Barcelona’s Marc-Andre ter Stegen is “clearly the best” goalkeeper in the world, according to former team-mate Jordi Masip.
The Real Valladolid keeper was asked about who he feels is the world’s best stopper and made it clear he’s a big fan of the Germany international.
“Well, I’m clearly leaning towards Ter Stegen. For me he is clearly the best because he encompasses all facets of the game.
“He’s the most complete for my taste. He’s the most complete with the feet and with his game in all areas.
“His performance has been reflected in Barca. He was very young when he arrived and has been progressing. For me he’s the best right now.”
Source | Stats Perform
Masip joined La Masia at the age of 15 but left Barca in 2017 in search of more regular game time. He joined Valladolid and has gone on to become a regular at the Estadio José Zorrilla.
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Could the England international be swapped for Ansu Fati?
No sooner had we seen news that Borussia Dortmund are keen on Ansu Fati than a report in Germany has emerged that Barcelona have joined the race to sign Jadon Sancho.
According to SportBild, the Spanish champions have joined Manchester United and Real Madrid in the hunt for the England international who is expected to depart this summer.
The report also mentions the possibility of a swap deal with 17-year-old Ansu.
The youngster was on the front page of Mundo Deportivo on Thursday with a report the German team are keen on on the youngster.
Barcelona would surely struggle to afford Sancho, who is valued at €130m, particularly as they are also keen on Lautaro Martinez and Neymar.
A swap deal may be a different story altogether, particularly as player swaps are being tipped to be all the rage this summer due to the financial difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
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The striker doesn’t like the ‘emergency signing’ tag
Martin Braithwaite was interviewed by AFP this week. The newly signed Barcelona attacker discussed his arrival to the club. I think if you asked most people, they would say that Braithwaite was by definition a late, emergency signing. However, Braithwaite insisted he was up for the test and deserved to be at Barca.
“People see me as the emergency signing because that was how I got here,” he says.
“What people don’t know is that for so many years I’ve put in my mind that I want to be here. It’s not a coincidence.
“I’m at Barca, I signed for four years and I see my future here.”
Braithwaite has already proven his worth in a few matches since arriving. It’ll be interesting to see his role in the club once the transfer window opens and Barcelona sign more support up front.
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Ivan Rakitic was interviewed by Marca this week. The Barcelona midfielder discussed a variety of things. Specifically, the focus was around the impact of the coronavirus crisis on his life. Rakitic was asked if footballers should return and play football.
“I want to play. It’s evident that we must try to return with the best health guarantees, but we must also know that they can never be 100 percent. The same risk will be there for all workers on their return to jobs.
“Supermarket workers also change in dressing rooms and have the same or an even higher chance of getting it than we do. They take that risk and I want to take it too. I think that we have a duty and I’m sure if we asked the fans then they would love for there to be football.
“We have to try to make people enjoy football again. We footballers can be an example, giving support to all the workers who have shown us strength. I want to join that force.”
The next question then returned to the part about risking getting the virus and narrowed in. The reporter asked: “Are you willing to risk getting the coronavirus?”
“Without a doubt, and I say this from the awareness that the risk will be very small, but also because of the solidarity with those who have been fighting for us from the first minute, and they have done so for many days.”
This is a complicated conversation. It’s interesting to hear Rakitic’s take on it. I’ll reserve comments about social responsibility in football resuming and leave that to the experts. However, hearing Rakitic’s thoughts is fascinating.
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Could Emerson be included in the deal?
Inter Milan want at least €90 million in cash for Lautaro Martinez and would also be pretty keen for a player to be included in the deal as well.
Gazzetta dello Sport bring the latest update on Barcelona’s pursuit of the Argentinian striker and report Inter have named their price and want Timo Werner as his replacement.
Napoli’s Dries Mertens and Edinson Cavani could also arrive at the San Siro this summer.
Barca had been willing to offer €50m plus players but will have to up that offer to €90m to even get Inter to the negotiating table.
Plenty of Barcelona players have already been rumored to be possibly included in the deal, but La Gazzetta have come up with a new name.
Apparently the Serie A side like the look of Emerson, who is currently with Real Betis, and could ask for him to be part of the deal.
It’s possible that could be a good negotiating tactic too. Sport have reported recently that Barca are willing to sell the youngster before he’s even played a game for them.
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The midfielder has been tipped to leave Camp Nou
Villarreal president Fernando Roig has said he’d welcome Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic to the club if the Croatian fancies a change of scenery this summer.
The 32-year-old is one of several Barca players being linked with a Camp Nou exit when the transfer window reopens and reports have suggested he’d prefer to stay in Spain.
Rakitic has said recently he wants to get back to playing as soon as possible, and Roig agrees with the Croatian and also said he’d be happy for him to join his club.
”I love Rakitic’s message and I also like him as a footballer, if next year he wants to come to Villarreal, here we are, ” he said.
Source | Cadena Cope
The midfielder’s current deal expires in summer 2021 and Atletico Madrid and Sevilla have already been mentioned as possible destinations.
