The Fans Football Blog3

Shakhtar Donetsk defender and Ukrainian international Dmytro Chygrynskiy (22) has played the second half of the Champions League qualifier between Shakhtar Donetsk and Timisoara today.

This means that the centre-back won't be able to play in the Champions League with another team this season, which makes a transfer to Barcelona unlikely (read more here).

Asked about the rumours linking the player with a move to Barcelona, the player's agent Dimitri Seluk had said earlier today in an interview with Catalan radio station Ona FM that Chygrynskiy wouldn't play this evening:

"Chygrynskiy won't play this game, so Barcelona will have two more weeks to keep on negotiating. At this moment, Shakhtar is asking 25 million euro°, a price Barcelona won't pay. So the decision is basically in the hands of the president of Shakhtar. Each day that goes by a deal seems closer, but the president will have to drop the asking price because 25 millions is a lot."

Read more:
Shakhtar CEO: Chygrynskiy won't cost 30 million euro
Chygrynskiy wants to join Barcelona

Dimitri Seluk, the agent of Barcelona defensive midfielder and Ivorian international Yaya Touré (26), has told journalists after a meeting with Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain this afternoon that a deal on a contract renewal has been reached.

Seluk, who travelled from Monaco to Barcelona earlier today, said that he will return later today to the Camp Nou offices together with Touré to sign the new contract.

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that, besides a considerable pay rise, the contract of the Ivorian will be extended for at least one more year. Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that the current duration, until 2011, will not change.

Read more:
Total deal on contract renewal Toure
Meeting on Mascherano in Barcelona
Manchester United wants to sign Toure

Asked about the renewal of Barcelona defensive midfielder and Ivorian international Yaya Touré (26) (read more here), the player's agent Dimitri Seluk has said in an interview with Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo that a deal has been found:

"Everything has been agreed upon. And on Friday or at the latest on Saturday, we'll sign the improved contract of Touré."

The paper claims that Touré will interrupt his holidays to return to Barcelona and sign the new deal, which would only consist of a pay rise and not of an extension of the contract duration.

Catalan sports paper Sport on the other hand claims that, besides almost doubling his wage, Tourés contract would be extended for one more year, until 2012.

Read more:
Toure could sign renewal on Thursday
Manchester United wants to sign Toure
Agent Toure in Barcelona to close renewal deal

Asked about the renewal of Barcelona defensive midfielder and Ivory Coast international Yaya Touré (26) (read more here), the player's agent Dimitri Seluk has said in an interview with Spanish radio station Onda Cero that the deal could be signed on Thursday:

"We know the positions of all parties involved and we agree on the main things. If everything goes like planned we'll sign the contract at the end of this week. I hope Yaya will be able to come to Barcelona on Thursday, so he could also put his signature.

Touré isn't worried about the rumours saying that Mascherano could join Barcelona. Mascherano is the one who should be worried if he comes to Barcelona because he will have to sit on the bench and maybe play for only ten minutes each game, like is happening with some players at Barça at this moment."

Read more:
Agent Toure in Barcelona to close renewal deal
Meeting on Mascherano in Barcelona
Manchester United wants to sign Toure

Asked about the contract renewal of Barcelona defensive midfielder and Ivorian international Yaya Touré (26) (read more here), the players agent Dmitri Seluk has said in an interview with Catalan sports paper Sport that the new contract could be signed this week:

"Touré is very happy at Barça and in the city of Barcelona. The atmosphere is excellent and the team is wonderful, so that is why we would like to continue here and we might reach a final agreement this week."

Read more:
Deal on contract renewal Toure close
Mascherano wants Spain move for personal reasons
Manchester United wants to sign Toure

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that a renewal of the contract of Barcelona defensive midfielder and Ivorian international Yaya Touré (26) is close.

Touré will be offered a serious pay rise as a reward for his performances of the last two years and his contract will be extended for one more year, until 2012.

The player's agent Dimitri Seluk reportedly said that a the new deal will be closed soon after the poisition of both parties came closer. Seluk would now be waiting for a call from the club and could meet with Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain in the coming hours to finalize the agreement.

