Barcelona may be about to lose Ousmane Dembele to PSG but it seems the Catalans are already looking at the positives and how they can reshape the squad.
It’s been known for a long time that Barca need to make a big sale this summer. Dembele clearly wasn’t the club’s preferred option but it seems now he’s the most likely to go.
Catalunya Radio report that if PSG do pay that amount for the Frenchman, which will be his new release clause from the start of August, then Barca can start dreaming about putting into place a lot of deals.
The Catalans would be able to register their new signings as well as extensions for Ronald Araujo, Sergi Roberto, Marcos Alonso, Inaki Pena and Alejandro Balde.
Barcelona would also have around €43m to spend on new players. meaning targets such as Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo and Ivan Fresneda may suddenly become attainable.
One of Inter Miami’s owners, Jorge Mas, has said he wants Lionel Messi to return to say goodbye to FC Barcelona’s fans. However, he denied rumors of a loan or transfer back to the Catalan club.
Speaking on the Offside with Taylor Twellman podcast, Mas said: ”I don’t know if it’s some type of friendly or farewell game. They have this Gamper Trophy they play for in the summer. But there will be something where, hopefully when the new Camp Nou is open, because their stadium there they will not be playing in for the next year and a half, hopefully, Lionel Messi can say his proper goodbye.”
Messi did not have a farewell game after spending most of his life with the blaugrana. Instead, he was thought to be coming back, but eventually was forced to leave the club in the summer and join Paris Saint-Germain.
“That does not entail playing for Barcelona. He’s not going to go on loan there. That’s not going to happen. Yes, he deserves his correct goodbye there. Yes, and I will do everything in my power in order to facilitate and help him do that,” the Inter Miami chief said.
Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba are staging a reunion in Miami. The trio have joined Inter - last place in their conference in MLS - and have so far led a successful change. With Busquets and Messi starting (Alba is yet to fully join), Miami won their first two matches in the Leagues Cup, an international cup competition.
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The right-back remains a top target
Barcelona are reportedly making a move for Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda and have come up with a new plan to try and land the defender. The journey of Barcelona and the right-back position is a storied one, so this could be a nice catch for the Blaugrana.
Finances continue to be a problem for the Catalans so they could end up throwing a player into the deal in a bid to get the price down. Barca’s 18-year-old Estanis Pedrola, who impressed last season for Rafa Marquez’s side, could end up going the other way in either a permanent deal or a loan deal.
As of now, the deal is still up in the air due to Fresneda’s release clause of €20m which Barca aren’t willing to pay. Yet Barca’s interest doesn’t seem to be waning either, so this could be one that ends up going the distance.
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The French champions are thought to be ready to activate Dembele’s €50 million release clause before midnight when it reverts back to twice that amount,
RAC1 are now reporting that Dembele’s agent has contacted Barca to ask the Catalans to negotiate a deal with PSG.
The report reckons Dembele wants to leave on good terms (might be a bit late for that) and is hoping a fee can be agreed, rather than his exit clause simply being activated.
Fabrizio Romano also reckons that Dembele is hoping the two clubs can sit down and talk.
Ousmane Dembélé has just asked Barça for formal ‘permission’ to negotiate with PSG
Dembélé wants to follow all the correct steps.
⚠️ There’s still feeling this could not be done in time to activate La Liga €50m clause in 9h — but trying to agree with different ways. pic.twitter.com/WVQaFsxc9P
It remains to be see how that will go down at Barca. It’s thought the club are pretty angry about the whole situation and have all but given up hope of Dembele staying.
Yet Barca would surely like a bigger fee if Dembele were to leave. As things stand, they will receive just €25m if PSG activated his clause, representing a massive loss on the forward.
They may be hopeful of landing a bigger fee too. Time is running out if PSG are to get a deal done today, meaning there are some crucial hours coming up in this transfer saga.
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Araujo has been a curious signing for Barca so far. He arrived outside of the transfer window so hasn’t been able to play just yet.
Xavi said he wanted to see the Mexican in pre-season before making a decision on his future, but he didn’t end up going on the club’s tour of the United States after playing for the national team at the Gold Cup.
Araujo did end up winning the tournament with Mexico, albeit coming in for some criticism along the way, and is now set to head away from Barcelona despite the club’s lack of right-backs.
Las Palmas will at least be able to offer Araujo some La Liga experience. The presence of Garcia Pimienta as club coach may also help Araujo when it comes to adjusting to life in Spain before returning to Barca.
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A round-up of the latest Barcelona news and rumors
Ferran Torres' nice touch with a young fan - FC Barcelona
Life always offers second chances. This is exactly what happened for Alysson Barrios on Saturday at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, when she met one of her heroes in Ferran Torres. Alysson, a young fan from Texas, wanted to see the winger play against Juventus at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas last year but it wasn't to be.
Fermín López explodes onto the Clásico stage - FC Barcelona
In the 66th minute of the Clásico in Real Madrid in Dallas, Barça coach Xavi Hernández decided to bring on Fermín López together with Raphinha. The young Andalusian stepped out on to the field at the AT&T Stadium with the blaugranes leading 1-0 but with their rivals pressuring for an equaliser with the result still in the balance. Nevertheless, the 20 year old seized the moment to announce himself in the biggest stage of all; a game between two of the biggest clubs in the game.