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Two years since Liga number 25 - FC Barcelona
April 29 marks the second anniversary of the 2017-18 league title, the first under Ernesto Valverde and the last with Iniesta in the team
Arthur wants Barcelona stay, club open to sale - ESPN
Arthur Melo has said he wants to stay at Barcelona but sources have told ESPN the club are open to listening to offers for the midfielder or using him as part of a player-exchange deal.
Former Barcelona technical director Robert Fernandez has warned the club they will be making a mistake if they decide to sell Arthur in the summer transfer window.
Speculation continues to rage over the Brazilian’s future despite the midfielder having twice insisted he’s not interested in the rumors and wants to stay at the Camp Nou.
Serie A sides Juventus and Inter Milan are both reportedly interested, but Fernandez expects Arthur to stay with the Catalan giants.
“I don’t think Arthur is leaving. We are going through a particular moment where a lot of news is not checked well enough,” he said.
“I sincerely think it would be a mistake if he is sold because he is a young player. When we signed him we paid a large amount due to his qualities, age and projection. We thought he was going to have big growth at Barca and now I think he deserves a better status.
“His first season was good but, after that, he hasn’t been driven towards favourable situations. In addition, he suffered some small injuries which probably made it harder to have continuity in the starting line-up but we are still speaking about a player with huge individual skill, with Barcelona DNA even if he didn’t grow in La Masia.
“He is a player who has everything to become an important player.”
According to ESPN, Barcelona value Arthur at €60 million and are listening to offers for the midfielder or would even consider using him as part of a player swap.
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The Inter Milan striker has been linked with a move
Former Barcelona striker Javier Saviola has told Lautaro Martinez that it’s not as easy as it seems to play with Lionel Messi at Barcelona.
The Inter Milan striker is reportedly Barcelona’s top transfer target ahead of the summer transfer window and is wanted as the long-term replacement for Luis Suarez.
Saviola thinks he’d be a good buy for the Catalan giants but added he thinks it can be difficult adjusting to playing with some of the world’s best players.
“Honestly for me he is a player who can come in handy for Barcelona,” he said.
“We know what it means to be next to Suarez, Messi and other great players. I am not saying that it is easy to play with them.
“Dybala said it was difficult with Messi and I supported him because it requires a high level of concentration, to be at his pace. It seems easy but it is not.”
Martinez has played alongside Messi with Argentina and appears to have impressed the Barcelona captain. He said in February the striker is “showing he’s a great player” and that he hoped he’d move to Barca.
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The report says that Pep Guardiola is a fan of Semedo, and that the English club has tried since last summer to recruit him. Barcelona at that time rejected an offer of 45 million euro, but things may have changed.
The biggest question to resolve is how much additional money City will offer in addition to Cancelo, but the report says talks are advanced and we could hear of a deal being struck in the coming weeks.
Semedo is still the club’s starting right-back, or at least fighting with Sergi Roberto for the title. However, the rumor is that the Catalans are not fully satisfied with the Portuguese.
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Fuel to the fire of a swap including Arthur with Juventus
Miralem Pjanić told a former vice-president of FC Barcelona that his dream is to play at the Camp Nou, according to a new report. This comes as rumors swirl that Juventus are interested in swapping him for Arthur, Barcelona’s own midfielder.
The Catalans have tried on multiple occasions to land the Bosnian, but so far failed. The first time was in 2016, when Pjanić left AS Roma. Luis Enrique had signed him when he coached Roma, and was keen on bringing him to the Camp Nou. But Juventus pipped Barcelona, in addition to Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, to land the midfielder.
Barcelona tried again twice more, but both times, they were unable to pry him away, even though the player himself reportedly wanted to leave.
In a swap, Barcelona would gain experience, and probably, some additional money. But they’d lose a much younger player in the process.
Arthur does not want to leave, however, which puts the operation in doubt.
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The Barcelona legend said in a way it wouldn’t be right
Barcelona legend Andrés Iniesta has spoken with the team’s YouTube channel about his former teammate’s suggestion that La Masia should be named after him.
Ivan Rakitić had earlier said that Barcelona’s youth development facility should carry Iniesta’s name, possibly unaware that it is already dedicated to Oriol Tort, a Barcelona player in the 40s who was famous for pushing youth development.
“I would like it [if it was named after me] for what La Masia signifies for me, for what it represents, for everything. When you talk about La Masia at Barça, you are talking about important words,” the Vissel Kobe midfielder said.
“But at the same time, I wouldn’t like it because so many players have passed through, so many people, who are equally as important as me. So it would be a difficult situation,” Iniesta reflected.
“At La Masia I grew, I was forced to mature... I remember many teammates, directors, cooks...
“You are forged. Your character, your traits, your virtues, your defects... I learned a lot of solidary, a lot of humility, a lot of respect, and a lot of camaraderie, values that I love and I try not to lose,” he said.
