over return to national team
Louis van Gaal has moved a step closer to returning as Netherlands coach for a third time after meeting with Dutch football association officials to discuss the job, local media reported on Friday. The reports said the 69-year-old held talks at his home in Portugal on Thursday with KNVB directors Nico-Jan Hoogma and Eric Gudde, who are responsible for the choice of a new coach after Frank de Boer’s resignation. De Boer resigned after their Euro 2020 last-16 defeat to Czech Republic on June 27 and the KNVB said it would move swiftly to find a replacement, with the team set to resume their World Cup qualification campaign in September. Van Gaal, who officially retired in 2019 but stepped away from the game two years earlier after leaving Manchester United, had two previous spells at the helm...
Barcelona ‘almost certain’ to sell €60m-rated star if Lionel Messi signs a new contract – report
Barcelona will sanction the sale of Antoine Griezmann if Lionel Messi extends his contract with the club, reputed Spanish journalist Alfredo Martinez claims. The Blaugrana are facing a financial crisis and need to lower their wage bill by another €175 million to register new players. Sergio Aguero, Eric Garcia, Memphis Depay and Emerson were announced as new arrivals, and they can’t be registered until the wage bill is within La Liga’s salary cap. Meanwhile, the club also can’t afford a new contract for Messi, who is now a free agent. They need to recoup wages from player sales before they can extend his stay. Several high-profile players including Samuel Umtiti, Philippe Coutinho and Miralem Pjanic have been tipped to head for the exit door this month. It is now reported that a contr...
Barcelona leave out €25m-rated youngster from pre-season duty amid contract stand-off – report
Barcelona have yet to renew the contract of highly-rated midfielder Ilaix Moriba, reputed Spanish journalist Gerard Romero claims. The 18-year-old is regarded as one of the best young talents from the La Masia academy, and he made his debut for the club last season. The teenager managed just 536 minutes of playing time in the Spanish La Liga but still impressed with one goal and three assists to his name. The midfielder’s contract with the club expires in June 2022, and the hierarchy have yet to make the breakthrough over a new long-term deal. The Catalan giants start their pre-season campaign tomorrow, and it is reported that Moriba won’t be part of the training group. Sportslens view: The Blaugrana need to reduce their wage bill by a staggering €200 million to register their new sig...
La Liga chief: Impossible for Barca to keep Lionel Messi without departures
Barcelona must considerably reduce their wage bill in order to keep Lionel Messi, LaLiga chief Javier Tebas said on Thursday, adding that the club would not be shown any leniency when it comes to obeying the league’s strict financial control rules. Messi, Barca’s all-time top scorer and appearance maker, ended his 21-year association with the club last month and is currently a free agent as the Catalans cannot offer him a new deal due to their financial predicament. President Joan Laporta said last month that Messi was keen to remain at the club but giving him a new deal was being held up by the league’s Financial Fair Play regulations. Spanish media reports had suggested LaLiga could relax the rules to allow the six-time Ballon d’Or winner to stay at Barca but Tebas said there was no chan...
Leicester City ‘most interested’ in signing £240,000-a-week attacker with 64 international caps – report
Leicester City are ‘most interested’ in signing Barcelona playmaker Philippe Coutinho during this summer’s transfer window, Spanish publication Sport reports. The Foxes missed out on the Champions League for a second season running last term after a disappointing 4-2 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on the final matchday. Despite this, there has been good progress made, and the club have already shown transfer ambition with the signings of Patson Daka and Boubakary Soumare. They have regularly been linked with Coutinho’s services over the past few months, and it is now reported that they are ‘most interested’ in landing the Brazil international. A permanent transfer does not appear on the cards. A loan deal would be dependent on whether Coutinho accepts a significant pay cut on his £240,00...