Who is Fermin Lopez? The surprise star of Barcelona's preseason tour - SPORT
The Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the AT&T stadium in Dallas saw the emergence of Fermin López, a 20-year-old midfielder who scored a great goal from outside the box to make it 2-0, repaying the confidence that Xavi Hernández has placed in him during preseason.
Injury update on Barça trio Gavi, Gundogan & Christensen after Clasico - SPORT
Despite the hopes of seeing him in action in the Clasico, Gavi was not present against Real Madrid due to a back problem, a physical setback that already forced him to miss the opening game of Barcelona's American tour against Arsenal.
Paris Saint-Germain announce signing of highly-rated former Barcelona goalkeeper - Football España
Earlier this month, Arnau Tenas left Barcelona after the club opted against activating his two-year contract extension. However, they did hope to re-sign the 22-year-old, who was part of Spain’s squad for the U21 Euros earlier this summer. Unfortunately for Barcelona, they have been unable to re-sign Tenas, with Paris Saint-Germain – now managed by Luis Enrique – announcing that they have won the race to sign the young goalkeeper.
Xavi Hernandez pushing for Barcelona to sign stars from Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur - Football España
After Barcelona’s 3-0 victory over Real Madrid on Saturday night, head coach Xavi Hernandez insisted that he still needs further additions to his first team squad. Notably, he wants a new right-back and creative midfielder signed, and he has targets in mind. According to Javi Miguel, these are Manchester City’s Joao Cancelo and Giovani Lo Celso of Tottenham Hotspur, and Xavi will push for Barcelona to sign them this summer.
Franck Kessie's El Clasico snub points towards impending Barcelona departure - Football España
Barcelona’s 3-0 victory over Real Madrid on Saturday night was a very special occasion for one player in particular: Fermin Lopez. The 20-year-old scored one and assisted another in Dallas, in what was a breakthrough appearance. Lopez came on for Barcelona in the second half, with Xavi Hernandez preferring him to Franck Kessie, who played an important part in last season’s successes, which included winning LaLiga for the first time in four years.
Barcelona could terminate contract of 22-year-old as interest dries up - report - Football España
Sergino Dest is one of the players that Barcelona are looking to sell, although they are not yet been able to sort out a deal for the 22-year-old, who had a very disappointing showing against Arsenal on Thursday. Currently, there are no offers for Dest, which is a very big concern for Barcelona. According to Javi Miguel, they could consider a mutual contract termination – which they did with Umtiti – should the situation remain the same.
Yet Xavi says he has told Joan Laporta and Co. that more players are needed this summer.
“The market closes on August 31. A lot of things can happen. Hopefully we can strengthen ourselves a bit more. We are lacking,” he said.
“The sports management knows it and the president knows it. Despite the result and the euphoria, we need something more.”
Barcelona’s financial situation has affected the club’s ability to strengthen and it remains to be seen if any more players will arrive.
A right-back is wanted at Camp Nou, with Ivan Fresneda and Joao Cancelo the preferred options, and another midfielder is also thought to be on Xavi’s wishlist.
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Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez will reportedly try to sign Bernardo Silva if Ousmane Dembele departs this summer.
Dembele is being tipped to leave Barcelona and sign for PSG. The Ligue 1 champions have indicated they want to active his €50 million release clause by the end of the month.
Relevo reckon that Xavi has already decided who he will go for if Dembele moves. The coach wants Bernardo Silva from Manchester City.
It’s thought that Guardiola won’t stand in Bernardo’s way if Barca do make an approach, but the 28-year-old certainly won’t come cheap which could scupper any move.
Barcelona stand to receive just €25m if Dembele goes in July, with the other half going to the player, although they will obviously get his salary off the wage bill which may help when it comes to trying to bring in another player.
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Ilkay Gundogan has played down injury fears after he was forced off in Barcelona’s 3-0 win over Real Madrid on Saturday.
The summer arrival from Manchester City went off in the first half after picking up a knock and was replaced by Sergi Roberto.
Gundogan was asked on Twitter if he is OK after the match and replied “don’t worry it’s not bad” along with a thumbs up emoji.
Barcelona also saw Andreas Christensen go off during the match and it’s not clear if either will play in the team’s next match in midweek against AC Milan.
Christensen was replaced by Eric Garcia who vowed after the game he will do his best to try to force his way back into the team.
“I will continue fighting for a position this season, I do not contemplate a way out,” he said.
“The coach shows me his confidence and what I try to do is to take advantage of opportunities, like today. Whether I play the whole game or play ten minutes, I try to make the most of it.”
“The truth is that for me it’s a dream, I still can’t believe it. I’m happy with the work that the team has done,” he said.
“It’s preseason and there’s still a lot left to do and I’m very happy to help the team. I saw the ball, I saw the target and I hit it with my soul.”
Lopez also spoke about his desire to force his way into the first team after spending last season out on loan at Linares.
“I have to keep working, obviously I want to stay here. It’s a dream and a privilege to do the preseason, I’ve been a culé since I was little and it’s my dream to reach the first team,”
“From the beginning they have welcomed me here a lot. I didn’t expect to be able to play. Xavi made me warm up, I went out and everything went well for me.”
Some Barca youngsters have been reluctant to go out on loan in recent season, but it seems that Lopez’s spell away from the club has helped him convince Xavi to give him a chance.