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Paying homage to eleven individual seasons people may have forgotten
We are very lucky to be living in the most successful era in Barcelona history. If you’ve been a fan for just a little over a decade, you have watched the greatest players to ever do it for the greatest club in the world, and we are never going to witness something quite as beautiful and successful as the last 12 years of Blaugrana football.
The great thing about this Barça dynasty is its continuity: a select group of all-timers stayed together for almost 10 years to win as many trophies as they could and look really good while doing it. The coaches changed, but the superstars remained, and we’ll always remember them.
But there are a few players throughout the last decade who haven’t quite gotten the credit and recognition for what they did, and this piece will address that. But here’s the twist: we won’t be looking at players and their entire body of work with Barça. Some of them went on to become legends, some left after failing miserably, and others just did they job for a while and left.
Instead of trying to find eleven underrated players from the last decade, we’ll look at eleven individual seasons that went under the radar because either the season as a whole has been forgotten or there were other players who shined a lot brighter than them. So let’s look at a starting XI of underrated Barcelona seasons. This is all for fun, people.
Before we begin, though, a couple of disclaimers: Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Carles Puyol, Gerard Piqué, Dani Alves, Victor Valdés, Éric Abidal, Neymar and Luis Suárez don’t belong on this list. Obviously. They’re untouchable.
After three seconds of internal debate, I’ve decided that Sergio Busquetsis not on the list of underrated Barcelona players. Plain and simple, Sergio Busquets is one of the greatest midfielders in the history of the sport. If you don’t know that, it’s your fault.
So here we go: time for the Seydou Keita All-Stars! It’s a classic 4-3-3 formation, designed to have players who actually fit together.
Goalkeeper: 2016-17 Jasper Cillessen
Photo by Xavier Bonilla/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Luis Enrique’s last season was largely disappointing and ended with their biggest rivals winning the two big titles while the Blaugrana had to settle for the Cup. But Barça do not win that Copa del Rey without backup goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen making huge saves throughout that campaign. Oh, and there was also his maniacal smile before saving Kévin Gameiro’s penalty against Atlético Madrid, my third favorite moment of that entire season (hold that thought).
It’s still absurd to me that Barça managed to have Ter Stegen and Cillessen on the same team for three whole years. It’s even more absurd to me that Cillessen’s signing was not at all popular with Barça fans at the time.
Right-Back: 2016-17 Sergi Roberto
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Because Dani Alves played so well in this position for so long and his replacements haven’t really hit the ground running, this was the toughest choice to make. But I’m going with Roberto from Lucho’s last season here. Dani had just left and Barça for some reason didn’t think about signing a replacement, thinking that Roberto had shown such promising signs during the 2015-16 season that he would be the natural heir to the throne despite having to play out of position.
Sergi didn’t set the world on fire, but he was pretty competent adapting to a new role while replacing a legend. He was also involved in the two most memorable moments of that season: it was his trademark solo run to break the press and move the ball into midfield that started the play that finished with Lionel Messi’s legendary goal (and celebration) at the Bernabéu in one of the great Clásicos ever.
A few months before that, Sergi Roberto scored the winning goal in the unforgettable 6-1 win against Paris Saint-Germain. The Remontada was built by Messi and Neymar, but the finishing touch came from 6ERG1. A legend in my book, I’ll tell ya.
Center-Back: 2008-09 Rafa Márquez
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I had to cheat a little bit and go outside of the decade to find our first central defender, but it was worth it: while the 2008-09 season is remembered for the Treble and the start of the Pep Guardiola Era with Xavi, Iniesta and False Nine/Real GOAT Messi ruling the football world, one player who doesn’t get the credit for his role in that season is the Mexican legend Rafa Márquez.
Guardiola bought Gerard Piqué from Manchester United before the start of the season thinking he and Puyol would be the center-back partnership that season and beyond, but there was just no way to keep Márquez out of the team. Rafa’s passing ability from the back blew Pep away, and Piqué had to wait for his turn on the bench. Márquez suffered a knee injury in the Champions League semi-final that ended his season, but the Mexican was as instrumental as anyone that year.
Center-Back: 2011-12 Javier Mascherano
Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
After impressing in his first season as the 12th man in Guardiola’s 2010-11 masterpiece, Mascherano became truly invaluable in Pep’s final campaign in charge. Puyol was starting to slow down and struggled with injuries all year, and Piqué had his worst season in a Barça shirt. Mascherano was the only truly reliable defender in that squad, and although the Blaugrana suffered a lot defensively (thanks in no small part to Pep’s suicidal 3-3-4), El Jefecito was not to blame.
Pep’s last season is pretty much forgotten because he missed out on the two big trophies, but it was very entertaining. Busquets, Xavi and Iniesta continued to dominate midfield, and Cesc Fàbregas was a terror for defenses as Messi’s partner up front. Leo scored over 70 goals that season, and Barça nearly reached 200 as a team. The attack was amazing, the defense not so much, but Mascherano was a monster.