Read more:
Agent Toure putting pressure on renewal talks
Manchester United wants to sign Toure

Asked about the renewal of the contract of Barcelona defensive midfielder and Ivorian international Yaya Touré (26) (read more here), the player's agent Dmitri Seluk has urged the club in an interview with Barcelona sports paper Sport to come up with a decent offer:

"Barcelona isn't complying with the gentlemen's agreement we had reached. Laporta always says that Valdés is the best goalkeeper in the world, he's praising Messi, Xavi, Iniesta... But nothing about Touré. If he isn't good enough to play in this team, well that's it.

He has been here for two years earning a minimum wage. He's earning a lot less than other starters and even less than team-mates who almost aren't playing. We've always believed in the words of the club, but they aren't respecting them. As he's a professional player and given that the club doesn't respect what they promised, he would have to leave and that would be a shame because he's feeling very comfortable at the club and the city. He has very well adapted.

Look, Touré has done everything for Barça and he has always thought about the team. He didn't cause any problem. I remind you that he played a lot of games while being injured last season. And this season, he had to play as centre-back after Márquez got injured and he did it without complaining while Keita, for example, said he didn't want to play as left-back in the Champions league final.

That's why I think he deserves to be rewarded by Barça. In the end, the player will make the decision. There are a lot of clubs interested in Touré. He won't go to Arsenal because he has better offers. He won't go to Germany either. If he leaves, his future would be in England or Italy."

In an interview with Catalan radio station RKB, Seluk seemed more open to a quick solution: "When he signed his contract in 2007, Barcelona promised him a renewal when he played 50 per cent of the games. Now they forgot about that and they have a problem. There's no player in Europe who continues to earn the same in a big club as he did in a small club.

Barcelona has a problem with the player. I don't know how long it will take to find a solution, one week, ten days? When his contract has been renewed, there won't be any problem. Everything will be fine if Barcelona respects the promises they've made to Yaya, like they've always done so far."

Read more:
Toure rejects first renewal offer
Barcelona could consider to sell Toure
Manchester City prepares summer bid for Toure

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Barcelona defensive midfielder and Ivorian international Yaya Touré (26) will be offered a pay rise this summer.

Touré, whose current contract expires in 2011 and who has a buyout clause of 90 million euro, is at this moment the least paid starter in the team and the club wants to reward the player for his performances over the last two years.

Asked about a possible renewal, the player's agent Dimitri Seluk has said in an interview with Catalan radio station Ona FM that he expects a deal could be found soon: "It's been months that we have been waiting to renew the contract of Yaya but we're calm because his contract doesn't expire this summer.

I nevertheless hope that we can solve things this year. Normally we should be able to reach an agreement. There have been rumours about Arsenal but that club is too small for Yaya. If something happens, a more powerful club will be involved. Arsenal isn't strong enough for Yaya."

Read more:
Talks with Manchester City on Toure transfer
Inter Milan dreaming of Toure
Touré wants a pay rise this year

Catalan sports weekly paper Gol claims that Barcelona defensive midfielder and Ivory Coast international Yaya Touré (25) wants to leave the club if he doesn’t get a pay rise in the summer.

Touré earns at this moment around 2 million euro a year, the same as he did when playing at Monaco. When he signed a four-year contract in 2007, Barcelona promised that the salary would be raised after one year (read more here).

But this still didn’t happen and the Ivorian midfielder, who also doesn’t like the rotation system used by Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola, has asked his agent Dimitri Seluk to look for another club if his contract isn’t renewed soon. Touré would be one of the Barcelona players with the most offers on the table, with English Premier League club Arsenal preparing a 14 million euro° for June.

Touré is meanwhile quoted as unconfirmedly saying in an interview with French newspaper Le Parisien that he waits for a contract renewal: "I’m a professional player. If the club wants me to stay here, they are obliged to do something. I only hope that when the moment is there, everything goes well and a deal will be found quickly. Whatever happens, I would like to end my career at Monaco."

Read more:
Manchester City prepares summer bid for Toure
Agent Toure criticizes postponing renewal talks
Toure is again an option for Arsenal

Asked about the renewal of the contract of Barcelona defensive midfielder and Ivory Coast international Yaya Touré (25) (read more here), the players's agent Dimitry Seluk was in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 very critical about the attitude of Barcelona:

"They're waiting to renew the contract of Eto'o, they're waiting to renew the contract of Touré. They just continue to wait. But if the team will win the Liga or the Champiosn League, then they will start thinking: what is happening here? And the players will have left already. And who will play then? Hleb?

