This week the Catalan press have reacted as they so often do to a disappointing result: by talking about possible transfers. However, this week’s stories have more interest than usual as they refer to the recent “Webster Ruling” which could in theory revolutionize the transfer market as much as the Bosman ruling did in the 1990s. In the last two days El Sport has suggested that Barça could get either Frank Lampard or Cesc Fabregas on the cheap.
According to El Sport, Fabregas could leave Arsenal for as little as €7m. Click here for the El Sport article. Unfortunately they fail to mention that Barça would have to wait until 2012 for Barça to get him so cheaply. Fabregas is under contract until 2014 and the Webster ruling basically says the compensation to pay would be equivalent to the wages left on a player’s contract. Added to this El Sport make no mention of the Fifa protection of young players under the age of 23. In the best of cases Barça could buy Fabregas under the Webster ruling in the summer of 2010 when Fabregas would be 23 and he would still cost around €16, before then there would be an extra compensation to pay as stipulated by Fifa in their Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players You need to look at article 17 on page 14 and article 20 on page 19. If that all seems too complicated then click here for an article from The Independent that may put things a bit more clearly.
As for Lampard it is not the first time he has been linked to Barça. At 29 he would be eligible for a ‘Webster’ transfer of approximately €6.8m but I’m not really sure whether there is any truth in the story or whether he would be a good signing. So he is married to a Catalan and was apparently recently looking at property here: that doesn’t mean anything. Of course if his ex-boss Jose Mourinho eventually signed for Barça there might be a bigger possibility of him coming.
It seems strange that there are so many transfer rumours at the moment, afterall the transfer window has only just closed. El Mundo Deportivo are talking about Werder Bremen’s Diego and Lyon’s Benzema again and I have to admit that both would be good signings. However, I then remembered that there is no game in midweek this week and as we all know the papers have got to write about something. No doubt tomorrow we’ll hear more about Drogba, or Alves, or Lahm, or Hleb, orArnaud, or Modric, or Poulsen, or…
39 responses so far ↓
Tony // Feb 12, 2008 at 18:22
Typical Barca!! The Spanish clubs are unethical and have no morals when it comes to dealing in the transfer market. They have already tried talking to fabregas without permission when he has said many many times he wants to stay at Arsenal. So the spanish media are barcelona can f*ck off while we concentrate on winning trophies.
Blaugrana // Feb 12, 2008 at 19:25
Watch your tone, tony boy u are on sacred grounds here,
Winterhunt // Feb 12, 2008 at 19:29
Tony,
perhaps you have conveniently forgotten that it was Barca that trained and developed Cesc, that he is Catalan, was and is a Barca fan and that his family have Season Tickets to The Nou Camp. Perhaps you have also forgotten that the only reason he is on ARSEnal is that Wenger used a loophole in Fifa rules that allows English teams to sign players at 16 whereas Spanish clubs must wait until they are 17. This is how you lured (most would say stole) Cesc as well as Fran Merida from the Barca youth system after we developed them. Maybe your team should try and develop players on their own. But I guess you must still be feeling the pain of losing that Champion’s League Final, and so for that you have my utmost sympathy. Still, it was Cesc who has said numerous times that he wants to return to play for Barca some day as it has been his lifelong dream. Enjoy him while you can and as we all know his heart belongs to Barca. Who can blame him really???? Let’s be honest if you could live in Barcelona where the weather is beautiful, and your family resides, and the team you love plays, and you could play for them, would you turn that down to play for a team in dreary London in a league that plays caveman style football??? Regardless, we don’t even really need him as Iniesta is far superior. Cesc cannot even crack the starting lineup of the Spanish team and must sit and watch both Xavi and Iniesta play the midfield. We’ll take him though, I’m sure he could be useful, and besides it is the kid’s dream.