Left-Back: 2011-12 Adriano
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The Brazilian was a solid contributor throughout his time in Catalonia, and Pep’s last season was his best. With Abidal missing a large portion of that season due to his liver tumor, Adriano became the starting full-back and could play on both sides with the same consistency. His versatility was hugely important as Pep transitioned into the 3-3-4, with Adriano capable of playing in the back three or as one of the wingers when Guardiola went more conservative in away matches.
His pace was absurd and his ability to track back when Barça lost the ball in bad positions avoided a lot of bad moments when the opponents went on the counter. Just like Mascherano, Adriano was not to blame for the defensive issues that season, and he played an important part in the Copa del Rey title as well.
Midfielder: 2015-16 Ivan Rakitic
Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images
Luis Enrique’s second season was the most wildly entertaining 10 months of my life as a Barça fan, even more than the Pep years who were marked by dominance and control but a few slower games with a lot of passing but not a lot of action. In 2015-16, every game was non-stop fun, with a lot of goals and the MSN trio becoming the greatest front three ever. Sergio Busquets was a monster that season, and Dani Alves said goodbye in style.
But Rakitc was truly special. The Croatian embraced the fact he wasn’t Xavi and played exceptional football as the engine in midfled, the guy who wasn’t as poised or smart as Busquets and didn’t have the talent and creativity of Iniesta but could not stop running and defending and scoring great goals from distance. That was the only season Rakitic wasn’t hated for being different or playing too many minutes, and he added the balance the team needed to allow Messi, Suárez and Neymar to play at their best.
I’m not the biggest fan of Rakitic these days, but it kills me that he doesn’t get the credit for what he did in 2015-16.
Midfielder: 2010-11 Seydou Keita
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No one in the history of Barcelona embodies the word underrated more than Keita, which is this piece is called ‘The Seydou Keita All-Stars’. The Mali international joined the club in Pep’s first season and instantly became the guy Guardiola always trusted to do a job. Keita didn’t have Xavi’s vision, Busquets’ positioning or Iniesta’s magical powers, but he never played a bad game for Barcelona.
In the historic 2010-11 season, the best of any team ever, Keita made more appearances than any outfield player and never let the team down. He could play in defense, the center of midfield or the wings, and he always did his job to the best of his capabilities without ever complaining about lack of playing time. He knew exactly who he was, and the club haven’t found his replacement since he left. Great player, great winner, great teammate. Keita had it all.
Midfielder: 2017-18 Paulinho
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Ernesto Valverde’s first season was marked by a formation change that is still controversial to this day, but I believe Valverde’s biggest make was actually not using the 4-4-2 in his second season when he signed two players (Malcom and Arturo Vidal) who fit that system perfectly. Anyway, that’s for another piece.
Back to the first season, Valverde’s 4-4-2 was actually good for most of that campaign and it always worked at its best when Paulinho was on the team. A 4-4-2 for a possession-based team only works if one of the two central midfielders is a constant threat to get in the box and score goals, and Paulinho was exactly that.
His signing wasn’t popular and his departure is strange to this day, but Paulinho added a physicality and goal-scoring edge that Barça never had in their midfield. 2017-18 will be remembered by Rome and only Rome, but Messi was special, Suárez had his moments and Iniesta played a beautiful final season. But Paulinho was important too, as crazy as that sounds.
Right Winger: 2014-15 Pedro
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Luis Enrique’s debut season ended in a Treble and marked the beginning of MSN’s dominance, but it’s easy to forget how inconsistent Barça were in the first half of that season. Lucho was one loss to Atlético Madrid at Camp Nou away from being fired, but he turned things around and the rest is history.
Speaking of history, it always remembers Messi’s performance against Bayern Munich, Neymar’s spectacular Champions League campaign, Suárez seamless integration into the team, Xavi’s final season, Iniesta’s magic and Ter Stegen becoming an instant legend, but it doesn’t pay its dues to Pedro, who was as crucial as anyone in that Treble-winning squad.
It’s been five years since Pedro left and Barça still haven’t found his replacement: the Spaniard was the perfect “fourth forward”, the attacking player who accepted his role as an understudy to the MSN trio but was good enough to replace them at anytime. Pedro could play in all three positions in attack and was always availabe and reliable, and he’s actually out of contract at the end of this season. Just saying.
It was REALLY hard to find a left winger since that position was occupied by David Villa and Neymar and nobody has come even close to replicate their impact since they left, but I believe Tello is a good choice.
Specifically the Tello from Pep’s last season, who added something the team didn’t really have: a lightning quick, true winger who’s only job was two receive the ball near the touchline, beat his defender one-on-one and provide a good cross into the box. Tello exploded out of the gates in his first season doing exactly that, and he was always hungry to score which helped him quickly earn Pep’s trust.
Unfortunately for Barça and for Tello he could never recapture the magic from his debut season and a combination of injuries and the arrival of Neymar stopped him from having a real role, and he eventually left for Real Betis a few years ago. The last time we’ve heard of Tello he scored the game-winner for Betis against Real Madrid that might win Barça La Liga, so he’s still doing a job for us. Top man.