How longer they wait, how more expensive it will be. Eto'o just has to wait and see who offers him the best contract. He chose the right path. Touré is a more relaxed person and he prefers to wait and see. Those are two different ways of acting. Eto'o gave an interview and Touré didn't. But none of them has already obtained a contract correction."

Read more:
Toure wants a pay rise
Toure to join Arsenal in the summer
Toure repeats wish of staying a long time

Barcelona player Yaya Touré gave an interview to Catalan sports paper el Mundo Deportivo.





You play with your national team this week. In your country people are saying that Barcelona would see the best Touré when you would play like you do at the national team.
Ivory Coast plays with two defensive midfielders. Zokora is the most defensive of the two and I'm the more attacking one. So that's different. I'm talking with Guardiola about my position and at Barça I'm playing in a way I can contribute the most to the team. I'm at my best now but I don't stop growing.

Speaking of growth, you measure out to 1 metre 91. Despite being this tall, have you gotten to feel small around Messi?
Yes, sometimes Messi makes you feel small, but above all he also makes you bigger. If you play with footballers like Leo, like Iniesta and Xavi, the others need to do some extra effort. You have to grow quickly to give them protection and assist them when needed.

What would they and this record team be without you?
Few teams have as much offensive power as we do. And our defense is also strong. Things are working. But the referees are a disaster. I get angry a lot, they can not allow so many blows on Messi and Iniesta. We have to protect them, including when the fault happens close to the goal area, because it's enough now.

Apart from that, your football is not only characterize by the hardness but also by your strong shots on goal. Those "yayazos" have become famous...
Yayazos? Are they called like that? My wife always tells me that I have to shoot more. But I think I am more needed in other areas. The truth is that I never practise shooting in training. When in a match there is a chance, I go ahead, of course, but it is not something I seek. My mission is not that, but to be there for others.

Your wife is passionate about football?
She is very into football. She enjoys going to the stadium and watching us play. She loves Barca and together with my son of two years she loves to hear and to hum the Barça hymn. They are very happy here, and I am too. How could I want to go to another team?

You say that because of the interest shown by Arsenal, Juventus or Manchester City to sign you?
There is a concrete offer and some other proposal, but I would like to retire here. I already said in a recent interview that it would be an honor for me to hang up my boots at Barca. I would only leave out of my own will if I saw that I no longer have the energy necessary to protect my fellow team-mates from being kicked. Or when I failed the strength to cross the midfield and to get to the oponnent's goal area.

You have a contract until 2011. Will you renew? Will you demand a higher salary?
These issues are taking care of by my representative (Dimitri Sellyuk). He puts some pressure, yes: that is part of his job. I am very grateful of him
because he has helped me a lot throughout my career. I myself am more calm, and I've never been governed by money. And I insist that it hasn't crossed my mind to leave Barça. I just think about giving everything for the team and the club.

Is the 'triple crown' possible this season?
The titles of League, Cup and Champions are possible, but with work, not words. Now it seems we have forgotten to lose, but we have not won anything, just games. If you start talking about something that you will only achieve with dedication and sacrifice, you've lost already. But 'losing' seems to have disappeared from the Barça dictionary... because Guardiola is the biggest winner of this dressing-room full of winners. And because with Messi we have an extra 'bonus'. He is a phenomenon.

Is Sergio Busquets a rival for a spot in the starting eleven or it's better to have both of you in the team?
I like Sergio Busquets, he has Barça within himself, and I like to play with him. He is very good and very good for Barça. As well as Gudjohnsen is.

And who is your 'Golden Ball' pick?
For me, Iniesta is a 'Golden Ball' winner, and also Alves.

With your hand on your heart and looking at the goals you score with the "elephants" (Ivory Coast national team): wouldn't you like to be as offensive as Dani Alves?
I think not. I like my spot and I think as a team member, we need to ensure that they don't harm our best players.

Ramon Canal, head of medical services of FC Barcelona, has explained that the team diet was adapted to muslim players like you and Keita, and that it has given excellent results for the performance of the team.
It is very healthy food, and it possibly helps, yes.

Translated by: Riis


Read more:
Touré: "That goal was a bit lucky"
Henry: "Messi sometimes looks like Maradona"
Toure repeats wish of staying a long time

Asked about the rumours linking Barcelona defensive midfielder and Ivory Coast international Yaya Touré (25) with a move away from Barcelona (read more here), the player's agent Dimitri Seluk has said in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 that the key element could be the renewal negotiations on the player's salary:

"It's one hundred per cent certain that the player will stay with Barcelona until the end of the season because he wants to stay here. But in June anything can happen because Touré has important offers and I'm sure the club will also receive bids for the player. Touré is playing well and we should take into account that despite having performed at a good level since he joined Barcelona, he still keeps earning the same as when he played with Monaco."