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Xavi Hernandez has talked up Fermin Lopez after the youngster announced himself to the world by scoring a brilliant goal in the 3-0 win for Barcelona over Real Madrid.
Lopez also picked up an assist in an exciting cameo off the bench, leaving his manager to explain why he’s decided to give him a chance in pre-season.
“With the staff we don’t look at age. We’ve seen him very comfortable and I think he can help us,” he told reporters.
“Fermín is player with great talent, two feet and an ability to play the final pass. He is only 20 years old but he has plenty of character.
“He’s a player I like and that final pass is something we lacked a little bit last season. He is not afraid, he wants the ball and he keeps it simple. When I see that in training then I have to give him minutes for his confidence.
“He has scored a great goal with his left foot and has given an assist with his right. He is a footballer we believe could help us a lot through the season.”
Barcelona fans may get a chance to see a lot more of Lopez now, with Xavi also confirming he will not go out on loan again and will stay with the club next season.
A round-up of the latest Barcelona news and rumors
FC Barcelona 3-0 Real Madrid: Delight in Dallas - FC Barcelona
After Miami and Las Vegas we can now add the name of Dallas to the list as Barça took their third consecutive Clásico victory in the USA thanks to a 3-0 victory over Real Madrid. Excellent strikes from Ousmane Dembélé, Fermín López and Ferran Torres handed the blaugranes victory after a tight contest that was only decided in the final minutes.
Agreement for the transfer of Nico to Porto - FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona and FC Porto have reached an agreement for the transfer of Nico González for 8.5 million euros. The blaurganes retain a percentage of any future transfer and the right to buy the player back.
Paris Saint-Germain resurrect their desire to sign Barça midfielder Pedria - SPORT
Paris Saint-Germain have entered a vortex of absolute madness following Kylian Mbappé's refusal to renew his contract, which expires in 2024. The Parisian club have put their star player up for sale and are looking for new stars on the market. One of their dreams is Pedri González. A long-held desire that has now been rekindled.
Xavi Hernandez coy on Ousmane Dembele-Paris Saint-Germain links - "You never know" - Football España
Dembele’s future at Barcelona has been a hot topic. He has been heavily linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, who are looking to activate his release clause, which sits at just €50m. Addressing the rumours after the match against Real Madrid, Xavi Hernandez appeared relaxed on the situation, although he did not rule out the possibility of Dembele leaving.
Pablo Torre's injury fears allayed after suffering knee complaint during pre-season friendly - Football España
Less than 10 minutes into Girona’s pre-season friendly victory over Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, Pablo Torre had to be forced off after suffering a knee injury. It was a worrying sight for the 20-year-old, who has had a very good start to life at Girona following his loan move from Barcelona earlier this month. However, this issue could have seen him suffer a major setback.
Inter Miami planning to help Barcelona pay tribute to Lionel Messi - Football España
Messi opted to continue his career at the MLS side following his departure from Paris Saint-Germain. Barcelona were very interested in signing their former man, although he decided against a return to Catalonia. He is likely to return to Barcelona at some point for an official farewell ceremony, which he did not get back in 2021 when he left the club.
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Barcelona youngster Fermin Lopez announced himself to the world in some style on Saturday with a brilliant goal in a 3-0 Clasico win over Real Madrid in the United States.
The 20-year-old made it 2-0 to the good guys with a stunning effort that flew into the top corner and sparked some wild celebrations among culers.
And here is his first senior goal in all its glory:
Lopez went out on loan to Linares last season and impressed enough to convince the Barcelona boss to try him out before the start of the new La Liga campaign.
Barcelona picked up their first win of this preseason thanks to a 3-0 victory over Real Madrid in a wild El Clásico at AT&T Stadium in Dallas on Saturday evening. A game that never felt like a friendly had plenty of intensity, great chances, three brilliant goals, and a big win for Barça who played very well in a few stretches and had to suffer plenty in others, but still found a way to beat their biggest rivals in a truly fantastic preseason match.
FIRST HALF
Barça came out with what is expected to be their strongest XI at least to start the season and utterly dominated the first 20 minutes, controlling midfield with the quartet of Oriol Romeu, Frenkie De Jong, Pedri and Ilkay Gündogan and defending with plenty of intensity to get the ball back quickly and not allow Real Madrid to counter-attack.
Romeu almost opened the scoring five minutes in with a spectacular shot that hit the crossbar, and 10 minutes later the Blaugrana took the lead on a wonderful set piece routine that saw Pedri find Ousmane Dembélé all alone inside the box and the Frenchman fire a rocket into the bottom corner.
Madrid took more initiative after going behind and could have equalized almost instantly when Ronald Araujo committed a silly penalty by handling the ball in the area, but Vinicius hit the crossbar and missed from the spot. The game then became very physical and borderline violent at times, with hard tackles and challenges from both sides and very little quality on the ball.
But Los Blancos had a couple of chances, with Vinicius hitting the bar again and Jude Bellingham heading a ball against the post. Rodrygo also forced a big save out of Marc-André ter Stegen, and somehow Barça survived the end of the half without conceding.
The result and the performance were positive, but there two pieces of bad news in the opening 45 minutes as Barça lost Andreas Christensen and Gündogan to apparent muscle injuries.
At halftime Barça were in front after a wonderful start, but Madrid got themselves back in the game and were certainly going to up their level in the final period looking for a comeback.