Striker: 2013-14 Alexis Sánchez
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The Chilean arrived in Pep’s final season and added a scoring threat from the wings that became even more important when David Villa broke his leg in December 2011 and missed the rest of the season. Alexis became a starter that season but struggled with injuries throughout the 2012 calendar year, which was a blow to both Pep and Tito Vilanova’s teams.
But Alexis finally found a consistent run of health and games during Tata Martino’s lone season in charge, and the Chilean was really, really good that year. With a career-best 21 goals there was just no way to keep Alexis out of the team even with competition from Neymar and Pedro, and Sánchez could have scored the title-winning goal in the final day of the season if not for Diego Godín’s header that won Atlético Madrid La Liga at Camp Nou in 2014.
Alexis left for Arsenal after the World Cup, and his career has been disappointing ever since. Had he stayed at Barça, he could have been Pedro for the last three or four years. We’ll never know.
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“There is always speculation but my idea is clear. The only option that interests me is staying at Barcelona. The supposed interest of big clubs is always flattering and a positive sign, but my mind is on playing for Barcelona for many years.
“Barça is where I have always wanted to be and I want to be a Barca player for a long time, above any other question. Every day I feel more comfortable and well here, in the team, in the club and in the city. I also love both the people and the culture here, I feel a lot of support from the fans.
“I am 100% focused on working and that we play again when possible because I really want to continue growing here and to fight for more titles.”
Arthur was on the front page of Mundo Deportivo on Tuesday with a report that Barcelona had given Juventus permission to talk to the midfielder.
However, it seems Arthur is simply not interested in going anywhere, although it remains to be seen whether that will be enough to end the speculation over his future.
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Barca considering keeping Philippe Coutinho next season - SPORT
Barca aren’t ruling out, in these moments that the Brazilian stays and is part of the next project. It’s unlikely they can sell him for what they want and Setien believes that he could be a useful player.
Ex Barcelona wonderkid Bojan hopes he can find happiness freedom with Montreal Impact - ESPN
"Freedom." That's what Bojan Krkic is chasing on the pitch. It's also the way he describes how he'd like to play football. He has found it in small doses during his decade-and-a-half-long playing career: briefly on Barcelona's youth teams where he broke many age-related scoring records, earning the unbearable burden as "the next Messi"; at free-flowing Stoke City under Mark Hughes, until injuries and a more direct style derailed that experiment; in Milan for half a season.
Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman has given an interview to Sport where he’s been talking about the current Barcelona team and two flaws he sees in the current set-up.
The Dutchman says Barcelona struggle to maintain intensity for 90 minutes and also thinks they no longer dominate matches in the way they used to do.
Here’s what he’s had to say when asked about what defects the current team has:
“One, intensity. Like it or not, today the top teams play at a very intense rhythm for the 90 minutes. Barca find it hard to maintain that. We saw it in the famous Liverpool game, but in the Spanish Super Cup against Atletico this year. Barca were superior for 80 minutes, they disconnected the last 10 and Atletico, fresher and more intense, won.
And the other?
“They don’t dominate games like in previous years. In that aspect Barca have to get their identity back, that’s part of their DNA> they’ve always had control, but a more effective control.”
Koeman has been linked with taking charge at Barcelona at some point in the future and has a clause in his contract that allows him to depart for the Camp Nou.
He was asked about his future once again and said that although it remains his “dream” to coach Barcelona “he will be with the national team at least until after the 2021 Euros.”
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A look at the latest hot gossip
Arturo Vidal to Inter Miami?
Today’s rumors start with more news about Arturo Vidal and a report that David Beckham’s Inter Miami could be a potential destination for the Chile international.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the midfielder could be the man to lead the new MLS club’s charge and is highly regarded because of his “character and mental strength.”
Newcastle United are also said to be interested in the 32-year-old, while Quique Setien remains a fan and may try to keep him at the Camp Nou.
Over at Marca the word is that Barcelona want to loan out Oriol Busquets to a first division team somewhere in Europe to gain more experience.
The youngster has been on loan at FC Twente this season, but his campaign is now over because the 2019-20 Eredivisie campaign has been cancelled.
Marca reckon Busquets is part of Barcelona’s long-term plans, but they want him to continue gaining first-team experience.
Coutinho could stay at Barcelona
Back to Sport who bring news that Philippe Coutinho could stay at Barcelona despite all the speculation to the contrary.
The Catalan giants are thinking of keeping hold of the Brazilian because it’s not a great time to sell and because Setien thinks he could still become a key player at the Camp Nou.
Barca can’t really afford to send him out on loan again, while Coutinho would be happy to be given a second chance.
Barcelona want to loan Umtiti
And sticking with Sport there’s a fresh update on Samuel Umtiti’s future and news Barca really are keen to get him off the wage bill.
The defender has been up for sale but clubs have baulked at his €50m price tag, while his huge wages are also a real problem.
Umtiti wants to stay at Barcelona but the club are thinking about a loan with a mandatory purchase option.
