The Fans Football Blog3

Asked about the rumours linking him with a move to Barcelona (read more here), AS Roma right back defender Cicinho (29) has said in an interview with Brazilian sport site Globo Esporte that he actually would prefer to return to Brazil although he didn't exclude a transfer:

"I learned about Barcelona's interest through the press. I didn't hear anything official. I am happy to know that an important club like Barça is interested in me. But my true desire is to return to Brazil. I am not happy in Europe and I have been thinking about this for two years. I even had several talks with São Paulo president Juvenal but Roma doesn't want to release me.

As I said, I didn't hear anything and I continue working hard and giving everything for Roma. I do not have an agent, but Ricardo Sarti, a friend, is taking care of these things. I have not yet talked to him. But if Barcelona's offer is good for all parties, that would be fine for me. I am now in the final stage of the recovery from my right knee injury. I think that within twenty days to one month, I will be playing normally."

Read more:
Transfer Cicinho could be closed in coming days
Eboue tops right back target list
Cicinho and Grygera also options for right back


Watch this video of Cicinho:

Brazilian sports site Globo Esporte claims that the agents of Barcelona forward Keirrison (20) are analyzing the last offers for the player.

The Malaquias brothers would travel today to Portugal to start negotiating with Portuguese champions Porto. They could also meet with officials of Benfica, that would also be interested.

Asked about the upcoming loan, agent Marcos Malaquias said in an interview with the site that a decision can be expected at the beginning of next week: "Porto and Ajax have the best chances at this moment but nothing has been decided yet. There's a lot of talk here in Spain that Benfica would already have signed him, but there's no truth in that. After Barça made public that he will leave on loan, a lot of clubs have shown interest. We'll make a decision on Monday or Tuesday."

Portuguese sports paper O Jogo meanwhile claims that Benfica is no longer interested in Keirrison. Asked about the rumours, agent Naor Malaquias nevertheless told the paper that the Portuguese club is still among the candidates: "Benfica is one of the potential candidates to sign the player, like are Roma, Ajax and a German club."

Read more:
Roma also interested in Keirrison loan
OFFICIAL: Keirrison
Benfica to loan Keirrison

Deportivo La Coruña left back defender Filipe Luis (23) has over the last days put some more pressure on his club to let him go by clearly expressing his wish to move. In an interview with Brazilian sports site Globo Esporte, Filipe said he wants to join Barcelona:

"I'm on holiday, but my agents are keeping me informed the whole time. The negotiations are ongoing and I hope that the clubs can find an agreement. Like everybody already knows, my wish is to join Barcelona

I think that there will be news in the coming days. It would be the big chance of my career, also because Barça would give me more visibility and it would make that my return to the Brazilian national team easier, which is my biggest dream."

Read more:
Deadline for Filipe transfer
Filipe hoping for a quick solution
Difficult negotiations with Deportivo on Filipe

Asked about his presumed transfer to Barcelona (read more here), Palmeiras forward Keirrison (20) has said in an interview with Brazilian sports site Globo Esporte that he will give a press confrence next week:

"Next week, me and my agents want to hold a press conference to explain everything. I want to tell everyone what is going on and how things happened in the recent days. It was all very sudden. Meanwhile, I'd rather not comment on anything.

Edmilson was right when he said I need to say goodbye to my team-mates and the people of the club. I want to talk to him, also to get some tips about Barcelona. But it went all very fast, things happened overnight, I didn't forget the players. I only could talk with two of them by phone, but I'll come back soon to say goodbye to everyone and thank them."

Keirrison is meanwhile staying with his family in Curitiba after he was released from training by his club next week. The Brazilian striker would be holding training sessions at a local training centre. Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Keirrison has also met with Barcelona player Henrique, who played last season on loan with Bayer Leverkusen.

Read more:
Medical tests and signature Keirrison next week
First formal bid for Villa
Official announcement Keirrison deal postponed

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Palmeiras forward Keirrison (20) will sign tomorrow a five-year contract with Barcelona.



(sources: rac 1, sport, tv3, as, el periódico, globo esporte, lance)

Last Thursday, Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain and Barcelona director of football Raúl Sanllehí met with André Cury, a representative of Brazilian player's agency Traffic that owns 80 per cent of the transfer rights of the player, the other 20 per cent being in the possession of Palmeiras. Traffic chairman Júlio Mariz also took part in the meeting.

