Naijabarcelonalovers

According to respected Catalan journalist Gerard Romero, Premier League champions Chelsea  are prepared to pay the €40 million release clause to sign  Barcelona star Sergio Roberto,  and have already informed the player of their intentions. Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is looking at options at the wing-back position, especially on the right side given Victor Moses  is the only available player at that spot. Roberto played right-back throughout last season, although he wasn’t able to be a solid replacement to  Dani Alves  after the Brazilian’s departure. Barça manager Ernesto Valverde sees Roberto as a key part of his plans for this season and does not plan to sell Sergi, and the player is also keen on staying at Barça to return to his favorite position in midfield. It’s important to note that paying a release clause does not automatically mean the club will sign the player. If Chelsea do activate the clause, Sergi Roberto will have to agree a deal for...

The former Blaugrana midfielder has called for a return to the club's Cantera style, and backs Ernesto Valverde to be a success at Camp Nou Barcelona legend Xavi says the club have been "sleeping" on their own model of play, with La Masia graduates now rarely getting a chance to shine in the first team. Xavi was chief playmaker in a Barca side that swept all before them, while remaining strongly rooted in Catalan ideals, coached by Pep Guardiola and captained by Carles Puyol, with the likes of Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Victor Valdes providing more home-grown heroes. Luis Enrique's reign continued the Blaugrana's trophy glut, including a treble in the Asturian's first campaign at Camp Nou, but he was often criticised for moving Barca away from the style that had been put in place by Guardiola - including the use of youth-team players. Barca have brought La Masia graduate Gerard Deulofeu back to the club this off-season, having done likewise ...

​Barcelona midfielder Arda Turan looks set to leave the club this summer and is rumoured to have held talks with interested clubs over a potential transfer. Sport  have reported that the Turkish international could be on his way out having been granted permission to miss training on Monday morning. He did, however, take part in the afternoon session. New coach Ernesto Valverde and technical secretary Robert Fernandez have insisted that they have not received any offers for the player. But Barcelona are believed to want to sell Turan before they begin their pre-season tour of America. Arsenal, Guangzhou, Fenerbahce, Besiktas and Galatasaray have all been linked with a move for the 30-year-old, although his agent,  Ahmet Bulut, has revealed that he is not interested in going to China or returning to Turkey. Barcelona are reportedly demanding a fee of €30m for Turan, but Arsenal are hopeful that they can agree a deal for a cut price. The former Atletico ...

Spanish giants FC Barcelona are reportedly closing in on a Real Madrid target, a player who is believed to want to play with superstar Lionel Messi. According to  Don Balon , the Catalan club are close to luring Aymeric Laporte away from Athletic Bilbao, with the same report claiming that Los Blancos have also been in pursuit of his signature. The Frenchman, however, is said to prefer a move to the Camp Nou as he is excited about the prospect of playing with five-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi. The 23-year-old has come on in leaps and bounds over the past two seasons in Spain, attracting interest from several top clubs across Europe. Real boss Zinedine Zidane is said to see the defender as a long-term replacement for Pepe, who was recently released by the Madrid club. The Blaugrana, however, are confident they can convince Laporte to join them, especially as he was managed by their new manager Ernesto Valverde at Bilbao. The centre back has played 192 games for Bilbao...

Since his move to FC Barcelona in the 2014-2015 season, Ivan Rakitić has been a vital component to the team’s success. Two La Liga titles, three Copa del Rey, a Champions League title, and numerous other trophies have all arrived since Rakitić began to wear the  azulgrana. It is no surprise that every transfer window teams are bidding for the fantastic Croatian. England giants Manchester United and Manchester City have been interested in the midfielder for quite some time now. Rakitić really brings a lot to the team, so it makes sense that teams would be desperate to secure his services. Barcelona has been trying to sign Marco Verratti since the window opened. It seems that the move won’t go through, but if it should, where does that leave Rakitić? If Barcelona continues to play a three man midfield, there are only two spots open for debate. Sergio Busquets continues to be one of the finest defensive midfielders in the world, so his spot his secured. No one on the squad can re...