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The stopper has said he wants to leave Ajax
Andre Onana’s agent, Albert Botines, has confirmed that Barcelona are interested in bringing the goalkeeper back to the Camp Nou but says the club have not yet made an offer.
The 24-year-old is also being linked with a host of Europe’s clubs and has confirmed that after five years at Ajax “the time has come to take a step.”
Botines says he has already been in touch with Barcelona who have offered to include players in the deal.
“There is a lot of movement around André [Onana]. Barcelona has not yet made an official offer to Ajax, but have seriously expressed their far-reaching interest with me.
“Of course, the current situation in Barcelona also plays a role. The club has to make financial concessions, so have also suggested involving current Barcelona goalkeepers in the deal.”
There is plenty of speculation about Barcelona goalkeepers currently. Neto is being rumored to return to Valencia after just one season, while Barcelona have reportedly halted talks over a new contract for Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Onana has said previously he would love to return to Barcelona, but it’s difficult why he would come back unless he was going to be first choice.
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La Liga clubs have been given the go-ahead to return to training next Monday by the Spanish government as lockdown restrictions put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic are eased.
Prime minister Pedro Sanchez announced at a press conference on Tuesday that players will be allowed to train individually from Monday.
“Individual training for professional and federation sportsmen and women and basic training for professional leagues will be permitted from May 4,” he said.
Sanchez also announced a four-phase de-escalation plan aimed at returning to a “new normality.” Each phase is due to last two weeks.
Phase 0: basic training for professional athletes
Phase 1: medium training and opening of high-performance centres
Phase 2: authorisation of outdoor activities with less than 400 attendees
Phase 3: return to the ‘new standard’, with no specific references to sport
The news means there is optimism in Spain that the 2019-20 will be completed, although there is still no confirmation yet it can resume.
Sanchez’s statement follows confirmation from France on Tuesday that the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 seasons have been cancelled.
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced no sporting events would be held in the country until September.
The decision has been criticised by La Liga president Javier Tebas:
“I do not understand why there would more danger in playing football behind closed doors, with all precautionary measures, than working on an assembly line, being on a fishing boat on the high seas, etc,” he said.
“If important economic sectors cannot restart, in a safe and controlled manner, they could end up disappearing. That could happen to professional football.
“In other countries, teams are already training, that’s the example to follow.
“In Spain, football is an important economic driver that we need to reactivate like many others. We continue to focus on this reactivation, in a responsible manner and adhering to health recommendations, as soon as possible.”
However, Fifa’s chief doctor Michel d’Hooghe has also warned against restarting the 2019-20 season in an interview with BBC Sport.
He has advised trying to “avoid playing competitive football in the coming weeks” and has told clubs to “try to be prepared for the start of good competition next season.”
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Neymar is one of the best-paid players in the world, and Barcelona already has the highest wage bill in the world. With the coronavirus hitting the football economy hard, it might not be possible to make such a huge purchase.
The official reportedly said the singing of Lautaro Martínez is more likely. The Inter Milan player would supplant Luis Suárez in the long-term, while Barcelona could rely on the likes of Ousmane Dembélé, Antoine Griezmann, Ansu Fati, and new signing Francisco Trincão to play on the wings, apart from Lionel Messi.
If Barcelona can transfer Philippe Coutinho, then they will be able to have more money to spend on new players. However, once again due to the market downturn, it will be hard to find a good buyer for him.
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At the time of writing, there is continued speculation surrounding a potential switch to Barcelona for Tottenham Hotspur record signing, Tanguy Ndombele.
After disappointing in north London, it appears that Jose Mourinho is prepared to offload the former Lyon man in double-quick time, and Spurs’ loss could well be Barca’s gain.
For a start, he provides something that only Arturo Vidal and Paulinho have really brought to the midfield in the last few seasons, and that’s an energy and competitiveness that is combative and physical.
For too long, Barca have lacked such a player at their best.
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Yaya Toure and Seydou Keita are similar examples of players that were quite happy to put their foot in where necessary, who were adept at breaking up play but who also enjoyed getting forward and supplementing the attack.
It would certainly add a different dynamic to the starting midfield that Barca have at present, but that’s not such a bad thing.
Particularly if he’s able to be secured for a bargain price or, better still, if the Blaugranes can throw one or two players into the deal.
Simply put, Barca can’t afford passengers any longer. A comment that’s recently been doing the rounds is that only Lionel Messi, Frenkie de Jong and Marc-Andre ter Stegen are untouchable in the team.
That would suggest that anyone else is fair game for a transfer.
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Vidal and Ivan Rakitic seem certain to depart, and news this week that Juventus are in ‘advanced talks’ with Arthur Melo means that there’ll no longer be an overbooking in the middle of the park.
Ndombele has been described in certain quarters as the ‘complete’ footballer. That his passing range and deftness of touch at times is at odds with his marauding style. Comparisons to Michael Essien aren’t without foundation either.
