The Fans Football Blog3

Asked about the rumours linking Juventus right back defender and Czech international Zdeněk Grygera (29) with a move to Barcelona (read more here), the player's agent Mino Raiola kept the door open for a possible move in an interview with Italian football site Tuttomercatoweb:

"At this moment the situation is calm, despite the fact that there are many interested clubs.

The player is feeling good at Juventus and they have said that he is not for sale. However, the transfer market is still long, and as you know, in football anything can happen."

Read more:
Looking for a right back defender
Cicinho and Grygera also options for right back
Eboue tops right back target list

Catalan radio station RAC 1 claims that Grêmio right back defender Felipe Mattioni (21) has been offered to Barcelona.

Mattioni could be one of the many candidates to strenghten the right back position. The Brazilian defender played on loan with AC Milan during the first half of 2009 but the Italian club decided not to use the first option they had to buy Mattioni

Mattioni is represented by Mino Raiola, the agent of Barcelona players Ibrahimovic and Maxwell, who said a few days ago that he was talking with Barcelona about a third player. The radio station claims that the transfer fee of Mattioni would be around 3 million euro.

Asked about the rumours linkig him with a move to Barcelona, Mattioni confirmed in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 that Barcelona could be interested: "I'm waiting to see what will happen. There are possibilities, for me it would be a dream to play at Barça."

Read more:
Transfer of Arsenal right back Eboue close
Looking for a right back defender
Barcelona monitoring Gremio midfielder Douglas


Watch a goal of Mattioni here (first goal):

Asked about the transfer of Inter Milan forward and Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic (27) to Barcelona, the player's agent Mino Raiola is quoted by Spanish news agency EFE as saying that the whole operation is still not closed:

"We still have to finalize the negotiations with Barcelona and that certainly won't happen today. But both parties are willing to reach an agreement.

The contract of Ibrahimovic with Barcelona will be quite complicated, but we'll find solutions for that. We're working in a calm climate without any fights.

I don't think we can talk about a swap deal. The president of Barcelona has said several times that they would have tried everything to sign Ibrahimovic even if Eto'o wouldn't have gone to Inter."

Read more:
Only paperwork left for Ibrahimovic transfer

Italian sports site Tuttomercatoweb claims that Mino Raiola, the agent of Inter Milan forward and Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic (27), will be in Milan today to finalize the last details of the striker's transfer to Barcelona.

After Inter and Eto'o reached an agreement, Inter and Ibrahimovic now have to deal with the last contract formalities prior to the official annoucnement of the transfer operation.

Raiola meanwhile said in an interview with Italian televsion channel Sky yesterday that more talks with Barcelona are needed: "I now still have to speak to Barcelona as my main task is to satisfy my client. The whole operation began at the end of lest season. I think that the dinner between Moratti and Laporta has been decisive. Barcelona wanted to sign Ibra, even when Eto'o wouldn't have been part of the deal. I always thought they were two separate negotiations and Laporta has confirmed this."

Read more:
Barcelona officially confirms Zlatan-Eto'o deal close
Ibrahimovic on his way to Europe

Asked about the transfer of Inter Milan forward and Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic (27) to Barcelona, the player's agent Mino Raiola has said in an interview with Italian football site Calcio Mercato that the operation won't be completed today:

"I am working on the deal but this certainly won't be signed today."


Read more:
Ibrahimovic agent in Barcelona
Secret bonus for Zlatan?

Asked about the reports linking Inter Milan forward and Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic (27) with a move to Barcelona (read more here), the player's agent Mino Raiola has repeated in an interview with Italian television channel Sky Sport Italia that he didn't yet talk with Barcelona:

"At this moment, there's no agreement between Barcelona and Ibrahimovic. We'll see how things will go and when we can start negotiating.

There's no meeting with Barcelona planned at this moment. That's not needed now. Inter and Barcelona are trying to turn an interesting hypothesis into reality. As long as the clubs don't have a final agreement, it's useless for me to start negotiating. I'm in regular contact with Ibrahimovic, who's on tour in the US with Inter now. He's not nervous, he's calm and he knows we're working.

I'm tired of getting asked about his salary of 12 millions. That's my problem and that of the player. When we sign a contract, that obviously means that we are happy. When a player puts his signature under a contract, with Barcelona or any other team, that means he's happy. I've never talked about the details of the contracts of the players I represent and I won't start doing that now."