The negotiations are then said to be well-advanced, a pre-agreement would have been reached. Cury says: "We're optimistic regarding a deal. As we are concerned, we now have a pre-agreement that we hope to finalize on Tuesday." Barcelona would already have had before agreed on an option on the player that expired on 30 June.

On Friday, Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain had a lunch with Marcos Malaquias, one of the player's agents Marcos Malaquias in a Barcelona restaurant to negotiate on the player's contract. In the afternoon, Malaquias and Mariz met with Barcelona officials at the club's offices.

Naor Malaquias, the other agent of Keirrison confirmed the talks: "My brother and a Traffic director are in Barcelona to take part in the negotiations. I don't know anything about possible fees yet." Marcos Malaquias said after the meeting that a deal was very close: "There are only a few details missing before it's official."

It was then decided that Keirrison wouldn't train or play anymore with Palmeiras. The Brazilian striker travelled the same day to his home-town Keirrison, where he was getting ready to fly to Barcelona. Palmeiras put out a statement confirming a formal offer by Barcelona, Keirrison did the same (read more here). Barcelona president Joan Laporta says the next day that they're on the verge of finalizing the deal.

Despite having more than four years left on his contract, Keirrison can leave Palmeiras without an extra fee. When he signed his contract earlier this year, a clause was inserted that allowed him to move at any moment to Barcelona, his favourite club since childhood (read more here). Sport claims that Keirrison also insisted that in his contract with Traffic a buyout clause would be included saying that he could leave to Barcelona for 15 million euro°. For other clubs, the buyout clause would be 50 million euro.

Other sources mention other figures regarding the agreed transfer fee: "13 million plus 3 million in incentives" (tv3), "around 14 million euro" (el periódico), "around 15 million euro" (globo esporte), "16 million euro" (lance). Keirrison, who also rejected an offer by Real Madrid in January, will most likely be included, on loan or permanently, in a transfer deal on Villa or (more unlikely) on Forlán or Bruno Alves.

Read more:
Deal on transfer of Keirrison
Keirrison dreams of Barcelona move
Barcelona prepares final offer for Villa

Asked about the rumours linking him with Barcelona (read more here), Porto goalkeeper Helton (31) let his press office send a statement to Brazilian sports site Globo Esporte saying that he is unaware of things:

"I am in Brazil to take care of some business matters and I will return to Europe this week to be with my family and to enjoy the holidays. I already said that I'm happy in Portugal and if I would have to leave, that will be decided by myself, my wife, my agent Nelson Almeido and in the first place by the board of Porto."

Read more:
Barcelona sounded out Porto goalkeeper Helton
Talks in Portugal on Bruno Alves
Valdes will renew until 2014 or 2015

Brazilian sports site Globo Esporte claims that Barcelona is interested in Porto goalkeeper Helton (31).

Sources close to the Brazilian player would have told the site that agents linked with Barcelona have sounded out Helton about a transfer at the end of last season.

*Asked about the rumours, the player's uncle and agent Marival Gomes said in an interview with Portuguese radio station Antena 1 that he doesn't know anything about it: "We have no information about that at all. You are informing me right now. For us, it is a surprise. To be founded, the news should come from Porto president Pinto da Costa.

It's not important which clubs are interested in Helton. We have great respect and admiration for Porto and the president. Although it's nice to hear, the best news is still that Helton has become champions with Porto for the third time and he's not thinking about leaving. Unless when there would be a proposal that is good for both him and the club." *

Read more:
Barcelona starts negotiations with Asenjo
Txiki met with agent Bruno Alves
Valdes renewal negotiations broken off

Brazilian sports site Globo Esporte claims that Brazilian club Fluminense is interested in Barcelona left back defender Sylvinho (35), whose contract expires at the end of this month and won't be renewed (read more here).

The Brazilian club had earlier announced in an official statement that they are negotiating the last details of the signing of a player who is currently playing in Europe and Sylvinho would be one of the three candidates.

British tabloid News of the World meanwhile claims that the search for a new manager has stopped the contacts between Celtic Glasgow and Sylvinho. Asked about the matter, the player's agent Hans Lamberz said that he'll look at other options: "Celtic are a huge club who play in the Champions League and one that would normally appeal. But I doubt it will happen now."

Read more:
Espanyol interested in Sylvinho
OFFICIAL: Sylvinho will leave
Celtic Glasgow is an option for Sylvinho

Asked about the rumours about a principal agreement on the transfer of Palmeiras forward Keirrison to Barcelona (read more here), the player's agent Marcos Malaquias denied the rumour in an interview with Brazilian sports site Globo Esporte:

"I talked informally with Barcelona sports director Begiristain on Tuesday. We have an excellent relationship because Barcelona recently contracted Henrique, who's also one of my players.