I’ve seen in this forum a few complaints that Barca have become a team that passes for the sake of it. That it’s pleasing on the eye. The ‘Barca way’ if you prefer, and that in the last few years it’s not really got us anywhere.
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To that end then, a move for Ndombele would therefore make sense because he is direct and purposeful.
At just 23 years of age, this quiet, unassuming and religious man has virtually his entire career ahead of him. A career he takes incredibly seriously, unlike one or two Barca youngsters we could mention.
For what he would cost post Covid-19, his hire wouldn’t even be a gamble.
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Onana is Ajax’s main keeper but came up through the Barcelona youth system. He would follow in the footsteps of Jasper Cillessen, who went from Ajax’s first choice to Barcelona’s cup keeper.
In exchange. the Catalans are rumored to be offering their own reserve keeper, Neto, as well as one of Riqui Puig, Alex Collado, and Carles Aleñá. Those younger outfield players could be loan deals, however.
Ajax had set the keeper’s sale price at 40 million euro, a rather high figure - but why not? It is rumored the Dutch team does not want to let go of their high-performing player. But neither Barcelona, nor other interested teams such as Chelsea or Paris Saint-Germain, were willing to pay that price.
Instead, it is rumored that the teams are hoping the figure goes down as the market in general trends downward.
Barcelona reportedly value Neto between 20 and 25 million, and the idea is to only get Onana if they do not have to spend much more than they get out of Neto.
If the price was too high, Barcelona B’s Iñaki Peña could become the backup keeper.
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The Man City striker has defended the Barcelona captain
Manchester City and Argentine national team striker Sergio Aguero came to the defense of Lionel Messi yet again. Aguero is a stanch defender of Messi and has been a great teammate when unfair criticism comes at Messi in regards to the Argentine national team and Messi’s performance.
“I do not understand those who criticise him in the national team,” Aguero told TyC Sports. “He is the first to suffer and continues to come.”
The leader of a team will often be the one of take the brunt of the critiques when their team fails. Messi and Argentina are a classic example of this. It likely won’t ever change, unless a World Cup win falls in their laps.
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The Juventus star has been linked with a Camp Nou move
Beppe Bozzo shut down links between his client, Federico Bernardeschi, and Barcelona. The Juventus attacker has been linked with a move to Barcelona or AC Milan in recent reports.
“I haven’t met the directors of other clubs. The only speech that came up was with Barcelona, more an exchange of ideas than anything else.
“Federico annoys reading that he could leave. But he knows two things. First, that, especially in a phase like this, journalistic speculate wildly. Second, that he has no intention of leaving Juve.”
Bernardeschi could be a victim of the transfer talk gossip that seems to take a new victim each day. OR, he could be leaning towards and exit and hoping to spring some news. We’ll probably never know.
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The Brazilian’s future is being talked about again
Arthur’s future continues to make headlines with the Brazilian on the front page of Mundo Deportivo on Tuesday amid speculation he could move to Juventus this summer.
The newspaper reports that Barcelona have given Juventus permission to speak with their midfielder and try to come to a deal.
‘Green Light To Juventus’ is the headline with a picture of a smiling Arthur giving the thumbs up.
MD reckon Barcelona wouldn’t normally give a club permission to negotiate with one of their players they weren’t planning on transferring but have this time.
Juve apparently have a generous offer to present to Arthur, while players also enjoy tax advantages in Italy.
Arthur said recently he wanted to stay at Barca, amid rumors of interest from Inter, but that does not appear to have put off Juve.
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A round-up of the latest Barcelona news and transfer rumors
We focus on... Leo Messi - FC Barcelona
The cameras search for just one man, the Barça number 10. Watch our video of the blaugrana captain in action in training at the Ciutat Esportiva!
‘Ah, I wonder what we’re going to see, three at the back, four? A two-man attack?’
Quique Setién’s appointment as Barça boss was met with considerable trepidation from journalists and pundits. Many questioned his quality, and the fact that he had limited coaching ability at the highest level. For avid fans of La Liga and of Barça, however, the appointment meant more. Yes, Setién had not coached a club the size of Barcelona, but he had made his name managing well-drilled possession-based teams, adhering to his interpretation of Cryuffist football. Quique was known as a bit of a purist, a man with a plucky resolve who did not budge from his principles.
All seemed well.
And it was. Setién did well in his first game, a somewhat tepid 1–0 win at home against Granada. He employed a 3–5–2 in possession, which then became a 4–3–3 without it; Sergi Roberto was deployed as the third centre-back with Ansu Fati as a makeshift wing-back. It worked well enough that game, Barça were dominant on the ball and solid without it. In the next few games, though, the system began to malfunction, if you will. Barcelona were torrid against Ibiza (2–1 win) and were equally bad at the Mestalla, losing 2–0 on the day.