Raiola is meanwhile quoted by Spanish sports tabloid Marca as also saying that the clubs now first have to finalize their agreement: "It's not a done deal yet. Before the clubs start negotiating with the players, they should turn their principal agreement into a final agreement. For this transfer to go through, things should be done in a calm way. I anyhow think that the player would fit perfectly in the team of Barcelona. He's better than Kaká, Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema together, because he has an excellent technique."

Read more:
Negotiations with Ibrahimovic didn't yet start
Ibrahimovic denies Twitter statements

Asked about the reports linking Inter Milan forward and Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic (27) with a move to Barcelona, the player's agent Mino Raiola has repeated in an interview with Italian news agency ANSA that he didn't yet talk with Barcelona:

"The two clubs have found an agreement, now we'll see. As Zlatan said, if there really is a concrete interest, the deal could be done. But I have not yet spoken with Barcelona, I haven't been involved in any negotiation, I haven't signed anything, I didn't do anything so far."

Read more:
Principal agreement on Ibrahimovic transfer
Ibrahimovic denies Twitter statements

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has said at a press conference that Inter Milan and Barcelona have found a principal agreement on the transfer of Inter Milan forward and Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic (27), which would include Barcelona players Samuel Eto'o and Aleksandr Hleb. A deal would now depend on the players involved.

Josep Maria Mesalles, the agent of Eto'o, is meanwhile quoted by Catalan radio station Ona FM that he talked by phone with Inter president Massimo Maratti on Thursday nigth after the two clubs found a deal. The agent said that he was delighted to be able to negotiate with a great club like Inter although he said that a final deal can only be closed face-to-face, not through the telephone.

Mino Raiola, the agent of Ibrahimovic, denied a deal in an interview with Italian radio station Radio Radio: "Regarding the talks between Barcelona and Inter for Ibrahimovic, I can only say that there's no deal yet because I don't see the signature of my player under a contract that I have read. I can guarantee you that I didn't even start to discuss a deal because I'm busy with the transfer of Maxwell. Maybe it will be a done deal next week or next month, there's still time until 31 August. There's time as long as the market open. We can negotiate until the end of August."

Ibrahimovic told to journalists after today's training session that he was calm about the whole situation: "I knew that Barcelona and Inter have been talking but I thought it was about Maxwell. If the offer of Barça would become concrete, that would be an interesting option. I wait calmly to see what happens. I spoke with my agant Mino Raiola and at this moment, I'm happy to be an Inter player."

Read more:
Report: Ibrahimovic deal reached

Italian televsion channel Sky Sport 24 claims that Inter Milan left back defender Maxwell (27) is close to joining Barcelona.

Barcelona and Inter would have found a deal on the transfer. The Italian champions will reportedly receive a transfer fee of 3,75 million euro°.

Maxwell would sign a five-year contract in the coming hours. Asked about the rumours, the player's agent Mino Raiola said in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 that the deal has been closed for 4 million euro°.



Read more:
Maxwell alternative for Filipe as left back
Barcelona has been in contact with 22 players

Inter Milan yesterday put out an official statement on its website denying a deal with Barcelona on the transfer of Inter Milan forward and Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic (27):

"During the transfer window, a headline in a newspaper is enough to transform groundless rumours into truth.

This is what has happened today after the article published in Barcelona newspaper El Mundo Deportivo about a presumed deal between FC Internazionale and the Catalan club. Besides being completely unfounded, the presumed deal seems remote from any logic, even to the eyes of neutral observers. The report is, therefore, groundless."

Asked about the rumours linking Ibrahimovic with an exit, Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti nevertheless told the club's official television channel that Inter could sell players this summer if a good bid comes in: "Soon, and with calm, we will reach a solution. We are not forced to sell or buy. We have a strong team, with players who have shown they care about Inter, like Ibrahimovic who in his three years with us has done his duty as a great professional.

So I think we can continue like this unless there are situations where we can close a good deal for the club. With the current economic climate it is obviously necessary to sell as well, but I am not pushing in one direction or another. We will see what happens in the summer transfer market, we will try to create a strong team next year too because our objectives won't change."

The player's agent Mino Raiola commented on the rumours in an interview with Spanish radio station Onda Cero: "There's no deal with any club that's not Inter and we're not allowed to talk with another club. It's normal that presidents of two clubs talk with eachother like happened last week.

Moratti also likes Messi and they're talking about him too. Ibrahimovic hasn't a preference for any team. The club that wants him should talk with Inter first and then they should offer us a sporting and an economic project. The two are important. His fee? I think Ibrahimovic is worth the same as Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo together.”

Barcelona president Joan Laporta also denied that there’s a deal in an interview with Catalan radio station Catalunya Ràdio. Asked about his future, Ibrahimovic meanwhile unconfirmedly said in an interview with Swedish television channel TV4 that he knows more about his future: “I know where I will play next season, but I keep it for myself. And I’m feeling comfortable with that.”

Read more:
Deal with Inter on Ibrahimovic
Barcelona wants to renew Eto'o
Meeting with Inter on Ibrahimovic: A reconstruction

Barcelona president Joan Laporta met last night in Barcelona with Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti. Although both presidents didn't want to confirm the issues discussed, it is believed that a possible transfer of Inter forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic (27) was the main reason for the meeting.

Nothing is certain but putting all pieces together, this blog can at least offer you this attempt to reconstruct the events.


(sources:
el mundo deportivo, la gazzetta dello sport, rac 1, sport, reuters)


On Thursday morning, Moratti met in Milan with Inter manager José Mourinho. The Portuguese gave the green light for the transfer of Ibrahimovic under the condition that Inter would get in return Barcelona forward Samuel Eto'o (28) and a serious sum of cash, which would be used to sign Chelsea players Carvalho and Deco.

After the meeting with Mourinho, Moratti talked with Mino Raiola, the agent of Ibrahimovic, to explain him what had been decided in the meeting that had taken place. Raiola talked by phone with Ibrahimovic, who is preparing international games with Sweden, to inform him about the latest events.

Moratti decided to fly in the afternoon to Barcelona with his private jet. Barcelona president Joan Laporta cancelled a dinner in the Catalan town of Igualada, sixty kilometres to the east of Barcelona, and both presidents met at the Majestic hotel in the heart of Barcelona before heading to the Via Veneto restaurant where the two men arrived around 9.30-10 pm. Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain possible joined them there.

Moratti would have opened discussions by putting his offer on the table: Eto'o plus 30 to 40 million euro° for Ibrahimovic. Laporta had to admit that the Cameroonian striker at this moment doesn't seem very willing to leave the club this summer and tried to come up with alternatives.

Barcelona offered to include Barcelona attacker Alexander Hleb (28), whom Inter tried to sign last summer, in the deal, but this was rejected. Barcelona offered 40 million euro° plus one player, but Moratti returned to his initial asking price of 70 million euro° cash.

Inter would only be willing to change their minds and lower the amount to be paid in cash if one of the following three players is offered in exchange: Eto'o, Barcelona attacking midfielder Xavi (28) or Barcelona defensive midfielder Yaya Touré (26). Somewhere down the line, Inter left back Maxwell also appeared upon the table (27).

When the two president left the restaurant after midnight, Laporta said it had only been a dinner between friends: "We didn't profoundly discuss any issue. We just had a first contact, nothing has been decided." Moratti confirmed this and added that a swap deal including Ibrahimovic and Eto'o probably won't go through: "I don't think that's possible. I like Ibrahimovic a lot and Laporta likes Eto'o a lot."

Moratti returned this morning to Milan, while Raiola closed the debates for now telling reporters today that Ibrahimovic would welcome a move to Barcelona: "I only know that if the two clubs find an agreement we would not have trouble agreeing with Barcelona."


Read more:
1 Ibrahimovic - 2 Forlan - 3 Villa - 4 Benzema
Inter Milan interested in Hleb
Maxwell could be included in Eto'o deal

Italian sports paper La Gazzeta dello Sport claims that Barcelona wants to sign Inter Milan forward and Swedish internacional Zlatan Ibrahimovic (27) this summer after Barcelona manager Joseph Guardiola has asked president Laporta for the striker.

With Inter Milan having put a price tag of 70 million euro° on Ibrahimovic, Barcelona could offer Barcelona forward Samuel Eto'o (28) plus 30 million euro cash. It is expected that the player's agent Mino Raiola will meet with both Barcelona and Real Madrid soon. Italian sports paper Il Corriere dello Sport claims that Inter has three options to replace the Swede if he leaves: Eto'o, Drogba and Tévez.

Asked about his future and about Barcelona, Ibrahimovic praised the team in an interview with Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet: "I told you before that I am not the type of player who stays in a club for twenty years. Wherever I will go to, I want to win though. Barcelona has played fantastic, attacking football this season. It looks like the game that will be played in 2015. Other could need five years to catch up."

Asked about the rumours linking Ibrahimovic with Barcelona, Raiola said in an interview with Italian television channel Radio Radio Tv that he didn't yet talk with anyone: "Looking at the past season, Guardiola is apparently an intelligent person. So I can imagine that he will know, like everybody does, that Zlatan is the strongest player in the world.