SECOND HALF
Xavi Hernández decided to keep his team on for a lot longer than the opener against Arsenal, playing most of his starters for 75 minutes to improve their fitness and try to preserve the victory.
The team started the half well, with 10 solid minutes of strong possession work and a couple of excellent chances. But as time went on the lack of fitness showed and Madrid began looking like the stronger, sharper side given their more advanced stage of preparations.
But Los Blancos didn’t create a real chance apart from a rocket by Aurélien Tchouaméni from distance that hit the crossbar and then Ter Stegen’s head before going out for a corner, and when Xavi finally decided to pull his starters with 15 minutes to the Blaugrana were still in front.
Xavi’s changes brought on plenty of attack-minded players, changing the team’s shape to a 4-2-4 ready to kill the game on the counter. And they did just that with five minutes to go with a special goal by 20-year-old academy star midfielder Fermín López, who fired a rocket into the top corner with his weaker left foot to double Barça’s lead at the death.
Madrid threw the kitchen’s sink trying for a late comeback and Vinicius hit the bar for a third time, but luck was once again on Barça’s side and the Blaugrana added a third to seal the victory: Fermín finished his incredible cameo with an assist as he played a wonderful pass over the top to Ferran Torres, who looped the ball over Thibaut Courtois and scored against an open net for his second goal in two preseason games.
The final whistle came to end a wild Clásico, one that had absolutely everything. Madrid hit the bar four times, missed a penalty, had at least three other major chances, and yet somehow Barça come away with a clean sheet and a three-goal victory. The Blaugrana also had their moments and played well while they could still run, and this ended up being a super fun 90 minutes with a satisfying result for the good guys.
The two players were substituted in the first half
Barcelona may have gone into the halftime break of the preseason El Clásico against Real Madrid with the lead, but they may have suffered two significant losses due to injuries sustained during the opening period.
Center-back Andreas Christensen was the first to leave the pitch in the 28th minute and be replaced by Eric García, and midfielder Ilkay Gündogan was substituted just three minutes before halftime by Sergi Roberto.
In both instances the players felt muscle discomfort, in Gündogan’s case an apparent groin issue while Christensen’s problem still hasn’t been clarified. Injury substitutions during preseason usually come out of an abundance of caution as coaches don’t want to risk anything with their players, but both players have a history of injuries and deserve extra attention.
Christensen is a crucial piece of the defense while Gündogan was the summer’s biggest signing to elevate the team’s midfield and help Barça contend in Europe. A potentially lengthy absence for either or both would be a major blow, so it’s worth monitoring very carefully what is next for the duo.
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Barça have heavily protected themselves in the deal by reserving 40% of a future sale and also including a buy-back clause of €30 million valid until June 2025, according to FC Porto's statement.
Nico was one of the most promising midfield prospects out of La Masia but struggled to find minutes under Ronald Koeman and Xavi Hernández in the 2021-22 campaign, and spent last season on loan at Valencia where he missed almost half the year with a knee injury.
Now that he’s fully healthy Nico gets the chance for a fresh start at a new country with a top club where he’s almost guaranteed to start every match and develop into a great player. Good luck, Nico!
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Join us for another Barcelona preseason adventure!
WELCOME TO AT&T STADIUM!!! The incredible home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys is the site of the game’s biggest game: for the second year in a row Barcelona and Real Madrid meet in a high-profile preseason El Clásico in the United States, this time in Arlington, Texas. Barça lost their preseason opener to Arsenal while Madrid won their first two games last week, and even though the most important thing is player fitness and the preparations for the real season ahead, this is still a game Barça fans, coaches and players never want to lose. This should be fun, and you’re welcome to join us to follow and comment all the action. Vamos!
(Note: the comments will be open only when the team news come out, because our commenter people love commenting and sometimes there are too many comments in the comments section)
MATCH INFO
Competition/Round: 2023-24 Preseason, Match 2
Date/Time: Saturday, July 29, 2023, 5pm ET, 2pm PT (USA), 11pm CET (Barcelona), 10pm BST/WAT (UK & Nigeria), 2.30am IST (India, Sunday)
Venue: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, United States
HOW TO WATCH
On TV: Movistar Liga de Campeones, TV3 (Spain), Startimes World Football (Nigeria), SONY TEN 2 (India), others
We don’t have a lot of rules here, but there are a few things to keep in mind when joining our matchday threads:
Even if the referee sucks or we lose the game, watch the swearing. It’s just unnecessary. Also, don’t discuss illegal streaming links. Those who do it will be warned, and those who post links will be instantly banned. Finally, be nice to each other. This is a Barcelona community and we don’t need to offend one another.
Have fun with the game! Forever and ever, no matter the competition, VISCA EL BARÇA!
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Paris Saint-Germain to go after Ousmane Dembele if they lose Kylian Mbappe, Barcelona open to talks - Football España
Paris Saint-Germain appear to be coming round to the idea of losing Kylian Mbappe, and it may well be this summer. If that is the case, then it could have a detrimental effect on Barcelona. According to Diario AS, PSG have decided they will go after Ousmane Dembele if they are to lose Kylian Mbappe. Real Madrid are his presumed destination, the question is whether it happens now or down the line, but they have set a price tag for Mbappe.