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The 3–5–2 that had worked well against Granada was now proving stifling. In both games, Barca’s play was static and there was a lack of creativity in both midfield and in attack. This was especially evident against Valencia. Despite having 74% of possession, the midfield trio of Arthur, Sergio Busquets and Frenkie de Jong (which is very strong on paper) struggled to produce anything substantive. The blaugranas often had six players behind the ball with no clear runner through the middle. While the addition of Arturo Vidal, against Valencia, did amend this to an extent, it was too little too late, as Los Che had already taken control of the game by then. Barça looked a lot like Setién’s Betis at the end of his spell there; they had a lot of the ball and not much else.
Sergi Roberto started as the right centre-back in a back three under Setién at Barça
After the defeat at the Mestalla, Setién discarded the 3–5–2 and reverted back to the ‘status-quo’ 4–3–3. This translated into a few things. Firstly, it moved Ansu Fati back to the left. He was tasked with holding width on the left hand side instead of Jordi Alba. Secondly, it made Setien drop Roberto for the more athletic Nélson Semedo. With Messi often dropping deep, Semedo was asked to bomb upfield on the right hand side. As a consequence, Semedo has had an outsized influence on Barcelona’s wing play and has displayed an attacking nous that he never did in two full seasons under Ernesto Valverde. With the addition of Martin Braithwaite, the 4–3–3 has become the norm. Initially, Setién seemed unsure of whether to delegate the entire workload of the left-side of attack to Ansu, but with the addition of Braithwaite it seems as if he’s going to be the first choice there.
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To combat the lack of runners in the final third that he faced with the 3–5–2, Quique has deployed an advanced interior (or two) who looks to break the lines and be a nuisance in the 18-yard box. In the absence of Vidal, Frenkie was the high interior, tasked with leading the midfield (and often the attacking line). When Vidal returned, the coach asked him to move into the right half-space, to cover for Messi, with Frenkie doing the same on the other wing. Till now, this has worked well enough. Nevertheless, with the right personnel, it is entirely possible that the Cantabrian tactician could return to the 3–5–2 or 3–4–1–2 and could success with it.
Setién’s teams often play a brand of defensive possession football; they defend by keeping the ball – his Betis side is a prime example. This defensive possession is then coupled with verticality through midfield to maintain an attacking threat. It is not a cautious approach however. Setién’s sides often play with a dangerously high line (his defensive record is a testament to this). A three-man setup allows him to maintain some defensive security, to offset the voyeurism up ahead.
When Quique lined up Barça in the 3–5–2, the biggest hurdle he ran into was the lack of verticality through midfield; which is integral to his defensive position approach. At Betis, it was Lo Celso who provided it, at Las Palmas it was Jonathan. He doesn’t have a true box to box eight at his disposal, at Barça. Well, Aleñá was there, but that’s a different story. With the return of Aleñá and/or investment in the middle of the park, the 61-year-old boss could combat. With two deeper pivots, such as Frenkie and Busquets, the advanced midfielder would be able to play off the strikers and allow them to make runs, whilst receiving in advanced areas.
Giovani Lo Celso thrived as the advanced interior in Setién’s Betis, a profile to occupy that role which Barcelona does not possess at present.
Photo by Aitor Alcalde Colomer/Getty Images
This 3–4–1–2 could also, of course, work with Messi as the advanced midfielder or 10 and two pivots behind him. This would do two things. Firstly, it would allow Messi to play in his favoured position and would give him the license to roam and create. Secondly, with the possible addition of a striker (like Lautaro Martínez) it would ease Suárez and Messi’s defensive workload, especially in central areas. Notwithstanding, for this formation to work, Barça would need to either invest in a striker or adequately prepare Griezmann to play as an out and out striker.
That said, and most importantly, Setién would need the addition of a quality wing-back or two. With the wing-backs being the only outlet of width, a lot of onus falls on them. With Alba not being what he was and Semedo still somewhat unreliable, Barça would need heavy investment in these areas. However, that is true both in a back three and a back four. Full-backs are just far too integral to the modern game. Quality is always welcome. Actually, quality is always needed.
A well functioning three-man system is a pleasure to watch. Cryuff himself would agree. With the right mix of investment and tactical discipline, Setién might just oversee a successful transition. It all remains to be seen. Now, though, we have a virus to deal with first. The first battle to win before competition returns with the subsequent impact on sport.
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His father and agent has revealed he’s come close to a move
Barcelona have tried to sign Juan Mata on three separate occasions, according to his father and agent Juan Manuel Mata Rodríguez.
There have often been rumors Barca were keen on Mata, and the Manchester United star’s dad has now revealed his son has had chances to move to the Camp Nou.
“Indeed, as he is a player who has a DNA very similar to that [Barcelona’s style] football.
“I agree with the Spanish national team, with colleagues of that style, because there were three occasions to sign for Barcelona.
“The first one was when he was at Valencia. Then when he was transferred to Chelsea, they also thought of Juan and there was a third one recently where there were also possibilities.
“However, in all of them, Juan was lucky that he was in big clubs. This did not give that circumstance [to leave] because, thank God, he was in very important clubs.”
Mata left Valencia in 2011 for Chelsea and helped the Blues win the FA Cup, Champions League and Europa League before joining Manchester United in 2014.
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