I didn't meet with Barcelona or with any other club to start negotiations. Those who want to sign Ibrahimovic should come to Milan, because the rights on the player are owned by Inter. It's not impossible that Zlatan could make a symbolic gesture when he wants to move to another team but it's also clear that when you go from Ferrari to McLaren, your salary won't be cut in half."

Read more:
Pre-agreement with Ibrahimovich
Barcelona to pay 60 million euro for Ibrahimovic

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona has already talked with Inter Milan on the transfer of Inter Milan forward and Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic (27).

Barcelona board members and Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain would have contacted Italian officials, including Inter Milan sports director Gabriele Oriali.

Despite Inter Milan manager José Mourinho having indicated that Ibrahimovic is a key player in his project and the Italian champiosn not being willing to let the player go, Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti would have admitted that the striker wants to leave and that a transfer could be possible if a fee between 75 and 80 million euro is paid.

Inter has made clear that they only want to drop that fee is Barcelona forward Samuel Eto'o (28) is included in the deal. In that cas, the cashto be paid would be 50-55 million euro°. An accident at a plant of Italian chemical and oil refining company Saras, owned by the Moratti family, in which several workers died, would have put all negotiations on hold.

Ibrahimovic would want to leave his club because he feels that he isn't able to compete for the most important team and individual trophies at Inter. The player would prefer to join Barcelona because of their way of playing. Ibrahimovic's manager Mino Raiola would already have offered the player several times to Barcelona over the last years, but until now the high salary of 12 million euro net made a transfer impossible.

Barcelona would now nevertheless have worked out an economic study about how to finance the deal with the help of sponsors. Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola would think that Ibrahimovic fits in his team.

Read more:
Pre-agreement with Ibrahimovich
Barcelona to pay 60 million euro for Ibrahimovic

Asked about the rumours linking Inter Milan forward and Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic (27) with several European top clubs among which Barcelona (read more here), the player's agent Mino Raiola has repeated in an interview with Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet that Barcelona is one of the possible destinations for the striker:

"Zlatan is a unique player, I don't think we will see another one like him in our lifetime. So if Zlatan would leave Inter, it will be for a big club. And all the big clubs are interested in him. I am in continuous contact with the biggest clubs. I think there are four suitable clubs for Zlatan: Chelsea, Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid.

But until proven otherwise, Zlatan will continue with Inter. He has a contract for another three years. If he doesn't leave, he will try to win the Champions League and the Italian league with Inter next season."

Read more:
Ibrahimovic prefers to join Barcelona
A goalkeeper, a left back and a striker
First contacts with Ibrahimovic

Italian sports paper Corriere dello Sport unconfirmedly claims that Barcelona is monitoring the situation of Inter Milan left back defender Maxwell (27) (read more here).

Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain would recently have intensified the contacts with the player and knows about the proposal the Brazilian received from Inter to renew until 2013.

Asked about the renewal negotiations, the player's agent Mino Raiola meanwhile said in an interview with Italian television channel Radio Radio that talks are well underway but that nothing has been signed yet: "We have not yet signed a renewal and there are no new appointments scheduled at this moment. What I can say, however, is that the relationship between Maxwell and Mourinho has definitely improved."

Read more:
Maxwell one of two candidates for left back spot
Barcelona plans at least four summer transfers
Maxwell could be included in Eto’o deal

Asked about the rumours linking Inter Milan forward and Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovich (27) with a move to Barcelona (read more here), the player's agent Mino Raiola has said last week in an interview with Catalan radio station Ona FM that Barcelona could be an option for the player:

"Which player wouldn't like to play at Barça? Barça has always been a spectacular club and it's actually more than a club, it's an institution.

At this moment they're playing extremely well, they have great fans and it's a fantastic city. So it's obvious that all great players like Barça. Zlatan would certainly choose the Liga over the Premier League. He's used to the Italian climate, so he would adapt better to Spain and the league there. At this moment he would be more willing to move to Spain.

But it's up to the presidents to talk if they want. Zlatan has told me that he doesn't want to think about his future now. He has a contract at Inter and we'll just see what happens. The first thing now is to win the league. Although it's true that he was disappointed after the Champions League elimination."

