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With the World cup  looming, the usual questions have once again resurfaced in regards to Lionel Messi’s standing in the pantheon of football’s all-time greats. There’s no denying that there’s a stone left unturned in the Barcelona  legend’s storied career. For many pundits a World Cup victory is all that stands in the way of immortality for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, but despite having never lifted the most prestigious of titles in the world of international football the Argentine has shown through his dominance at Barcelona that he still deserves to go down as the best there’s ever been. Messi’s plethora of titles and personal accolades is one that stands tall above the rest but look beyond these tangibles from such an accomplished career and you see a player whose skillset is almost celestial. There are few that have produced the kind of quality on the pitch that the diminutive Argentine has. It’s easy to point to his goalscoring feats but Messi’s brilliance is...

Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde spoke to the media after Lionel Messi's first-half free-kick secured victory for his side over Atlético Madrid, opening an eight-point gap at the top of LaLiga. Read what Atlético Madrid coach Diego Simeone had to say after the match. "In the end you depend on Messi's genius" Barça had to suffer for that victory. That's because of how important the points are. I think they barely had any chances. The disallowed goal, perhaps. But you always have the feeling that they can score against you at any moment, such is the level they're at as a team. Your team responded again in a big match I've no doubts about that. The team came together. We conscious that we have to be together in order to apply pressure and hang on when they dominate. I knew that the team was going to respond. But of course, in the end you depend on Messi's genius. We handled the game well.  Messi's free-kick I was thinking ab...

Lionel Messi scored from a free kick for his third straight game as Barcelona beat second-place Atletico Madrid 1-0 Sunday to increase its lead at the top of the Spanish league to eight points. Messi dipped a shot over the wall in the 26th minute to take his league-leading tally to 24 this season and 32 in all competitions. It was Messi's sixth goal from a free kick this season, and his third straight with successful free kicks against Girona and Las Palmas. Barcelona remained undefeated after 27 rounds and dealt Atletico just its second defeat in the league this season. Atletico coach Diego Simeone said the league was Barcelona's to win. "The numbers are what they are. Barcelona wouldn't normally lose four or five games in what they have left," Simeone said. "But this is football, and we have to go out there to win the next match and think about how we can continue to improve." Ernesto Valverde's side now has a comfortable lead with 11 ...

Barcelona have a reached an agreement in principle with Brazilian club Gremio to sign midfielder Arthur next year in a deal worth up to 40 million euros ($49.2 million), according to reports in Spain on Wednesday. “FC Barcelona have taken an almost definitive step to seal the recruitment of Arthur,” wrote Catalan daily Sport, who reported the transfer fee would be 30 million euros with a further 10 million in bonuses. Mundo Deportivo claimed Barca director of football Robert Fernandez went to Porto Alegre “to seal the transfer of Arthur, with whom the club have reached a deal starting from January 2019”. The 21-year-old is expected to arrive during next season’s winter transfer window, although Madrid-based Marca suggested he could join the club this summer if Barca reduce the number of non-EU players in their squad. Arthur starred in last year’s Copa Libertadores final as Gremio defeated Lanus of Argentina 3-1 on aggregate to claim the title for a third time. But a leaked photogra...

One of FC Barcelona’s star players is reportedly set to accept a bid from a shock club outside of Europe. Veteran midfielder Andres Iniesta has been linked with a move away from the Catalan giants, and according to  Corriere dello Sport , he is willing to leave the club. It was recently reportedly that an unnamed Chinese Super League side was after his signature, but the report has now named Tianjin Quanjian interested in the midfielder. Iniesta, who signed a lifetime contract at the Blaugrana last year, would reportedly be allowed to leave on a free as a gesture of goodwill. The 33-year-old has reportedly been offered a contract worth €20 million (R288 million) a year, with many believing it would be tough to turn down. If the Barca legend would join Tianjin, he will team up with the likes of Axel Witsel and Alexandre Pato. Iniesta has played just three full games across all competitions this season, and he could soon permanently lose his spot on the left side of ...

We ran out of superlatives for Lionel Messi  a long time ago, but the little genius was at it again on Sunday as Barcelona  battered  Real Betis 5-0. Messi scored twice, assisted and at one point dribbled past so many Real Betis players that even the home fans started applauding. He also did a couple of things for the first time ever - like assist for the fifth La Liga game in a row. And score and assist in four consecutive La Liga games. And his dribbling was better than we’ve seen in La Liga for a few seasons now. He’s also the ONLY player to score more than 25 goals in each of the last 10 seasons. What an absolute legend.

Sergi Roberto posts superb stat on his return to the Barcelona midfield role against Real Betis on Sunday. While Roberto has been a regular recently under Ernesto Valverde, it’s usually been at right-back, despite the summer arrival of Nelson Semedo. However, on Sunday Valverde opted to go with Semedo at right-back and Roberto in midfield, and wil have enjoyed what he saw from the duo. Here’s how Roberto made his case to remain in midfield in the first half. Will he stay there? It’s hard to say, Valverde’s line-up was heavily influenced by injuries, but there’s no doubting Roberto put in a superb display and might have given his boss food for thought.