pep // Feb 12, 2008 at 19:49
@ Tony:
You must be joking. Keep child robbers like Wenger or Ferguson behind bars. Raise your own players, then you maybe will qualify for the European Championship next time. We just want back what is ours! Cesc has and will always have a blaugrana heart…
fcbtransfers.blogspot.com
Tony // Feb 12, 2008 at 19:55
We hardly stuffed fabregas in a bag and brought him over. He made up his own mind. We offered him first team football and kept our promise. Cavemen football?? Arsenal play beautiful football and at least we have men playing football in our league, not a bunch of cheating diving nancy boys where a puff of wind sends players crashing to the ground. As for the champions league, we played for 70 minutes with 10 men and barca only scraped the victory. Hardly embarrassed, i’m proud of the team. Cesc who apparently loves barca so much also said last year that he was flattered to be linked with Real Madrid and would love to play for them some day. Correct me if i’m wrong but dont barca fans dislike Real Madrid. And La Liga better than The Premier League? No chance!! The Premier League is the most watched and most lucrative league in the world. Anyway, its barca’s apparent obsession with our players and coach that really annoys me. Didnt Alex Hleb just have to tell barca to get lost last week. He said he’s already playing for the best team in europe
pep // Feb 12, 2008 at 20:04
He’s only with you for the money, don’t fool yourself, Tony. And if you don’t triple his salary by the end of the season, he’s gone. That’s real love, I guess…
Tony // Feb 12, 2008 at 20:17
And I’m not English. I’m Irish recently moved to Canada. And i can tell you the Premier League and Serie A games are always on tv here. I havent seen a La Liga game yet, so you’re not as big as you think you are. Barcelona are a great club, but if you are developing your own talent how come you’ve come knocking on our door for players so often in recent years. And how often have you offered Wenger the coaches job,,seems like every year. Or maybe you and madrid take turns.
pep // Feb 12, 2008 at 20:23
You should follow a course “How papers try to sell”…
Nic // Feb 12, 2008 at 20:38
Calm down people.
I wrote the article if you’d care to read it to point out to my readers that there is nothing in the Fabregas story. No need for the insults and the your team did this bollox.
Nitin // Feb 12, 2008 at 22:22
Nic u da man!!!!
Siim // Feb 12, 2008 at 23:00
Hopefully Cesc comes to Barca one day and brings honour to himself, the club and Catalonia. Seeing him wearing the Blaugrana shirt and forming a midfield pair with Iniesta is a bit more than just a dream.
A man could search the whole world for something he wants and find it when he comes back home.
Barca Fan // Feb 12, 2008 at 23:17
Who is Arnaud ???
Nic // Feb 13, 2008 at 1:20
Loris Arnaud is a French striker playing for Paris Saint Germain. I can’t remember where but there was a recent piece linking him to Barça.
Zin // Feb 13, 2008 at 7:46
Tony,
You talk about Barcelona diving. Remember the “foul” Puyol “committed” on Eboue that led to the first goal? That was one of the most blatant dives I have ever seen. There was no contact at all! And now, you speak of Barcelona having no ethics, as previous posters mentioned, Cesc was taken from us by Arsenal, Diego taken from us, and now currently plays for Werder Bremen as well as numerous other prospects we have developed. All clubs participate in transfer rumors throughout the course of the season, and there has no doubt been talk of Arsenal snatching up young players from Barcelona’s youth system (Thiago, Iago Falque, Gai Asulin), and to think otherwise is being plain naive. The EPL is so superior to La Liga. . .I do not believe that. Both leagues are at the minimum equal in quality, and mid table Spanish teams dominate mid table English teams (see UEFA Cup final 2006, 2007 was an all Spanish final). An English team has been represented 4 times in the Champions League final since 1984, and 3 of those times it was Liverpool (other Man U 1999), meanwhile Spanish teams have been represented 9 different times since that same time period, with 3 different clubs. The UEFA Cup presents much of the same data, so don’t tell me about how great the EPL is, they get the most money because they market the most throughout the world, but in terms of sheer quality, La Liga is better.
Bryan // Feb 13, 2008 at 8:57
Who ever is against Tony, from the way you are arguing, it is expected of any passionate fan.Winterhunt you are claiming that Barca made Fabregas who he is today, but you are wrong. First try to remember how many good talents have switched clubs but end up fading out. It is the magic hands of Arsene that have kept the steam in Fabs. I don’t rule out Barca getting Fabregas but that will be when Arsenal have exhausted the best of him. Go gunners
pep // Feb 13, 2008 at 9:20
Sport said if was a rumour in France they wanted to let him play for Barça B until the end of the season.
