Pep: I’ve need tried to sign Messi, I want him to stay at Barca

The Manchester City boss has given his view

Pep Guardiola says he’s never tried to sign Lionel Messi and wants him to stay at Barcelona.

There’s been speculation about Manchester City interest in Messi in the past, and it raised its head again this week.

A report in El Mundo claimed City were willing to spend €250 million on Messi, before he signed a new deal in 2017, but Guardiola says he’s never asked his club to bring the Argentine to the Premier League.

“When I left Barcelona and went to Bayern Munich and Manchester City I never asked Messi to come here,” he said. “I never went to both clubs and said I want this player.

“I know how important he is for Barcelona. I never made the first step to say I want this player. Never.

“I said a thousand times I want him to stay at Barcelona. I want that.”

Source | Evening Standard

The new deal Messi signed in 2017 saw his release clause raised to €700m, putting him out of the reach of most clubs. He said at the time his “dream” was to retire at Barcelona.

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Valverde talks Messi return, Suarez, Dembele and Rayo

The boss has been speaking ahead of Saturday’s match

Ernesto Valverde has given his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s La Liga clash at Rayo Vallecano.

The boss talked about Lionel Messi’s recovery from injury, several other first-team players and, of course, Saturday’s opponents.

Here are the best bits:

Valverde on Messi

It was an arm injury so it’s normal that he’s back training quickly, so he can keep in shape and be in contact with his teammates. We’re going to wait. It’s only two weeks since the problem, it’s soon, so we still have to wait.

The team’s form is not making me more cautious with Leo -- I’m being cautious because of injury he has. If he was ready tomorrow, he’d be there and we would be stronger.

He gives us that differential factor and we maintain the block and the sense of the team. So, the only thing with Leo is the affect it could have on his injury. We want him back. With Leo, we’re better.

Valverde on if he’s sending a message to Malcom after leaving him out of the squad

No, it’s a message for Aleña who is doing well and can help us.

Valverde on signing a Suarez replacement

Barca are always alert to the market and planning for the market, It’s a logical thing, not just for Luis. He is in a great moment of form and he stands the test of time very well.

Valverde on Vidal

He [Vidal] is training really well. We knew his competitive level. He’s training more and that takes him to a great level. He has an unmatched competitive edge.

Valverde on Dembele

It’s true that it depends on the game whether we’re interested in wide players who can open the pitch to us. Maybe he was suited to that the other day, with closed defences, but it’s something that can be improved, as well as his recovery after losing the ball

Valverde on Rayo

Rayo play good football and we will have to be careful. We are up against a good team who need to win and it will be tough. They are an attacking team who try to pressure you up the field and have skilful players

Valverde on giving youth a chance

For attitude, yes, they deserve chances. They’re kids that come to play and train and I have no doubts about them. But they have to compete -- there are good players here and they have to compete against them. That is the reality of this club, this team. We’re all here to win and there’s internal competition. The manager picks the best XI to win the game without prejudice.

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Barcelona are Champions League favorites - Allegri

The Juventus boss says the Spanish champions are No.1

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said that Barcelona are the favorites to win the Champions League this year, not his own team Juventus. Despite signing Cristiano Ronaldo this off-season Allegri seems to believe that Europe will go through the 2015 Champions.

“Barcelona are No. 1 candidates -- just look at the way they play,” he said.

“I feel I am coach of a side who can win it, but you can’t take it for granted that we will. We are among the top four candidates, but we need to keep calm.

”In March a different Champions League starts, and that is when you need a bit of luck because the Champions League is a competition that gets decided by minor incidents,” he said.

”I’m sure we’ll see Barca going all the way to the end.”

Massimiliano Allegri | Source

Barcelona have made a perfect start to their Champions League campaign with three straight wins and are at the San Siro on Tuesday to face Inter Milan.

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FC Barcelona News: 2 November 2018

Squad announced for Rayo Vallecano | FC Barcelona
La Liga is back and Barça go into yet another three-game week. Rayo Vallecano are the opposition at 8.45pm on Saturday night, and Ernesto Valverde has named the 18 players that will be joining him on the trip to Madrid.

When and where to watch Rayo Vallecano vs FC Barcelona | FC Barcelona
Check out our list of the regional broadcasters that hold the rights to show the match. We can’t guarantee that they are actually will show the game, unfortunately that’s not up to us, but most of them usually do! Check the broadcasters’ websites and the local press to be sure.