Barcelona's 5-0 win over Real Betis  on Sunday was a brilliant result, but it was also a pretty sweet night for Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan scored twice in the match and now has 100 La Liga goals, in just 114 appearances - that’s some going. Suarez is also only the second Uruguayan to reach a century of goals in La Liga, behind Diego Forlan. Congratulations Luis Suarez and keep ‘em coming!

Welcome back,  La Liga ! The second round of the Spanish league seasons starts this weekend and the fixtures are reversed.  Barcelona  begin the return round with a trip to Seville for what promises to be a very tough, yet very fun game against Real Betis. The Catalan giants will face one of the most entertaining teams in Spain. Betis love to go forward and have scored (and conceded) plenty of goals this season. Their manager, Quique Setién, is one of the most attacking coaches in the league and has a squad full of skilled and quick players who can be devastating on their day. It’ll be interesting to see if Betis will be able to score against the best defense in Europe this season (just 9 goals conceded in 19 games), and it’ll be even more interesting to see if a poor Betis defense (36 goals conceded in 19 games) will be able to keep a clean sheet against Lionel Messi and his friends. This game will be crazy fun, and it is one you just can’t miss. LINEUPS Barce...

BARCELONA could reportedly be offered the chance to sign Eden Hazard in exchange for Ousmane Dembele if the Chelsea star refuses to renew his contract. The Catalan giants are flying high at the top of the La Liga table and strengthened this month with the capture of Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool. They continue to be linked with a whole host of top talent and were forced to deny a swoop for Atletico Madrid’s Antoine Griezmann was in the pipeline. One of last summer’s big-money captures, Dembele, has not faired so well at the Nou Camp though due to injuries. And the latest reports from Spain suggest Barcelona could be handed the chance to offload him in exchange for one of Chelsea’s top players. According to transfer specialists Don Balon Chelsea are unhappy about the tricks Real Madrid have used to show their interest in Hazard. And that comes as the Belgian weighs up whether he should sign a new contract unless the Bernabeu outfit move for him. Chelsea supp...

Chelsea have been drawn against Barcelona in the Champions League last-16 stage. Paying the price for finishing second behind Roma in the group phase, the Blues - who were victorious in the competition in the 2011/12 campaign - face a two-legged affair with the side they beat en route to the final that year. Despite losing Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, the Catalan giants sailed through the group stage and are the current La Liga leaders.

Barca's Coutinho alternative 09.15: Barcelona could turn to Miralem Pjanic as an alternative to Philippe Coutinho. Barca want Coutinho in January but have back up options if Liverpool reject their approaches. Liverpool rejected three offers for Coutinho in the summer and want to hold onto their star man. And Barca could now turn to Juventus ace Pjanic instead. Sturridge ready to leave 07.30: Daniel Sturrridge is ready to move abroad as he looks to get more game time. The Liverpool striker is out in the cold with Jurgen Klopp favouring his ‘Fab Four’ and Dominic Solanke, who started the Merseyside derby. And the Daily Mail claim Sturrridge could move abroad with Valencia and Real Betis monitoring his situation.  The striker, 28, has made just five starts and nine appearances in total in the Premier League, scoring two goals.

Chelsea were paired with Barcelona when the draw for the Round of 16 took place at UEFA headquarters in Switzerland today (Monday). The first leg will take place at home on Tuesday 20 February, kick-off 7.45pm (UK time), and the second leg away is on Wednesday 14 March, kick-off 7.45pm (UK time). We have a big history against Barcelona in the Champions League. Our first meeting in it came in the quarter-finals of the Blues’ maiden season in the competition. Our total of 12 Champions League games against Barca include a pair of two-legged semi-finals, the most recent of which was our famous encounter on the way to winning the trophy in 2012. This season's tie will take Cesc Fabregas and Pedro Rodriguez back to their former club.  Tickets for the home game will be sold to members on a loyalty points basis, one ticket per member. Full selling information will be published in due course.   The full draw is: Juventus v Tottenham Hotspur Basel v Manchester City Por...

NEYMAR has suggested Kylian Mbappe can become Paris Saint-Germain’s very own Lionel Messi. PSG kept up their 100% record in the Champions League last night with a 4-0 win away at Anderlecht. And both Mbappe and Neymar got on the scoresheet with Edinson Cavani and Angel Di Maria grabbing the other two. Mbappe scored the opening goal of the night after just three minutes and created history by finding the net. He is now the highest scoring teenager in Champions League history with eight goals - a feat that has never been reached by anyone under the age of 20 in the competition. I hope for Mbappé to be what Messi was for me at Barcelona... he is my friend Neymar And Brazil international Neymar was full of praise for the teenager, claiming he wants to build a similar relationship with the former Monaco star to the bond he had with Messi at Barcelona. "I hope for Mbappé to be what Messi was for me at Barcelona... he is my friend,” Neymar said. Mbappe now has four ...

