The Fans Football Blog3

Asked about the rumours linking Shakhtar Donetsk defender and Ukrainian international Dmytro Chygrynskiy (22) with a move to Barcelona (read more here), Dmitri Seluk, agent of Shakhtar Donetsk defender and Ukrainian international Dmytro Chyhrynskiy said in an interview with Catalan radio station Ona FM that he doesn't believe Shakhtar want to sell:

"At this moment it's better that they forget about Chygrynskiy and focus on other players they could sign. It's not a matter of time, so they better move on. I don't think the presidents of Barça will speak with each other. It's better that they forget about the player because Shakhtar doesn't want to sell now."

The radio station claims, based upon Shakhtar sources, that Chygrynskiy has stopped talking about Barcelona for three weeks and that he might have received a pay rise.

Read more:
Txiki on Cesc, Mascherano and Chygrynskiy
Chygrynskiy only option as centre-back
Final 22 million offer for Chygrynskiy rejected

Catalan radio station Ona FM claims that Barcelona is still interested in Arsenal midfielder and Spanish international Cesc Fàbregas (22).

Cesc would be one of the main transfer targets of Barcelona president Joan Laporta and a part of his board, and the club would therefore be willing to offer Arsenal a transfer fee of 30 million euro°.

Although the Catalan player would like to return to Barcelona, Arsenal reportedly isn't be willing to let Cesc go. His departure would have a serious impact on the sporting objectives of the team and after the sale of Adebayor, the English Premier League club has no financial need to sell. Only a record offer could make Arsenal accept a bid.

Read more:
Barcelona preparing bid for Cesc
Looking forward to the last transfer window month
Mascherano or Cesc

Speaking to Catalan radio station Ona FM, Barcelona player Seydou Keita gave his first impressions on the new season:

"Pre-season is very important. After the treble, we need to work even harder because the other teams will be even more motivated to defeat us.

I understand that for a lot of people the world cup for clubs is one of the main objectives. It's very important because we didn't win it before. But every trophy is important. Winning the Champions League at the Bernabéu for example, would be worth ten trophies.

Madrid has great players but that doesn't mean they have a good team. They did some good transfers but we should look at ourselves first. If we play like last season, no doubt that we will again win trophies.

I will try to talk with my national football association so I will have to leave for the Africa Cup as late as possible. But Barça has good players for midfield and that month will pass quickly. But I understand that Barça wants to strengthen the midfield positions."

Read more:
Advertisements: Henry, Keita, Eto'o
An evaluation of last year's transfer summer
Official players' pictures (part 2)

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

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

Asked about the rumours linking with a move to Barcelona (read more here), the player's father Pablo Forlán has said in an interview with Catalan radio station Com Ràdio that he hopes a transfer will be posible:

"Third time lucky, they say. Barcelona already tried to sign him when he was playing at Manchester United and a second time a few years later, when he was at Villarreal. And now, it seems that they're again interested. I believe it could now finally become concrete.

He's very happy at Atlético because they've treated him marvellously, but every player in the world is without any doubt interested in playing for a great club like Barcelona. We cannot lie about that."

Atlético Madrid president Enrique Cerezo meanwhile repeated in an interview with Catalan radio station Ona FM that Forlán is not for sale: "I'm not worried about them paying the buyout clause. Everybody knows what our position is. We've already said that we don't want tot sell. No use to talk about it again. Laporta didn't talk to me about this. For me everything is clear. He's not for sale and that's it. It's a waste of time bringing this up."

Read more:
Guardiola gives green light for Forlan
Barça turns again to Forlan...

Asked about the club's transfer budget, Barcelona economic vice-president Joan Boix has said in an interview with Catalan radio station Ona FM that the club could spend more than intially announced:

"The reasonable thing to do, looking at our revenues, is spend the 30 or 35 million euro we've mentioned before. But we could reach a higher figure.

Each year we have benefits, plus the depreciations, the money we could use in the future, in the end we can spend between 60 and 80 million. A part of that could be used to pay off the debt or to invest in real estate, but if the technical department thinks this is needed, we can spend everything on transfers. Exceeding that figure is not recommendable. There are teams that invest more than they gain but we're not going to do that because of our prudent policy and the fact that we keep our feet on the ground."

Read more:
Barcelona has 30 to 35 million to spend

Over the past days, Deportivo La Coruña left back defender Filipe Luis (23) has talked several times about the rumours linking him with a move to Barcelona (read more here).




Catalan radio station RAC 1
I'm in Brazil waiting for the confirmation. I'll only leave Deportivo to go to a top club and I would like to stay in Spain. If Barça and Depor reach an agreement and everybody is happy, that would be perfect. I've always thought about the national team and to get there, you should play at a top club. I'm ready for it. As a player, I've grown a lot at Depor, especially regarding the defensive aspect of my game.

But until everything isn't finalized I cannot close my eyes and imagine myself with another shirt. I have a contract with Depor and I cannot start dreaming because there's no deal. It sure is an honour that Barcelona is thinking about me. Every player would like to be part of the Barcelona team that has won the treble. I've enjoyed watching them play this season.


Galician radio station radio Galega
I'm calm, what choice do I have? I have a contract with Deportivo and until the president tells me that there's an offer and that he wants me to go, there's no reason for me to get nervous. Until now, nobody said me anything, so I have to stay calm like usual. My agent doesn't call me a lot. He knows that when it's just to speculate, I don't want to know anything about. He'll only call me when there's something concrete, in case Depor would accept an offer. I'm not interested in rumours, so I'm waiting.

But of course the people here in Brazil are asking me about it. People told me what the media are reporting on it, I've seen things. One gets happy and very proud of it because you know you have been doing a good job and that others are recognizing that. That's something that makes me very happy. But I cannot do anything about that, it's not in my hands. It's in the hands of my agent, president Lendoiro, the club that wants me, so it's not up to me to do something. Since I cannot do anything, I'm just gonna be calm, looking at the sea and that's it.

When I arrived, I signed a contract and nobody forced me to do that. When I signed, I knew I could be at Deportivo for five years. If I won't leave, I will happily return to Deportivo. It's a great club, a former Liga champion, something few clubs are. We were seventh last season and we have a great team. I wouldn't have problems to return.


Catalan sports paper Sport
Depor is a great club but I've always dreamed about and prepared myself to play one day in a club that competes for all trophies. Barça is the best team in the world, they've won everything and they're the team to beat. After five years in Europe, I'm ready to make this step.

I think that I have the right profile to play in the current Barça defense. When you play at a mid-table team, you have to defend more, while when you're playing at a big club, you have more possibilities to show all your qualities because you have more ball possession. My style to defend is maybe similar to that of Dani Alves, but we play differently, he's more someone who will finish an action, when I reach the goal-line, i'm more looking for the cross. We're different. I'm Filipe and I have my own personality.

At all the clubs I have played for, I've always had to fight for my place. At Deportivo for example, it wasn't easy to win myself a spot in the team. I have total confidence in my qualities because I've grown a lot during those two years at Depor. I have four more years on my contract, so Deportivo has every right to ask a certain fee for my transfer. Nobody foreced me last year to sign a five-year contract. I did it because I wanted it, so I cannot start a fight with Deportivo one year later.


Catalan radio station Ona FM
I want to go to a Spanish top club and Barça is at this moment the best club in the world. I'm better prepared than ever to deal with the pressure of a top club. I don't know what would happen. A player has to compete for a spot and one wants to play always. I played all games with Depor and if I leave, I will keep on fighting like I always do.

The president is entitled to ask the fee he wants since there's a contract that nobody obliged me to sign. Depor treated me as if they were my family, they took care of me. They know what I want, we already talked several times about it and I will keep on doing that. I wish to stay in Spain and go to a top club. Spain is the country I like most, I'm totally adapted to the game of the Liga and to the language. I don't want to leave Spain.

It's very difficult to be part of the Brazilian national team but I have this ambition. That's why this would be an excellent move and I would have more options. On the right we have the best full-back in the world but at the left there's less competition. That's why I think that I can do it and I hope to be able to occupy that spot in the national team.


Read more:
Filipe: "I'm totally prepared for the pressure"
Deportivo rejects bid for Filipe
Filipe could sign five-year deal on Monday

Asked about the rumours saying that he was in Barcelona to meet with Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain yesterday (read more here), Daniel Bolotnicoff, the agent of Atlético Madrid forward and Uruguay international Diego Forlán (30), has denied in an interview with Catalan radio station Ona FM that there has been a meeting:

"I've came here because of personal reasons. If you say that I came to talk with Barcelona than you know more than me. Besides, I think they are trying to sign Villa."

Read more:
Deal with Forlan
The report of Txiki (3) : 60 million for Eto'o
Villa is not for sale

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that Barcelona has made Liverpool a few days ago a 20 million euro° bid for Liverpool defensive midfielder and Argentine international Javier Mascherano (25) through the player's agent Walter Tamer but that the English club has rejected the offer.

Tamer would then have raised the bid to 20 million euro plus the loan or the transfer of a Barcelona player who can leave the club but Liverpool doesn't seem willing to consider the offer unless more important players are offered.

Asked about the rumours linking Mascherano with a move to Barcelona, Federico Vitali, another agent of the player, said in an interview with Catalan radio station Ona FM that there aren't direct negotiations between the two clubs at this moment: "Barcelona is of course interested in Javier Mascherano but until Barcelona start talking with Liverpool, no progress will be made. It's clear that Mascherano wants to play at Barcelona, every Argentinian player would want that."

Catalan sports paper El Mundo Deportivo claims that Liverpool asks 40 million euro° plus the loan of Barcelona forward Bojan (18). British tabloid The Daily Mail claims that Liverpool wants to let the player go for a fee of at least 41,5 million euro°, while Barcelona would be ready to offer 24 million euro° plus Bojan. Sport claims that a loan of Bojan is not an option. British newspaper The Times claims that Mascherano is valued at 36 million euro°.

British tabloid The Daily Mirror on the other hand claims that Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez has made it clear that Mascherano will not be allowed to leave at any price and that the coach will now call a summet with the player's agent to insist that the Argentinian midfielder must honour the three years left on his contract.

Spanish radio station Cadena Ser meanwhile claims that Real Madrid made an 30 to 35 million euro° bid for Mascherano. Catalan radio station RAC 1 claims, based upon sources from the entourage of the player, that Madrid didn't yet make a formal offer. The Times claims that Madrid is prepared to pay 45 million euro° for Mascherano and Liverpool right back Arbeloa and that Benítez is close to conceding defeat in his attempts to keep he Argentinian.

Read more:
Meeting on Mascherano in Barcelona
The report of Txiki (2) : Mascherano priority

Asked about the contract renewal of Barcelona defensive midfielder and Ivorian international Yaya Touré (26) (read more here), the player's agent Dmitri Seluk has repeated in an interview with Catalan radio station Ona FM that the coming week is decisive:

"Barça is optimistic about resolving this case and I think we're on the verge of being able to sign a deal. But it's clear that next week is the deadline: then a new deal wil be signed or not signed. There are a lot of clubs interested in Touré but none of them interests us... He can in fact only play for eight teams, three in Italy, three in England and two in Spain."

Read more:
Agent Toure sets deadline for renewal
Meeting on Mascherano in Barcelona
Manchester United wants to sign Toure

Asked about the club's transfer budget, Barcelona economic vice-president Joan Boix has said in an interview with Catalan radio station Ona FM that Barcelona is not planning to go beyond what had been scheduled:

"Txiki and Pep know about the situation, we'll keep our feet on the ground. Madrid will have problems a few years from here because they made more debt.

We had profits of 10-12-15 million over the last years and we'll use that money. If we count everything together we would have around 50 million, of which 10 to 15 million will be used for investments within the club and the rest will be used to pay our debts or to sign players. So we could spend 30-35 million euro° plus what we receive by selling players.

It would be very easy for us to spend more, but we don't want the next board to have financial problems, that's why we are looking at the long term. We need to be careful. It's a surprise that Madrid has paid those sums for these two players. Even more so in times of crisis. That's not good for anyone. In the market, there's a before and an after those transfers. We will stay calm and do what we had planned. We don't want to surpass our limits.

You always have the most transfers in the last month of August. We have a solid team at this moment. Without big investments, we could have a super-team. We have time and we don't need to hurry. I don't know if we will sign players on loan, you should ask the coaches, but I don't think it will happen."

Read more:
Barcelona can spend 30-35 million this summer

Asked about the rumours linking Porto central defender and Portuguese international Bruno Alves (27) with a move to Barcelona (read more here), the player's father and former football player Washington has backed a transfer in an interview with Catalan radio station Ona FM:

"Barcelona would be an excellented club for Bruno. The qualities of Bruno would perfectly fit at Barça and that's why I think a final agreement would be a good thing both for the player and for Barcelona.

Now the important thing is that the clubs close a deal and if that's the case, Bruno will be delighted to join Barcelona. I’m not aware of how things stand at this moment. I only know what I've read in the papers, that they say that Barcelona is in contact with the agent of Bruno. My son is now with his national team but I hope to be able to talk with him on Thursday."

Read more:
Deal on Bruno Alves very close
Txiki talks about the summer transfer market
Possible pre-agreement with Bruno Alves

Catalan radio station Ona FM claims that Barcelona central defender Gabriel Milito (28) underwent a new surgery.

Milito's right knee would have been operated in Argentina by doctors from the Argentinian football federation, lead by doctor Homero de Agostin, under the supervision of Ramon Canal, the head of Barcelona's medical services, and with the assistance of Catalan doctor Ramon Cugat.

The Argentinian underwent for the fourth time an arthroscopy trying to find out why the player is still feeling pain, which blocks his recovery. Although Barcelona's medicall staff is optimistic, it's certain that this new surgery will postpone the recovery of the player even more and it's almost impossible the defender will be ready to start the pre-season with the first team.

Milito suffered a right knee injury on 29 April 2008 during the second game of the Champions League semi-finals against Manchester United last season. The predicted recovery time was then being estimated between six and nine months.

Read more:
Independiente wants Milito on loan
Medical: Milito could undergo new surgery
Genoa interested in Milito

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 radio station Ona FM claims that Barcelona wants to sign Almería right back defender Bruno Saltor (28) this summer.

The Catalan defender had a pre-agreement with Betis Sevilla, but the agreement will be broken because Betis got relegated to the Spanish second divsion last weekend and Bruno could now accept an offer by Barcelona.

Barcelona sports director Txiki Begiristain would already have met twice with the agent of the player. Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola would have talked with Bruno when Barcelona faced Almería in March to inform him that they were closely following him.

Valencia and Atlético Madrid are also interested but the negotiations with Barcelona are the most advanced and the player prefers to join Barcelona. The contract of Bruno at Almería expired this summer, which means he would join Barcelona on a free transfer.

Sources closes to the player told Spanish news agency Europa Press that Bruno is looking at other options after the relegation of Betis. Asked about the rumours linking him with a move to barcelona, Bruno said in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC 1 that he's very happy with the interest: "Barça is the best team in the world and I would be delighted to be able to play there. If this would go through, I won't play complicate things but I want to stay calm now."

Read more:
Almeria president confirms interest in Bojan loan

British tabloid The Daily Mirror claims that Barcelona has made Arsenal midfielder and Spanish international Cesc Fàbregas (22) their priority target for the summer transfer market.

Barcelona would therefore be preparing a bid of 45 million euro° for the return of the Catalan player.

Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger might this time decide that, with a restructuring of his squad coming up and not much money to spend, this is an offer that's too good to turn down. Cesc was earlier this week quoted as unconfirmedly saying in an interview with Catalan radio station Ona Fm that every footballer dreams of playing for Barcelona.

Read more:
Barcelona ready to move for Cesc
Henry, Eto'o, Toure and Keita are for sale

Asked about the future of Barcelona Atlètic attacking midfielder and Spanish youth international Thiago Alcántara (18), the player's father Mazinho has said in an interview with Catalan radio station Ona FM that the player has no intention to leave:

"We still didn't sign a professional contract but there's a lot of chance we will be able to sign one. We're calm. Myself, Barcelona and the boy are happy here and we're surely continue here for a long time.

When Thiago turned sixteen, he received a serious offer from Chelsea but it didn't interest us because Barcelona always works very well with the youth. I don't have any doubts that he won't leave. Rafa, the little one, is also being followed by a lot of foreign clubs but we're happy at Barça and they're happy with us.

Rafa might be a more complete player from a coaches' point of view because he's tactically very disciplined. He fulfills what the coach is asking him. Thiago, who is technically very good and has more self-belief, sometimes wants to do a little too much. I think it's a player who can make it and who has everything to play at whatever team.

I'm very happy that my son isn't compared with me, the former world champion. Because normally people tend to make comparisons with the fathers. I don't like it but it's normal. But Thiago Alcántara has come this far because he's Thiago, not because he's the son of Mazinho. I think that's clear for everyone."

Read more:
Barça B: AC Milan sounds out Thiago
An introduction to the coming stars
Barça B - Youth: Chelsea talks with father Thiago

Italian sports paper Tuttosport claims that AC Milan is interested in Barcelona central defender and Spanish international Carles Puyol (31) (read more here).

AC Milan sports director Ariedo Braida would have put him on the target list after Puyol has been scouted. Puyol, whose contract with Barcelona expires in the summer of 2010, should replace AC Milan defender Paolo Maldini, who retires at the end of this season, and become the new leader of the Italian club's defense.

Catalan sports weekly paper Gol claims that Puyol wants to retire at Barcelona but could also be tempted by an offer from Milan. Barcelona has already sounded out Puyol and would be ready to offer the Catalan defender a contract extension until 2013. Puyol, who would now be earning a maximum of 6 million euro, would nevertheless not be given a pay rise.

Asked about the renewal of his contract, Puyol said in an interview with Catalan radio station Ona FM that he's calm about the issue: "I'm very little worried about it, I'm totally relaxed. My contract end sin 2010, so there’s more than one year left and I think that's a lot of time. Everybody knows what I would like. I want to stay here at Barcelona and there's still enough time left to make this happen."

Read more:
Puyol wants to retire at Barcelona
Several clubs preparing bid for Barcelona players
Puyol: "Tattoos are one of my passions"

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