ab // Feb 13, 2008 at 15:09
It’s that time of the season again when Barca fail on the pitch and try to distract from their failings by planting media stories. Ah, the class of a club that calls itself big…
pep // Feb 13, 2008 at 15:50
As if the club plants those stories. Ah, the stupidity of a guy who thinks he’s smart…
Tony // Feb 13, 2008 at 16:04
Zin,
Have you been in a hole for the last 3 years? There has been an english team in the final for the last 3 years. And 3 english clubs in the semi-finals last year. English clubs were banned from Europe for 5 years after heysel tragedy in 1985. So its just ridiculous using that 4 english teams have reached the final since 1984 nonsense. It was actually 5 too. And thats not including 1984 when Liverpool won it. English clubs won it 7 out of the 8 years before 1985. And it took english clubs til Uniteds win in 1999 to recover the lost ground. And barca in 2006 is the only spanish team to make the final since 2002. Next time make a fair and valid point if you’re comparing the two leagues in Europe.
pep // Feb 13, 2008 at 16:15
It are always the same English teams making it, I think that’s the point. You have four top teams, we have two (and we’re not even counting Valencia who played two finals since 2000). But the rest of your teams isn’t up there. Look what modest spanish clubs like espanyol or getafe were doing in the Uefa cup last year. Even Sevilla. Alaves a few years ago reached the final, now they’re in second division. Celta Vigo survived the group stage of the Champions League a few years ago, that same season they went to the second division. Real Sociedad played Champions League not so long ago, now they’re in the second division. Betis is struggling for a couple of years now, they played Champions league in 2005. In Spain every top team can lose points every game.
So you have the strongest top four (although we could even discuss this if we saw how Sevilla crushed Arsenal in the group stage this year), Spain has the strongest competition.
ab // Feb 13, 2008 at 16:25
It won’t be long and Yaya Toure will want to join his brother Kolo at Arsenal. After all, one can understand that little brother Yaya wants to play at such a successful and classy club like his big brother Kolo. Arsenal has style on and off the pitch. Barca only arrogance.
Tony // Feb 13, 2008 at 16:36
Sevilla crushed Arsenal yeah?? 3-1 in Spain against a largely 2nd string Arsenal and we beat them 3-0 at emirates. Oh yeah they really crushed us didn’t they. Maybe you also remember Liverpool knocking out Barca last year and Chelsea knocking out Valencia. What about Valencias whopping 5 points in Group B this year finishing below european giants Rosenborg and Schalke! I’ll admit that your second tier of clubs has been stronger in recent years, but the english clubs are starting to get stronger here. Manchester City and Tottenham and Portsmouth have invested alot of money and will be strong in the future while Everton are also strong this year. Other Clubs like Newcastle and Sunderland have a huge fan base and huge potential to be realised.
Arsenal might have taken kids off barca but if they are not under contract and want to go then why should they be stopped. The problem is people like Barca and Real Madrid who arrogantly and boldly claim who they will be signing each summer. No class!
pep // Feb 13, 2008 at 16:37
Yeah, we’ll see how long it takes until this stylish club -following those others stylish english clubs- fully sells its body and soul to the highest bidder (being American, Russin, Arab or whatver).
You still didn’t get over May 17th, 2006, did you
?
pep // Feb 13, 2008 at 16:43
Sevilla was in a bad period while Arse was on its top. If you then lose 3-1, well…
“If they want to go then why should they be stopped”: that also counts for Wenger and Cesc, so stop crying. The clubs don’t claim anything, it’s the press, when will this get through to your brain? And the press isn’t arrogant, they just want to sell. Like your tabloids. So stop getting scared and overreacting cause there’s nothing. Cesc just want to triple his salary, that’s all.
Tony // Feb 13, 2008 at 16:48
Just reading on skysports.com that Catalan daily El Mundo Deportivo today claims Arsene Wenger is the Barca boards top target. True or not admit you are obsessed with us over there. Hleb and Fabregas last week, Wenger this week. I believe Cesc and Wenger are under contract to Arsenal. unlike when Cesc and Merida were at Barca.
pep // Feb 13, 2008 at 16:56
They are under contract, but if Cesc can leave for 7 millio euro, we’re sticking by the rules too, so what’s the problem?
And again: if you would know anything about the spanish press (and press in general actually, cause the Lampard story came from Mail on Sunday), you would understand how ridiculous your (over)reaction is. First thing: the club is not the press. Second thing: a sports paper article rarely contains the truth. Third thing: skysports people don’t understand spanish and mistranslate the article. Will you now please stop crying? You’re obesessed with our supposed obsession.