What was Pique thinking? Although it was a good win for Barcelona,  it was a really poor night for Gerard Pique, who picked up his first ever red card (in 92 appearances) in the Champions League. There was a warning early on when he was yellow carded after just 11 minutes for a cynical foul on Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe. Shortly before half-time he was given his marching orders, after handling the ball over the line from a Gerard Deulofeu cross. Pique went into the game with five yellows from nine matches this season, all of which have been picked up in the first half, and it’s not his first for handball. The defender protested to the officials, but it was absolutely the right call, and it went on to cost Deulofeu as he was substituted at half-time for Javier Macherano. Was Valverde’s half-time substitution the right call? Which brings us neatly on to our second point, was Valverde right to take off Deulofeu for Mascherano at half-time? Deulofeu was actually one of Barc...

Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho has reportedly been promised a winter move to join Barcelona, according to Mundo Deportivo. Coutinho failed to complete a high profile move to join Barcelona during the summer transfer window despite huge bids from the Catalan giants but nonetheless, the Brazilian international could still join the Spanish giants in January. Recent reports from Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo state that Liverpool had promised Coutinho a January move to join Barcelona in order to keep the playmaker happy and motivated for the season. However, this alleged promise makes little sense as it will not be in the best interest for both teams involved to complete the transfer as big as this in January due to various reasons. From Barcelona’s point of view, the Brazilian will be cup-tied in the Champions League, which means there will be little value in signing a player they cannot feature in their most important competition. In terms of Liverpool’s perspective, it...

Lionel Messi's 'signing bonus' for staying at Barcelona could be as high as a record-breaking £80million ($149m) and the club hope to have a naming-rights sponsor for the Nou Camp as early as next season to help them pay for it. It is normal for clubs to add a signing-on fee or a renewal bonus in contracts but Messi's - estimated to be between £79m and £85m - is believed to be the highest ever. In a special report in Catalan paper L'Ara this week it was claimed Barcelona's wage bill as a percentage of overall revenue is now at 84 per cent, up to £430m, although Messi's contract sweetener is not included in that figure because it's a bonus payment spread across the years of his new deal and not paid as part of his wage. Barca are hopeful of announcing a new Nike deal next year as they try to further boost revenue to meet the wages and bonuses bill and the Nou Camp could have a sponsor's name added to it for the new season. Work on the 'Ne...

Messi scored a stunning hat-trick to rescue Argentina from World Cup humiliation. The national side risked failing to qualify for the World Cup and needed to beat Ecuador away to secure progression. And Messi rose to the occasion with three goals after Argentina went one down. But the Barcelona star has wasted little time celebrating with his international team-mates. Spanish newspaper Sport  pictured the player arriving at Barcelona Airport late on Wednesday evening. Argentina’s clash with Ecuador only ended around 2.30am UK time on Wednesday morning. Discussing the match, Messi said afterwards: “It was the fear of being knocked out, that would have been crazy for Argentina, for us and for everyone. “Obviously there was the fear, but today we knew how to play. "It was the fear that saved us. We had missed opportunities ourselves. “It was the fear of being left out (of Russia). It would have been crazy, not just for me, I don’t know how I’d have reacted, but...

Barcelona defender Jordi Alba reportedly turned down a move to join Manchester United, and it’s fair to say he’s got a good reason behind his decision. The 28-year-old has established himself as a key figure at the Nou Camp since joining the club from Valencia in 2012, making 208 appearances for the Catalan giants in all competitions. In that time, he’s won three La Liga titles, a Champions League trophy, a UEFA Super Cup and a FIFA Club World Cup, so he’s enjoyed a pretty decent spell in Catalonia. According to Don Balon , as re-reported by The Epress,  Man Utd were keen on him this past summer with Jose Mourinho looking to address his issues at left-back with the likes of Luke Shaw, Matteo Darmian and Daley Blind failing to nail down a permanent spot in the line-up. However, not only did Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde shut down the possibility of Alba leaving, but it’s added by Don Balon that the Spanish international himself didn’t want to depart as he preferred ...

Barcelona want Sane. Today we start with a fairly entertaining update from El Gol digital  who write that Barcelona’s latest top target is none other than Manchester City’s Leroy Sane. The Blaugrana are apparently preparing an offer of €120 million for the Germany international next summer. Sane is viewed as being a player capable of ultimately replacing Lionel Messi  but in the meantime would form part of a new-look attack alongside the Argentine and Ousmane Dembele. Barca still want Ozil & so do Manchester United Over at Goal,   the news is that Mesut Ozil remains a top target for both Barcelona and Manchester United. Ozil is interested in joining either club, and seems set to leave Arsenal, with his contract due to expire next summer. Barca are said to be tempted by Ozil as he is a far cheaper option to Philippe Coutinho, although there is apparently still hope he could remain with the Gunners. Valencia increase Ferran Torres’ release claus...