Recovery work with Messi and Umtiti | FC Barcelona
In Thursday training for their Saturday night game against Rayo Vallecano, the FC Barcelona coach ran a recovery session for the available players. Also present on Pitch 2 at the Ciutat Esportiva were Leo Messi and Samuel Umtiti -the latter of whom undertook part of the session with the group.

Injury-plagued Samper suffers torn calf muscle | Marca
The home grown player had to go off after 33 minutes of the first leg tie and was replaced by Carles Alena. It was his first official game back after ten months out having broken a bone in his leg and torn ankle ligaments on loan at Las Palmas.

Barcelona’s Luis Suarez: Natural that club are looking for my replacement | ESPN
Luis Suarez has said he accepts that Barcelona are looking for his replacement as they plan for life without the striker. Suarez -- who scored a hat trick as Barca beat Real Madrid 5-1 last weekend -- will turn 32 in January, prompting the club to look to the future.

Discovering Arthur: How he worked hard under a strict regime at Gremio to make it to Barcelona | Marca
The Brazilian was only a teenager of 14 when Barcelona won their famous six trophies in 2009 and he was a youth player at Goias but strange as it may seem with the distance from where he lived, his inspiration were Xavi, Iniesta and Messi.

From the US Tour to their first team debuts | FC Barcelona
Ernesto Valverde made several roatations to his starting XI for FC Barcelona’s game against Cultural Leonesa in the Copa del Rey, and also handed debuts to three players from Barça B. Miranda, Chumi and Jorge Cuenca made their first official appearance for the first team, although they have trained regularly with the senior squad and undertook the preseason tour of the USA with them. Here is some more information about the trio, who are ones to watch for the future.

La Liga starts petition to support league match in United States | ESPN
Faced with massive opposition from sporting institutions over its plan to play a regular season game between Barcelona and Girona in Miami, La Liga has launched a petition to garner mass support for its troubled project.

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How will Barcelona line up against Rayo Vallecano?

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Rumors: Five Suarez replacements, Denis to Milan & De Ligt race hots up

The latest hot gossip

Five strikers who could replace Suarez

Today’s rumors start with a look at five strikers Barcelona are considering as potential replacements for Luis Suarez.

Marca reckon that the club are thinking about Genoa’s Krzysztof Piatek, who is seen as something of a budget option, while keeping hold of Paco Alcacer is another option.

The other three names on the list are: Lille’s Nicolas Pepe, Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez and Timo Werner.

Six strikers Barcelona have considered

And now quickly over to Mundo Deportivo who have a similar story but with slightly different options.

The report reckons that Harry Kane, Kasper Dolberg, Mauro Icardi, Piatek, Werner and Pepe have all been considered by the club.

However, it seems that none of the six players have really done enough to convince Barcelona of their qualities.

Kane is considered too expensive, Werner and Dolberg have not impressed consistently enough, there are doubts over Pepe and Piatek, and Icardi is reportedly lacking something.

AC Milan want Denis Suarez

Meanwhile, over in Italy the word is that AC Milan fancy bringing in Denis Suarez.

According to the Corriere dello Sport, the Serie A side reckon they can tempt him away due to his lack of game time.

The only problem is that Milan have a few FFP worries going on which could scupper any move.

De Ligt race hots up

Back with Mundo Deportivo, who claim the race for Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt is really beginning to hot up.

Ajax look as though they will be unable to keep hold of their defender for much longer but will want at last €60 million for the 19-year-old in the summer.

Barcelona and Juventus have already shown their admiration, but Manchester City and Bayern Munich are also said to have “maximum interest.”

Barcelona give up on Koulibaly

And finally we end with news that Barcelona have decided to end their interest in Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly.

Mundo Deportivo reckon that the club have followed him for some time but have not made an offer of €70 million which has reported.

The club have scouted him on several occasions but have come to the conclusion he won’t be joining the Spanish champions.

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Messi can play until he’s 40, says Xavi

The Barcelona captain has plenty left

Xavi has been talking about Lionel Messi and reckons Barcelona’s captain can play until he’s 40.

Messi signed a new contract at the club last year which will keep him at the Camp Nou until he’s 34.

However, his former team-mate believes he can go on for much longer if he wants because of his unique abilities.

“Sometimes I think that he can play until he is 38, 39 or 40. He needs very little to be able to do that,” he said.

”What do you lose as you get older? Your pace? Well he won’t lose his mental speed. Messi is incomparable.

”I think that he would be able to play wherever he wants on the park.

”He already drifts into the centre of the field and is effective there, as he is at defending too because he is very strong mentally.”

Source | Catalunya Radio

Messi’s certainly shown no signs of slowing down yet. He’s already scored 12 goals this season in just 11 outings for Barca.

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