Tony // Feb 13, 2008 at 17:11
I’m obsessed with your ridiuclous replies to everything. ‘Skysports dont understand spanish and mistranslate’…bull!! My anger at barca stems from how your club harassed and unsettled our club for 2 years until you eventually got Henry. And your club talked to fabregas without permission. What barca do is unsettle players for other clubs and bully and harass until you get what you want like a spoilt child. Dont worry i’m done with this blog, tired of arguing with you pep. Good luck catching Real Madrid.
pep // Feb 13, 2008 at 17:22
Yeah, yeah, run off . What’s wrong with a discussion?
How do you know we talked to Cesc? Probably read it on skysports… I know you talked to him without permission and that you had to pay for that misbehaviour. That your scouts are circling aroundour youth fields to harass those teenagers. Very classy indeed.
“‘Skysports dont understand spanish and mistranslate’…bull!! “: read the article, there’s nothing about “top target” (http://www.elmundodeportivo.es/web/gen/20080213/noticia_53434553401.html). And again: this is a sports paper article, not the truth. Get a reality check.
ab // Feb 13, 2008 at 18:17
Hleb, Fabregas, Wenger, … it’s funny to see how Barca acknowledge that Arsenal are the superior team. Of course, every club in the world wants to have Arsenal’s players and manager - because they’re the best!
Nic // Feb 13, 2008 at 21:38
Apologies to regular readers for the tone the comments section has dropped to. I will have to remember never to mention Arsenal again. How come no Chelsea fans have come here to argue?
Pep - please give it a rest mate, you are not helping by getting involved in these slanging matches.
FCB - Canada // Feb 13, 2008 at 22:52
Tony,
You should be able to get La Liga games in Canada. I’m from Montreal and see it on GolTV. I’m sure you could pick it up in your area.
pep // Feb 14, 2008 at 9:58
To Tony: you can relax, Cesc denied the rumour (see my blog).
Goalposthead // Feb 14, 2008 at 14:29
Cesc chose to go when he did. We don’t need him, last time we brought back one who had left early (I’m thinking Gerard now) when he came back he was rubbish, so no to cesc. he’s too arragant too.
Tony // Feb 14, 2008 at 17:21
FCB - Canada
I’m in Toronto. I have Bell expressvu and goltv is an extra subscription channel for us. We get the premier league games on the score and sportsnet.
And Pep, after overmars and petit not doing much for you, and basically arsenal ripping you off 16 million for a crocked henry i thought barca would have no interest in Arsenal players. Its amazing how many players AW has sold for huge money and they seem to rarely perform for their new clubs.
Nitin // Feb 14, 2008 at 18:42
Totally true tony…. AW plays players at their prime and sells them when they are big. How many big names has Arsene wenger brought??? Well, not many. Nowhere as much as the other big clubs. He is perhaps the best coach in the world right now, without doubts, the superiority shown by the youthful Arsenal squad is proof to this fact. Besides, Cesc is under contract and is set to renew his contract at Ashburton Grove.
Speeka // Feb 16, 2008 at 11:43
Scraped to Victory?
I remember a pas to Eto’o from Ronaldinho, that opened up the unbeatable arsenal defence in just 15 minutes, where no other club had all season.
I also remember you got your only goal by cheating (Arsenal play beautiful football and at least we have men playing football in our league, not a bunch of cheating diving nancy boys where a puff of wind sends players crashing to the ground) i guess that doesnt apply to Eboue tho, does it?!
Typical fickle arsenal fan, you assholes booed Viera when he returned to Highbury & now your on the “Henry is overated & shite now” band wagon.
Boring… like your football without Adebayoor.
Speeka // Feb 17, 2008 at 0:11
After all that boasting, Arsenal get hammered by Man U & Eboue gets a straight red!
Shite without Adebayoor.
Tony // Feb 18, 2008 at 15:43
“A pass to Eto’o from Ronaldinho that opened up the unbeatable arsenal defence in 15 minutes”. What a load of toss. Did he score? Did it take the apparently best team in Europe most of the game to break down 10 men. And 2-1 against 10 men for 70 minutes is scraping a victory in my book. If you wanna pick out individual moments what about Henry clear through on goal in the second half. And if you are going to argue that there is less diving in la liga then your blind!
shah // Apr 30, 2008 at 3:51
Calm dowm people….
Now ,,this is latest news,,,barca lost to man.utd at UEFA semi final 0-1, and arsenal strugle at no 3 at English leaque…so whats up??
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