Champions League hero returns to Barcelona to begin coaching career at La Masia - Football España
Barcelona hero Juliano Belletti has returned to the club 16 years after leaving, to join the coaching team at La Masia. Belletti, 47, wrote himself into Barcelona history in 2006, arriving into the box onto an incisive Henrik Larsson pass to blast past Jens Lehmann in the Arsenal goal. It was a strike that brought Barcelona’s second ever Champions League title to the club with 12 minutes remaining.
“I don’t see Dembele leaving Barça. He is the most decisive player we have because of his way of playing,” he said.
“He is a key piece for us and much loved in the dressing room”.
Roberto and Dembele are currently preparing for a Clasico clash with Real Madrid, and the captain says he knows it won’t feel like a friendly even though it’s a pre-season game.
“A Clásico is always special, but we’ve only played one game,” he added.
“We had that stomach problem. It’s the second game of the pre-season, but against Real Madrid you always have to go out and win.
“There are no friendly matches. You always want to win. Against Arsenal, we already knew what to expect. They are one of the best in Europe and it was a difficult test for us, especially because this was the first game, after the first one was cancelled.
“Playing against these teams are very good tests. We are not here on vacation, but to prepare for the season.”
Barcelona go on to face AC Milan after the Clasico and will then head home for a Gamper Trophy game with Tottenham.
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The Mexican is preparing for his second season in charge of the team and has received some strong backing from the club chief.
“He leads with an iron hand and a silk glove, very similar to how he was when he was a player. He is serene, calm and makes decisions,” he said.
“He is a man who has had a very good season at Barça Atletic. Rafa, as a person is extraordinary and I am very happy that he is coach of the second team”.
Laporta was also asked about the possibility of Marquez succeeding Xavi when the time comes for the coach to step aside at some point in the future.
“This will be seen,” he added. “We have a very good coach who is working hard so that Barça is the league champion again.”
Marquez is currently overseeing a rebuild of his team. A host of players departed in the summer and new arrivals, such as Trilli, Mika Faye and Marc Vidal, have since signed.
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Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed the club’s plans for Mexico international Julian Araujo following his move from LA Galaxy.
Araujo has been unable to play for Barcelona so far and may have to wait a little longer to debut for Xavi’s side.
Laporta has been full of praise for the right-back but admits that Barcelona are working on a loan deal for next season.
“Araujo is spoken well of throughout the club. Great right-back who also has a great understanding with his teammates. He came from here from LA Galaxy and here he is,” he told ESPN.
“He has spent time at Barça [academy in the US], he has the Barça stamp and he has felt well treated. He’s a great professional and has a long career.”
“He will be loaned out for next season. It is something we are working on.”
It’s been reported that Araujo is set to move to Las Palmas next season in a move which will see him work with former Barca B boss Garcia Pimienta.
Xavi had said previously he wanted to check on Araujo in pre-season, but the defender has missed the tour to the United States after being granted a holiday after his involvement at the Gold Cup with Mexico.
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PSG are reportedly set to activate Ousmane Dembele’s release clause at Barcelona and hope to land the forward for just €50 million.
RMC Sport are reporting that Dembele is “very close” to joining PSG and has been “seduced” by the project on offer at Parc des Princes under Luis Enrique.
Dembele’s release clause has dropped to €50m this summer but will return to €100m next month - meaning if PSG are to make their move they don’t have much time left.
The report claims discussions are “advanced” and seem to be driven by Luis Enrique who is said to be a big fan of the France international.
Dembele has been linked with PSG on several previous occasions but played down talk of a move to the French champions relatively recently.
The English midfielder left Chelsea FC on a free transfer, and apparently, Barcelona had verbally agreed that he would join to play for Barça Atlètic.
This has drawn comparisons to the Arda Güler case. Just as it was then, a young talent seemed ready to join Barcelona, only for him to choose another team in the end (in that case, it was Real Madrid.)
Mendel-Idowu is just 18 and an attacking midfielder. He has represented England at youth level. He is the grandson of former Nigerian international John Adeleye-Abai.
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A round-up of the latest Barcelona news and rumors
Final training session in Los Angeles - FC Barcelona
The first leg of FC Barcelona's tour has come to an end. On Thursday evening the team convened for the last time at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which has hosted the squad's daily workouts since arriving on the west coast of the United States last Wednesday. In total, Xavi's men completed nine sessions at the hallowed ground.
Oriol Romeu meets an old friend - FC Barcelona
Surprises and meet ups are always on the cards during a tour. One such meeting took place in Los Angeles, where FC Barcelona are spending the first stage of their United States tour, as Japan captain Maya Yoshida and Oriol Romeu's teammate for five years at English team Southampton (2015-2020) dropped by.
Oriol Romeu: 'I think I can fit into the team very well' - FC Barcelona
There's no place like home. Oriol Romeu has looked at ease during his first few days as a blaugrana, while still feeling the excitement and desire to take on the new challenge of pulling on the FC Barcelona jersey after 12 years away. He has taken his return in his stride, but what could be more pleasing than coming back to the Club where he developed as a player.
Àlex Collado signs for Betis - FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona and Real Betis Balompié have reached an agreement on the transfer of Àlex Collado. FC Barcelona retains the right to a percentage of any future sale
Chadi Riad loaned to Betis - FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona and Real Betis Balompié have reached an agreement on a one-season loan of Moroccan player Chadi Riad to the latter. The deal ends on 30 June 2024, whereupon Betis will have the option to purchase the player on a permanent basis.