But he didn't made any proposal for Keirrison. We know that it'ss a player who's being watched by a lot of clubs, but until now there's nothing official.

We have a project for Keirrison, we want him to stay until the middle of next year. But it is clear that we cannot say that things won't change. Because some of those clubs, when they want a player, they just come and take him with them. But at this moment, there's not much to tell."

Malaquias also commented on the issue in an interview with Brazilian sports site UOL Esporte: "Barcelona really showed interest but didn't yet start any negotiations with the player. It's obvious that all eyes are on him. Who would not want to have Keirrison in his team?

But it was only an informal meeting and there was no proposal. In principle, we want Keirrison to stay at Palmeiras at least until the end of the year. But if a European top club would make a very good proposal, that could change. We know that anything can happen in football, but the player will have the final word."

Jose Hawilla, chairman of sports marketing agency Traffic that owns the player's transfer rights for the next four years, said in an interview with Brazilian radio station Rádio Record that a transfer is not an option at this moment:

"Keirrison hasn't been offered and the plan is that he stays. He's not for sale. Directors can come from Spain or Italy, but no one will be able to prevent this. Those directors are here the whole time. Last week, we had four of them from Germany who came and watched some games. But Keirrison is simply not for sale."

Barcelona president Joan Laporta also denied to journalists that a deal has already been closed: "We're of course talking with several players who could join us in the future but there's no transfer for next season finalized. Relating to Keirrison, there's nothing agreed yet. If this would be the case, we would know it. Txiki is doing his job, he's holding talks, but there's nothing more to say at this moment."

Keirrison meanwhile told journalists that he's focusing on his club: "I don't think about this, I leave that for my agents. My head is only focused on Palmeiras. But I know that in July, when the transfer window will open, the speculations will start again."

Read more:
Principal agreement with Keirrison
Keirrison dreams of Barcelona move
Possible deal on Brazilian striker Keirrison


Watch this video of Keirrison:

Brazilian sports site Globo Esporte claims that Brazilian first division club Coritiba has received 314 000 euro° for the transfer of Barcelona central defender Henrique (22).

Henrique joined Barcelona last summer from Palmeiras and was immediately loaned out to German Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen (read more here).

In January of this year, Henrique left then second division club Coritiba for Palmeiras and the fee is a consequence of the FIFA solidarity mechanism.

FIFA rules state that a proportion (5%) of any compensation paid to the previous club will be distributed to the club or clubs that were involved in the training and education of the player. This distribution will be made in proportion to the number of years the player has been registered with the relevant clubs between the age of 12 and 23.

Brazilian sports paper Lance claims that Brazilian local club Colombo and Brazilian first division club Palmeiras will also receive a part of the five per cent.

Read more:
How is Henrique doing at Bayer leverkusen?
OFFICIAL: Henrique Adriano Buss
Henrique will be loaned out to Leverkusen

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona is interested in Coritiba forward and Brazilian youth international Keirrison de Souza Carneiro (19) (read more here).

Barcelona's good relations with Brazilian sport marketing agency Traffic could bring the striker to Barcelona in the future.

The paper also claims that Keirrison is on a ten men short-list of former Barcelona sports vice president Sandro Rosell who will take part in the presidential elections of 2010. Keirrison would be one of the players Rosell will promise to bring to Barcelona if he's chosen as the new president.

Based on reports in Brazilian news paper Lance and Brazilian sports site Globo Esporte, the situation today is that sports marketing agency Mais Sports of the brothers Naor and Marcos Malaquias has yesterday sold 80 per cent of the transfer rights of Keirrison to sports marketing agency Traffic. Mais Sports keeps on representing Keirrison and will have a part of the future transfer fee.

The other 20 per cent are owned by Brazilian first division club Coritiba. Because Keirrison's contract with the club expires next April, Coritiba prefers to sell their share now. Traffic wants to buy the 20 per cent and then transfer the player to local fourth division club Desportivo Brasil, that is owned by Traffic.

Desportivo Brasil would then loan the player out to Brazilian first division club Palmeiras. Keirrison would join Palmeiras in January in order to gain more experience before he makes the move to Europe in the coming years.

Read more:
Possible deal on Brazilian striker Keirrison
Hernanes could come next summer
Barcelona following Brazilian striker Dentinho


Watch a video of Keirrison: