As we all know the press struggle to find credible stories during the international break, do you remember the nonsense about the Barça-Madrid game being brought forward to a Friday - http://fcbnews.com/barca-madrid-on-friday-21st-december/. This week we are back to the old favourite of the offers that are being prepared for Barça’s biggest stars.
The Barcelona sports press have to fill a number of pages every day so perhaps it is understandable that they report such rumours. El Sport and El Mundo Deportivo have both run two stories this weekend taken from the English press. The first suggests that Manchester City could be about to make a huge offer for Leo Messi or Ronaldinho. It’s the type of headline that makes you want to know more, isn’t it? However if you read down you learn that City are actually more likely to bid for Liverpool’s Peter Crouch. I went to the trouble of finding the original story from The Mail on Sunday, the story says that City’s chairman will make a lot of money available for signings and Crouch is top of the list. Further down the article it states that the money “could even lead to spectacular bids for the likes of Barcelona’s South American pair Leo Messi and Ronaldinho, or Brazilian playmaker Kaka, of AC Milan, although nailing down such big names is another matter”. I don’t have a problem with The Mail on Sunday speculating in this way, but why does El Sport and El Mundo Deportivo run this story as if there is anything in it. Here’s the original article and then how it was run in El Sport (in Spanish of course) http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=494913&in_page_id=1779
http://www.sport.es/default.asp?idpublicacio_PK=44&idioma=CAS&idnoticia_PK=459708&idseccio_PK=803
The second story is equally unlikely, it suggests that Manchester United are interested in signing Samuel Eto’o and would be willing to offer Louis Saha and five million pounds. The story ran in The People http://www.people.co.uk/sport/football/tm_headline=samuel-top-of-swaps%26method=full%26objectid=20123651%26siteid=93463-name_page.html. Once again both Barcelona sports papers thought this was worthy of a story. Why they imagine that Barça would be interested in such a deal is beyond me. Oh well, there is a match on Saturday with Recreativo (kick off time 8pm) so hopefully they will find something real to write about before then.
On the subject of transfer rumours the following players have all been recently linked to Barça: Philip Lahm (Bayern Munich), Dorin Goian (Steaua Bucharest), Tiago (Juventus), and Karim Benzema (Lyon). However, Txiki Beguiristain said last week that Barça would not be signing anyone in the winter transfer window. Just as long as you’re still reading…
16 responses so far ↓
blaugrana // Nov 20, 2007 at 0:29
I read an article @ goal.com saying that zambrotta’s wife is missing italy and are both looking to move back, this of course apparently signaling phillip lahm to move to barca in january. however if txiki is saying no one is being signed…..that doesn’t rule out an exit.
Tristan // Nov 20, 2007 at 1:57
I think the most possible thansfer should be Tiago. He’s not happy in Juve. And we need this kind of midfielder.
e10 // Nov 20, 2007 at 5:21
i think that Lahm would be a great replacement if Zambrotta decides to return to Italy.
Also
Barca should consider Werder Bremen’s Diego, who is a great young attacking midfielder.
Who also provides flair.
stevieg // Nov 20, 2007 at 14:54
barca shud be goin for Diego..he would be a perfect replacement for deco…
Barca Fan // Nov 20, 2007 at 19:32
I think that Diego is excellent player and Varca should be thinkig of singing with him.He is to good for Tiago and Lahm is olso a good player Barca shoul bay him too.
e10 // Nov 22, 2007 at 3:56
We also now know that Zambrotta’s wife wants a return to Italy.
So Alves would be a great addition, and i also rate Alves higher than Zambrotta.
In my opinion Diego and either Lahm or Alves would be great additions.
ADIT // Nov 22, 2007 at 4:30
PLEASE BARCELONA TO INDONESIA !! PLEASE………………….
SIMONATOR // Nov 22, 2007 at 13:13
unfortunately, as a chelsea supporter, i am lamenting that alves did not sign in the transfer window, causing us to have to resort to belletti..that is why i belive that alves will sign for barcelona because they will have the cash and leigh-way
Nic // Nov 22, 2007 at 18:57
If Zambrotta does leave it is unlikely to happen in January so I think he’ll stay until the end of this season. As a replacement Alves certainly has the class but I worry a bit about his temperament. As for Lahm, i believe he usually plays at left back, despite being right-footed. Would Barça take the risk of buying him and playing him on the right? Are there any other right backs out there who are good enough for Barça or should Rijkaard consider playing Puyol there more often?
scott 9 // Nov 24, 2007 at 17:05
i am an newcastle united supportet do u think we could gey edmilson of u and do u think he would be a good signing what is he like for barca
Nic // Nov 24, 2007 at 17:20
Hi Scott. I’ve heard the rumours that he will go to Newcastle. Maybe you have seen what our friends say at the Newcastle blog http://nufcblog.com/edmilson-first-newcastle-signing-in-january/
Personally I would like to keep Edmilson until the summer to see how he is after his injury. Last season he was below form but I believe he was carrying the injury. In 2005/2006 he had a very good season. I really can’t say how he would adapt to Newcastle. Don’t you have Nicky Butt and Joey Barton as defensive midfielders? It always seems as if Newcastle are linked with buying everyone.
scott 9 // Nov 25, 2007 at 14:11
yes we do have nicky butt but hes not a great passer and edmilson is quite a decent passer of what ive heard isnt he
Nic // Nov 25, 2007 at 19:25
He’s a decent passer, yes. Though he’s not the quickest player, so I’m not sure how he would cope with the speed of the English game (or the cold weather). Another thing is that Barça are going to lose Toure for the African Nations Cup and I think Edmilson will be needed to cover.
robert // Nov 29, 2007 at 23:38
what do anyone think of mexican andres guardado… he as been a great transfer for not only depor but spain itself. how would anyone see him in Barca or madrid?
david ogedegbe // Dec 2, 2007 at 18:13
i think selling ronnie would be the greatest mistake that can never be correct, cos i think ronnie still has the quality needed in the team amd most especially he motivate the team and gives them cofident, and buying alves, diego and lahm would be a great signing, up barcaaaaaaaaaaa
robert // Dec 3, 2007 at 4:13
what about guardado
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