Anderlecht beat Barcelona to the signing of England youth international - SPORT
After the famous Arda Güler saga, it is now Anderlecht who have 'stolen' a signing from FC Barcelona. The Belgian league side have announced the arrival of Tudor Mendel-Idowu, a player who until a few days ago had a verbal agreement with the Catalan club to play for Barça Atlètic.
Barça boss Xavi Hernandez's plans with forward Ferran Torres this season - SPORT
The game against Arsenal reflected some of Xavi Hernández's intentions for the new season. One of them focused on Ferran Torres. The Barcelona coach is keen to harness the player's strengths and, seeing the great physical condition he is showing this pre-season, he has an idea of how to get the best out of him.
Barcelona coach Xavi has reportedly reassured Eric Garcia that he is not for sale and does have a future at the club next season.
Garcia is one of several players who have been linked with a move away from Barcelona this summer, but it seems the club have other ideas and he will stay.
Mundo Deportivo report that Garcia had a chat with Xavi as he was worried about speculation over his future and has been reassured it’s just paper talk.
Barcelona will only sell Eric if an offers arrive that they can’t turn down and plan on having him around for one more season.
Xavi values Eric’s professonalism, leadership qualities and technical abilities. Meanwhile, the defender is keen to stay and try to force his way back into the team.
Yet that looks difficult with Inigo Martinez having arrived in the summer to further strengthen Barcelona’s backline.
Eric has been trialled in midfield but it’s unclear if that’s an experiement Xavi will continue with, particularly now Oriol Romeu has arrived from Girona.
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Ferran Torres has made it clear that Barcelona and he are in it for the long haul together. The two sides have a deal in place and Torres for one, isn’t keen on going anywhere.
“The names (on the exit ramp) are given by journalists. I have a contract here, I’m going to stay. I don’t care what anyone says about me. I’m going to work as hard as anyone else. I’m the first to be self-critical, it wasn’t a good season last year but I learned a lot. These ups and downs have helped me to be stronger now.”
At least his mindset seems good. Torres also spoke on the result against Arsenal and what the club was hoping for.
“We wanted the win, but Arsenal were very well drilled. We lacked rhythm, we were imprecise and the pitch didn’t help.
“Now we have to think about (Real) Madrid (on Saturday), train hard and get into a good rhythm. It’s very important for a striker to start scoring, to get off to a good start. I’m going to fight for a place in the team, and then it is up to the coach to decide.”
Barcelona are reportedly set to receive a financial boost of around €60 million which will act as another ‘financial lever,’ according to El Confidencial.
The Catalans are set to sell a 16% stake in Barca Studios which will bring in funds and help the club register their new signings and various contract renewals.
To remedy the situation, Barca have now convinced Orpheus and Socios to reduce their share and have now agreed to sell 16% to a German investment fund instead.
The funds will ease some of the club’s financial pressures, allowing new signings Ilkay Gundogan, Oriol Romeu and Inigo Martinez to be registered by the time the new La Liga season starts.
Barca also want to register new contracts for a host of players including Ronald Araujo, Marcos Alonso, Alejandro Balde, Sergi Roberto and Lamine Yamal.
The club are also hoping to tie down Ousmane Dembele to a new deal, with the forward about to head into the final year of his existing deal.
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Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
The boss wasn’t impressed
Barcelona have been beaten 5-3 in their first pre-season friendly in the US against Arsenal in California. The Gunners are well ahead of Barcelona in terms of fitness, which is no surprise, but Xavi wasn’t too impressed with the Gunners’ approach either.
“I told him at the end of the game that it looked like a Champions League game because the intensity they put in was not normal for a friendly, but I understand that everyone wants to win. For us, it was the first game and we came from a virus,” he said.
“So much intensity or so many tactical faults is not normal. We all want to compete, but this is a friendly. They are at a different pace of intensity. Positive things have been seen and I’m generally happy apart from the result, the conclusions are positive.”
I could be crazy here, but to complain about the other side taking a preseason match seriously as a dress rehearsal is pretty hilarious. Even if Barcelona were taking it easy, don’t take the easy way out like that. Let’s hope Barca pick it up before the end of the pre-season.
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The deal is done
Barcelona have confirmed that young defender Chadi Riad has left the club and joined Real Betis.
The Morocco international has moved in a bid to gain regular playing time in La Liga but could end up making the move permanent. Riad is a highly-rated youngster but has little chance of playing time at Barca due to the options currently available to Xavi.
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Acuerdo entre el FC Barcelona y el Real Betis para la cesión por una temporada de @chadiriad17
“FC Barcelona and Real Betis Balompié have reached an agreement for the loan of the player Chadi Riad to the Andalusian team until June 30, 2024. In addition, Betis will have a purchase option at the end of the season.”
There’s no detail on the amounts involved, although it’s being reported that the purchase option is set at just €3 million. Barca are also thought to have reserved 50% of any future sale and have a buy-back option at €7m.
Good luck at Betis, Chadi Riad!
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A round-up of the latest Barcelona news and rumors
Defeat in season opener - FC Barcelona
Debuts for several blaugranes but an Arsenal side with more minutes under their belt take the win. Goals from Lewandowski, Raphinha and Ferran not enough against the Premier League side
Ter Stegen: 'This is a great moment for me' - FC Barcelona
One of the most respected voices in the FC Barcelona dressing room is that of Marc ter Stegen. One of the team's leaders both on and off the field, and now the team's second captain, the German goalkeeper, who is coming off arguably the best season of his career, is highly optimistic about the coming campaign.
Barça after Ecuador star Zambrano but Portuguese club also pushing hard - SPORT
Óscar Zambrano is one of the players in FC Barcelona's orbit to reinforce the midfield of their reserve team, albiet with a clear view to progression to the first team eventually given his great projection and the high price being asked for him by his club, Liga Deportiva Universitaria (LDU) of Quito.
Operation imminent that will allow Barcelona to register their new signings - SPORT
Barcelona plan to announce this Thursday a deal that will allow them to register the players who are still waiting to be registered. That is to say, the renewed Ronald Araujo, Marcos Alonso, Iñaki Peña and Sergi Roberto and the three new signings: Ilkay Gündogan, Oriol Romeu and Iñigo Martínez.
Barcelona's Sergi Roberto: "I would have liked to play with Messi again" - SPORT
The midfielder regretted that Messi's return was not possible: "Everyone was looking forward to it and personally I would have liked to play with Leo again. It was the story that everyone wanted him to return home, because it would have been the opportunity to give him the farewell he deserved. We tried, but it wasn't possible."
Nico Gonzalez arrives in Portugal ahead of Porto transfer from Barcelona - SPORT
Nico González is in Porto to finalise his move to the Portuguese club. The Barcelona midfielder, who after returning from his loan spell at Valencia did not take part in the tour of the United States in able to sort out his future, hopes to complete the transfer by Wednesday.
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Barcelona finally kicked off their pre-season tour with an entertaining eight-goal thriller against Arsenal at the SoFi Stadium in California.
Xavi’s side were decked out in their new white away kit for the first time since its launch earlier this week but fell to a 5-3 defeat to the Gunners.
Arsenal are way ahead of Barcelona in terms of pre-season fitness, but there were still goals to cheer with Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Ferran Torres all on target.
Lewandowski actually got things going with the opening goal after just seven minutes as he opened his account after great work from Ez Abde.
Meanwhile, Raphinha’s goal was Barca’s first from a free-kick for a very long time - although it did take a fair chunk of fortune to end up in the back of the net.
Barcelona now head to Dallas for their second match of the tour against Real Madrid. Los Blancos warmed up for the latest Clasico with a 2-0 win over Manchester United.
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A fun 90 minutes in what didn’t feel like a friendly at all
The preparations for the 2023-24 season began with defeat for Barcelona as the Catalans lost 5-3 to Arsenal in their preseason opener at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Barça took the early lead but struggled physically and had a tough night at the back against Mikel Arteta’s side, who took the game very seriously from the very beggining and won a fun match that never felt like a friendly.
FIRST HALF
Arsenal are four games into their preseason against a Barça side making their debut, and the difference in fitness and intensity was evident from the very start. The Gunners were much quicker and a lot more competitive out of possession, and the Blaugrana had a lot of trouble dealing with Arsenal’s press throughout the half.
But the Catalans somehow found themselves in front thanks in large part to a brilliant solo effort from Ez Abde, who won the ball inside his own half and carried it all the way through to the other end before finding Raphinha, who forced a great save from Aaron Ramsdale which offered Robert Lewandowski the chance to score an easy tap-in to give Barça the lead.
Arsenal responded quickly with a goal from Bukayo Saka after a poor mistake by Andreas Christensen, and Saka had a golden chance to double his tally after a handball from Ronald Araujo inside the box but missed the penalty badly.
After a wild opening 20 minutes the game lost momentum thanks to a lot of physical play from both sides that led to plenty of fouls and bookings, and there was very little quality from either side. Then Barça scored again thanks to some good fortune when a free-kick by Raphinha deflected off Martin Odegaard and into the net, and the game came to life again.
Arsenal played their best football once more and attacked with quality and intent, and scored a second equalizer when a header by Odegaard found Kai Havertz all alone to tap it home.
A fun and physical game was all square at the half, with plenty of changes expected on Barça’s side at the break.
SECOND HALF
Mikel Arteta made only one change at halftime while Xavi Hernández brought in a whole new team for the final period, focusing primarily on fitness and giving as many players a chance to get in the game as possible.
Arsenal continued to play very serious football and look for the win, and they took their first lead of the game 10 minutes into the half when a long ball from the back found Leandro Trossard, who ran with purpose at a retreating Jules Kounde and found the bottom corner with an excellent strike.
Barça’s second half team was solid in possession and did a better job getting out of Arsenal’s press, and slowly but surely began looking like a cohesive unit that knew what to do with the ball. Ansu Fati and Alejandro Balde formed an excellent partnership on the left wing full of running and skill, and young midfielder Fermín López impressed with his energy, activity and poise on the ball.
The Blaugrana were the better side for most of the period and could have equalized when Fati found Ousmane Dembélé in great position inside the box, but the Frenchman hit the post and missed a big chance. A few minutes later Trossard scored his second of the night on a counter-attack, and Arsenal’s victory was assured.