Madrid sports tabloid Marca claims that Touré would at this moment being paid little more than 2 million euro a year while Manchester City could now have offered the Ivorian midfielder a year salary of 6,5 million euro gross.

Barcelona and Touré agreed in 2007 that the player would receive the same salary as he was getting at Monaco but that if things were going well, he would be offered a better contract for this season. But last summer the club argued that a rise wasn't an option because the club didn't win any trophies, while Touré thought he deserved it based on his individual performances. With both Touré and his agent losing money, the player would now be open to listen to offers from foreign clubs.

Despite Touré being happy at the club, Touré will start talking with other clubs if no renewal negotiations are started this year. The tabloid claims that Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola considers Touré to be a decent player but isn't a big fan of the midefielder. Taking into consideration the breakthrough of Busquets, it's uncertain if Barcelona is willing to offer Touré a better contract.

Read more:
Toure leaves all future options open
Bid from Manchester City for Toure
Toure is again an option for Arsenal

Asked about the rumours linking him with a move to Manchester City or Arsenal (read more here), Barcelona defensive midfielder and Ivory Coast international Yaya Touré (25) has said to journalists after the cup game against Atlético Madrid that he doesn't think about a move now but that nothing can be excluded for the future:

"I play for Barcelona now and I don't think about these things. But I have a manager who works for me and thinks about all these things because for me the most important thing is the football. The important thing is I want to play. I want to tell you that I play football. My friend and manager sorts these things out for me. I'm more concentrated on the football.

When a big club call you it's very good for me because I'm an African player and when a big team like Arsenal and Manchester City call me I'm very happy because all African players want to go to a big club. But right now I play for Barcelona and I want to make everything work and then after I will see.

If I went to Arsenal I would of course go and play with my brother and I've thought about this for a long time. Two or three years ago I went there, but I didn't sign. Arsenal are a great team and that time when I went there they had Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, great players... I think now I'm playing at a big club with Barcelona, who are one of the best clubs in the world."

Asked about the rumour about Manchester City preparing an offer (read more here), Touré's agent Dimitri Seluk said in an interview with Catalan radio station Ràdio Kanal Barcelona that there hasn't been any contact with the English Premier League club:

"As Touré is one of the best players of the world at his position, it's normal that some clubs are interested in him. Manchester City is an ambitious club and they have money to spend but I didn't talk with them. They should first talk with Barça anyway. But Touré is happy at Barça, at this moment the best club in Europe, and he doesn't have the intention to leave."

British tabloid The Daily Star meanwhile claims that Touré could be used as part of an exchange deal with Arsenal, with Barcelona possibly planning to make a 50 million euro package bid for Arsenal players Cesc and Van Persie during next summer's transfer window (read more here).

Read more:
Bid from Manchester City for Toure
Toure is again an option for Arsenal
Touré considers transfer if he doesn't play more

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona officials could plan to meet soon with Barcelona defensive midfielder and Ivory Coast international Yaya Touré (25).

The club would be somewhat annoyed by the recent transfer rumours and wants to clarify the situation and to hear first hand about the wishes of the player.

Asked about the rumours linking him with a winter move to Juventus (read more here), Touré didn't want to comment on the issue yesterday upon arrival in Barcelona.

The player's agent Dimitri Sellyuk told journalists that Touré wants to focus on football: "Yaya isn't a movie star, so he doesn't spend his time giving interviews. He's a professional and he doesn't have any problem with the coach. He only wants to play, and to play with Barcelona."

Read more:
Touré considers transfer if he doesn't play more
Juventus offers Touré five-year contract
Barcelona puts price tag on Toure

Asked about the rumours linking Barcelona defensive midfielder and Ivory Coast international Yaya Touré (25) with a January exit (read more here), the player's agent Dimitri Sellyuk has said in interview with Catalan radio station Ona FM that the player will probably leave if his situation at the club doesn't change:

"If he doesn't play, we'll most probably start negotiating with other clubs. Barcelona has the final word, but if he won't get more minutes we're forced to think about a transfer.

Touré is a true professional, he works for Barcelona, he loves the club and he has a contract. Who's interested in him, should talk with Barcelona. Like for example Juventus. I'm aware of their interest, they would like to sign him if Barcelona agrees, and of the interest of another top club in Italy and one in England.

Touré has a contract with Barcelona and he'll stay here for the time being. But he's not playing a lot and he's not here just for the salary. He has even played when he was injured. He's not a player who's only there to sit on the bench, get paid and not play.

Yaya prefers, like we all do, to stay. He likes Barcelona but we should consider his situation at the club. He's 25 years old and you cannot expect him to sit on the bench and watch the others play."

Read more:
Arsenal could launch Toure bid in January
Juventus offers Touré five-year contract
Wenger called Touré this summer

Barcelona site Pelikano claims that the transfer of Zenit Saint-Petersburg forward and Russian international Andrei Arshavin (27) didn't go through because Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola wasn't convinced of the qualities of the player.

In a very interesting interview with Russian sports paper Sport-Express, Zenit Saint Petersburg forward and Russian international Andrei Arshavin (27) has explained last months' events surrounding his transfer and the current situation:

"Before the Euros we met a few times with Zenit president Aleksandr Valerevich Dyukov in the Marriott Hotel in Moscow, where I was staying as part of the national squad. I am actually very thankful to him that he came himself since I didn't have the opportunity to leave the squad for a meeting at the time.

Dyukov made clear each time that the club cared a lot about me, and I always told him that I understand Zenit's concerns, but I very much want to try something different, in a stronger championship. So I asked him to give my agent Dennis Lachter permission to look for a new club for me. That was given for a month.

Already during the Euros Dmitry Selyuk, who used to work with Metallurg Donetsk, called to inform me that Barcelona were interested in me. He wanted to know how much Zenit wanted for me. I had already spoken to the former club president, Sergey Aleksandrovich Fursenko, about this, and the sum of 12-15 million euro was mentioned.

Given that when Dyukov arrived he explained that all of the former president's orders still stood, I told Selyuk 15 million euro°. He said that was an acceptable price and that if my personal terms could be met by Barcelona president Laporta, who would be contacting me, then the Catalan club would make Zenit a formal offer. Laporta called me, I told him what I wanted, and the president of Barca was fine with it.

The next day a fax was sent to Zenit with an official offer from the Catalan club. This was around the time of the match against Sweden at Euro 2008. I was informed by the intermediary Dmitry Selyuk that if Zenit refused this offer, then Barcelona would opt to buy Arsenal's Alexander Hleb. That was what eventually happened."

After some contacts with Italian clubs and Chelsea, Arshavin was then contacted by Tottenham: "I was initially sceptical about the offer from Tottenham but then manager Juande Ramos himself called me and informed me that they were selling Robbie Keane and really wanted to have me in their team, and my attitude changed. When the coach himself is interested in you it's already a half-start to an eventual successful transfer. So I agreed in principle to the deal.

A little later a representative from the English club came here to discuss the personal terms of my contract. The meeting didn't take long, we agreed everything quickly. Only my transfer fee became an issue. I don't know where the Zenit president got his figures from, but it was very high. I was told about 27 million euro°, which scared everyone away.

It had been mooted in the press that one of the stumbling blocks to a deal with a foreign club had been my demands, rather than those of his club but this is untrue. There was never any problem with my personal demands with Barcelona and Tottenham. I can say that if I leave to go abroad, I will earn less than in Russia."

Arshavin says he still wants to leave although he doesn't know if it will be possible this summer: "It's nicer to watch a soap opera than appear in one yourself. I really want to leave but the club, who don't want to let me go at all, are doing everything they can to make sure it doesn't happen. If I don't move now, I probably never will.

My mood at the moment, it's fair to say, is not the best. But it's easier now that all the rumours are dying down, unlike in the first weeks after the Euros when it was very hard. Every ten minutes the phone was ringing, and the situation kept changing in one way or another... Now you see yourself, we've been sitting here for half an hour and I haven't had one call.

I basically believe that the stars will all align themselves and I will be able to leave. But this might be more like believing in miracles. I could, of course, call up the president of the club every day and cry, but I think that would just annoy him. I'm sure he understands me as a human being, but I'm afraid at the moment that doesn't change anything."

Read more:
Arshavin waiting for a call from Barcelona
Silva versus Arshavin (scouting report)
Barcelona will have to move for Arshavin