Read more:
First contacts with Ibrahimovic
Decision on Ibrahimovic at the end of the season
Agent Ibrahimovic hints again at Barcelona move

Asked about the rumours linking Inter Milan left back defender Maxwell (27) to several clubs among which Barcelona (read more here), the player’s agent Mino Raiola has said in an interview with Italian radio station Radio Radio that the player will certainly leave at the end of the season:

"Maxwell has said that he wants to leave. The relationship between Mourinho and Maxwell is over and the coach doesn’t count on him. The problem with Mourinho is that either you’re Zlatan and he invites you at his place or you’re not and then you don’t exist. That’s not right.

It will be the player who will decide where he goes to, not the club. We’ll put an end to the contract, we’ll pay what has to be paid and that’s it. He will go to the club with whom we can find an agreement. That could be Milan or Barcelona. We didn’t receive any concrete offers, but I think that all the big clubs know the value of this player."

Italian sports site Sportmediaset claims that Raiola already started talking with Barcelona. Maxwell, who currently earns two million euro a year, should cost around 8-9 million euro°. The Brazilian left back defender could also be included in a deal on the transfer of Barcelona forward Samuel Eto’o (28) to Inter (read more here).

Read more:
Maxwell one of two candidates for left back spot
Inter wants to sign Eto'o in the summer
Barcelona is an option for Maxwell

Asked about the rumours linking him with an exit (read more here), Inter Milan forward and Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovich (27) has said in an interview with Italian television channel Sky Sport Italia that he’s now focusing on his club:

"I have a contract with Inter and I'm happy to be at this club. For now we are all concentrated on winning the league. At the end of the season we will see what happens."

The player’s agent Mino Raiola said in an interview with Italian television channel Radio Radio that the club will decide on the player's future: "Ibra was hurt after the Champions league elimination but he’s now only thinking about winning the league title.

He has a contract with Inter for four years and we respect that, so he will only leave if the club finds an agreement with another club or when Inter doesn’t want to renew his contract. Without the collaboration of Inter, Zlatan cannot leave.

Like every top player he wants to play for one of the top teams---Chelsea, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter, Milan and Manchester United. All those clubs know each other very well, so Moratti will hear it when one of them is interested and then he will have to decide. I think he’s worth close to 100 million euro°. It’s the strongest and most complete player in the world."

Asked about the transfer rumours, Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti told journalists on Monday that a transfer is not on the table at his moment but seemed to leave a door open: "It's not a question of money or a dislike for the team. Perhaps he's just hurt by my outburst after Manchester, but I was refering to everyone, not just him. He clearly reacted to that defeat in the same way I did. He was disappointed.

He is just ambitious. Maybe he wants to leave to win the Champions League, but it's hard to know beforehand which team will win the Champions League. In any case, Inter will try again next year. In life, sometimes you change and then regret it after... Zlatan has an excellent relationship with Mourinho and with the club. There's mutual esteem, we only need to speak to understand each other.

There are no meetings planned for the end of the season. If he decided to leave, if he asked me to leave, then there would be a price, like there is for everyone, but I honestly haven't thought about it. We're certainly not looking for buyers for Ibra. We can't imagine Inter without Zlatan because of the importance he has for the fans. I like to think that Ibra will continue at Inter."

One day later, Moratti made clear to journalists that for now he doesn’t want to talk about the issue anymore: "Listen... I really don't want to keep on talking about this. I still haven't seen Ibrahimovic. Actually, I saw him on Sunday when he played very well, and I saw him after the match and he was calm. I will know more after I have spoken with him. For the moment I can't say anything."

Inter Milan manager José Mourinho meanwhile said to journalists that he’s calm about the future of Ibrahimovic: "Like all of us, he's very disappointed about the Champions League elimination, but he has replied on the pitch, transforming his frustration into good performances. I'm not worried. I have already convinced players to stay before. It happened with Deco. He wanted to leave Porto after the UEFA Cup victory but he stayed and we won the Champions League the following season."

Read more:
First contacts with Ibrahimovic
Last summer's search for a striker
Agent Ibrahimovic hints again at Barcelona move


Watch these videos of Ibrahimovic (Zlatan: The Good vs. Zlatan: The Bad) :

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona is interested Inter Milan left back defender Maxwell (27).

Barcelona wants to replace Sylvinho, whose contract expires at the end of the season, and Maxwell would be one of the two names on the target list.

Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain could already have sounded on the Brazilian player’s agent, Mino Raiola, to hear more about the plans of Maxwell, whose contract with Inter expires in 2010, for next season (read more here).

Read more:
Barcelona interested in Inter left back Maxwell
Sylvinho doesn't exclude a renewal
Barcelona is an option for Maxwell