Xavi then decided to give La Masia gem Lamine Yamal 10 minutes of action at the end of the game, and the 16-year-old offered a few glimpses of his remarkable talent. Barça continued to attack and look for a way back in the game, and Ferran Torres made it 4-3 with two minutes to go after a great run and assist by Dembélé.
But Fábio Vieira scored a great goal from distance for Arsenal to end any hopes of a Barça comeback, and the final whistle came to end a very entertaining — and sometimes very chippy — preseason contest.
The result doesn’t matter at all, and the difference in fitness levels was pretty clear from the first minute of the game based on where the two teams are in their preparations. A total of 23 players got a chance to break a good sweat for Barça, and while the defending was a disaster it was pretty common for the first game of preseason.
No need to overreact, and El Clásico at the weekend also won’t matter too much. It’s about next June, not this July. And the white uniforms look AMAZING.
Pablo Torre seems to be making a good early impression at Girona following his decision to join the club on a season-long loan from Barcelona this summer.
The midfielder scored his first goal for his new club in a pre-season friendly win over Sheffield United.
The goal was part of a bright performance from Torre which should provide the youngster with a big confidence boost as he adapts to life at a new club.
Girona are due to play more pre-season friendlies against Blackburn, Lazio and Napoli before they open up their La Liga campaign against Real Sociedad.
Barcelona will be hoping Torre can make an impression at Girona and come back and compete for a spot in the starting XI next season.
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Roberto made it clear it’s a real highlight of his career at Barcelona.
“Being first captain is a responsibility, but also a pride. I’ve had spectacular captains, since I’ve been here I’ve always dreamed of this,” he said.
“I’m very lucky to be at the club of my life. There were difficult moments and that shows the esteem I have for the club, otherwise I wouldn’t have lasted. Now I’m the captain of the team and that shows the the love and sacrifice I have for the club.”
The new skipper also spoke about his role and is well aware he is not guaranteed a starting spot in the team under Xavi.
“My role in the team is to help the coach and the team-mates,” he said.
“I would like to play more, one wants to be on the pitch, but we all have to accept a secondary role. It is very important that we all go together.”
We’ll have to wait and see how regularly Roberto plays in the new campaign, but it looks currently as though we may see Ter Stegen with the armband on a regular basis.
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Xavi has proudly said on a number of occasions since taking charge of Barcelona that no has player has ever said no after he’s been in touch to make an approach.
Yet it seems he has been knocked back this summer. Tijjani Reijnders has revealed that he received a call from Xavi but had to turn it down.
“Xavi called me to discuss a possible move to Barcelona. It was impossibe for me - no way as I already decided to join AC Milan,” he has told Gazzetta dello Sport. “I had spoken with Moncada and Pioli… and at that point, I had already decided, even with my family. I had already decided that I would play for Milan.”
Tijjani Reijnders: “Xavi called me to discuss possible move to Barcelona”.
“It was impossible for me — no way as I already decided to join AC Milan”, Dutch midfielder told Gazzetta. ⚫️
There were a few whispers in the rumor mill that Barca were after Reijnders after an impressive season with AZ in the Eredivisie. However, Barcelona and Xavi opted to go for Oriol Romeu instead.
Reijnders has since been snapped up by Serie A side AC Milan and also said he “didn’t think twice” after getting the call from the Rossoneri. He has signed a five-year contract for a fee of around 19 million euros.
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Lewandowski was seen as a candidate for one of the four captaincy spots but says he wasn’t thinking about that as he’s only been at the club for one season.
“I didn’t expect to be captain, to be honest,” he said. “It’s not my goal to be, after one year here, the captain of Barcelona. It won’t keep me from being vocal and expressive with my team-mates.
“I also know we have players who have spent a lot of years in Barcelona and I respect this. At my age, I don’t think I have the ego to get offended if I’m not in that group.”
The striker also made it clear that he’s willing to lead by example in any case and will always speak his mind, even if his opinion may not go down well in the dressing room.
“I enjoy the fact of being a sort of figure to look up to for youngsters, But it’s also difficult because with my experiences I’ve seen many things,” he added.
“I can identify when things might be good but still can become better. And sometimes this means saying or doing things that not everyone appreciates. You need to find the right balance. Not being too pushy, or angry; being as positive as you can be for the team.”
Barcelona have unveiled the team’s new white away kit for the 2023-24 season.
The color is obviously something of a controversial choice, given it’s association with Real Madrid, so Barca have made it clear it’s been inspired by a club legend.
The 2023/24 second kit in white, inspired by Johan Cruyff
The kit also features blue shorts and blaugrana socks and is expected to be worn for the first time later today when Barcelona take on Arsenal in pre-season.
And here’s some blurb to make sense of it all from the club’s website.
“FC Barcelona introduces their second kit for the 2023/24 season, which has an innovative design that pays tribute to the man who developed Barça’s playing style, Johan Cruyff. Based on the second kit worn by the blaugranes during the 1970s, the jersey is predominantly white, and features red and blue stripes on the sleeve cuffs.
“Just like the first kit harks back to the spirit of the Barça Women’s team that played their first ever game at the Spotify Camp Nou in 1970, the pioneering figure of Cruyff has provided inspiration for this kit.”
Barcelona also go on to say how it’s not the first time the team has worn white, noting how players such as “Alcántara, Samitier, César and Kubala” were all seen in the color during their time at Barca.
What do you think of Barcelona’s new kit? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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