Thought you’d heard the last of the Marco Verratti to Barcelona  saga? Well think again, because it seems this one still has plenty left to run, with the latest reports claiming a change of approach from Barca. Instead of simply offering Paris Saint-Germain a huge amount of money for their midfielder, Sport claim Barca could instead offer cash plus a certain Ivan Rakitic. They even go so far as to say that while PSG want €100m for Verratti, they would also be willing to accept €70m plus Rakitic. Why Rakitic you ask? Well, Unai Emery is a big fan of the midfielder, having worked with him at Sevilla,  and will demand a replacement should Verratti go. But wait, hang on, according to Sport there’s another important factor in this deal and that’s none other than Kylian Mbappe. The report claims PSG would only consider selling Verratti if, and this is a huge if, they land the most sought-after player in Europe at the moment, Mbappe. The Monaco striker is expected to cost...

Barcelona's  biggest deal of the summer has been done, the club have confirmed that Lionel Messi  will sign a new deal that will keep him at the club until 2021. Great news of course, but this should be just the start for Barcelona, with the team in need of a reboot if Messi is going to add to his tally of eight league titles and four Champions League trophies, in the next four years. As utterly brilliant as Messi is, he simply cannot do it on his own, and as last season proved, the little genius needs, and surely deserves, more help from the club. Real Madrid  may have only won the title by three points, but the club have now won three of the last four Champions League titles and unless Barca act, the gap will only grow. Signings are needed, particularly at right-back where Hector Bellerin and Nelson Semedo have been mooted, although neither signing looks particularly easy to pull off. So too into midfield, where Barcelona are still searching for a replac...

Cristian Tello finalises move to Real Betis. The Barca board has finally let go of a deadweight. This comes after years and years of the club’s policy of giving players a second chance. This is how incapable players like Keirrison and Pinto survived in the squad despite their inability to make an impression. The club loaned out players like Cristian Tello time and again, but refused to let go of him. But now, new coach Ernesto Valverde has forced the board’s hand. But Barcelona did not fail to implement their strategically brilliant policy this around too. The last line of the official statement is the most important. This signifies that Barca have inserted a buy-back clause into Tello’s contract. This would mean that Betis would have to consult Barca on his sale, if they choose to do so. Barca would have first-option on him if that happens. Barcelona sign Gerard Deulofeu. The club has also signed Tello’s immediate replacement in the squad and a possible backup for both N...

FC Barcelona has released its preseason schedule for the 2017-18 season starting in late July. Who will the Blaugrana start the season against? The era of Ernesto Valverde begins in July as Barcelona starts their preseason tour of the United States. In the preseason, Barca’s coaching staff will begin to see what kind of talent that the team currently has. The team finds ways to improve going into the La Liga and Champions League campaign. Despite winning one trophy last season, Barca is looking toward a bounce back after a disappointing 2017 campaign. At the end, 2017 featured a 2nd place finish in La Liga and an early Champions League exit. Although last season was a struggle, 2018 looks to be a way to avenge their defeats. Overall, the MSN trident still looks great. However, there needs to be improvement in the midfield and in defense. Here is the preseason schedule for Barcelona: July 23rd vs. Juventus at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. July 27th vs. Manches...

Barcelona are going to get the first option to sign an up and coming Brazilian youngster, Pedrinho, from Corinthians. Lionel Messi is among the many Barca players that are entering their thirties. Although Messi is still playing at a high level, Barcelona is desperately looking to sign “the next” young star. The team has already lost out on Vinícius Júnior whom Real Madrid bought for a whopping 38 million euros. Barca needs to have a strong transfer window this summer. Although it’s been a slow start, the Catalan club is trying to lure another young Brazilian prodigy into the fold. Sport  has reported that Barcelona doesn’t want to lose another promising star, Pedrinho from Corinthians. The Catalan club has secured the first option to negotiate a contract with the 19-year-old. The report goes on to say that Barcelona will get right to sign the youngster for 15m euros instead paying buy-out clause of 50m euros from 2018 to 2019. Currently, Corinthians, the current club o...