Category: Sports news

AC Milan Transfer News: Rossoneri looking to offload players; Scouting mission at AFCON being planned

AC Milan started the 2021/22 Serie A season on a bright note but have now fallen apart and are currently in a top four battle.

As they try to figure out how best to get their squad firing, here are the potential departures and arrivals for the Rossoneri, as well as the latest transfer news around the club.

Conti and Castillejo on the way out of San Siro

Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport are reporting that AC Milan want to offload both Andrea Conti and Samu Castillejo in the January window to assuage the club’s financial burden.

AC Milan are also facing some financial struggles of their own, having sold their headquarters building recently to aid their finances. Now, sporting director Paolo Maldini is looking to the squad to further reduce the club’s current financial burden and has identified Conti and Castillejo as players who could be let go of as they haven’t really contributed anything meaningful to the club’s season so far.

Both players have been on Milan’s transfer list since last season but no move materialised for either of them. However, Genoa now looks to be interested in Castillejo while Empoli want Conti.

PSG set unattainable price for defensive target

Key defender Simon Kjaer suffered a season-ending injury in November and Milan have been forced to enter the transfer market for a replacement.

The club went after 25-year-old PSG defender, Abdou Diallo, but latest reports from Calciomercato have claimed that Milan are thinking twice about the deal.

PSG have set an asking price of €25 million for the defender but Milan is not willing to match it. Calciomercato reports that neither side is willing, as of now, to compromise on their stance.

The next few weeks will determine, as the club desperately need another defender because they’re short-staffed innthag department currently.

Club captain Alessandro Romagnoli could also be leaving San Siro this season, either in January or in the summer, which further necessitates a new defensive signing.

AC Milan to scout Olympiacos midfielder at AFCON ahead of summer inquiry

Calciomercato reports that the Rossoneri will send scouts to the African Cup of Nations to watch Guinea midfielder, Aguibou Camara.

The reports claim that Milan, as well as Liverpool, have been monitoring the Olympiacos man for some time and will now make a decision on signing him based on the results of their scouting expedition.

The 20-year-old has five goals and four assists in all competitions for the Greek side this season after joining them for just €300,000 from LOSC Lille in France.

Camara, who can play all across the midfield and even as a striker is currently valued at €4.5 million and could see his price go up if he performs well with Guinea at the AfCON.

He will be an affordable option to replace Franck Kessie, who could be leaving the squad at the end of the season as well.

Real Madrid transfer news: Mariano Diaz out; Brazilian starlet in

Real Madrid are always looking to make signings and, as a result, have become one of the biggest buying clubs in world football.

While sources claim that the club’s January will be silent, there is still some news available to the public on potential departures and arrivals and here are two of the latest.

West Ham want Mariano Diaz

West Ham United have reportedly entered the race to sign Mariano Diaz to bolster their attack as the 2021/22 Premier League season gets into its busiest period.

El Nacional claim that the 28-year-old, who is also on the radars of Atletico de Madrid and Sevilla is a key January target for the Hammers who are currently fifth in the league and looking to break into the top four for the first time in decades.

Mariano has not had the return he envisaged when he signed for Real Madrid for a second stint in 2018. The Dominican famously took Cristiano Ronaldo’s number 7 jersey on his return after the departure of Los Blancos’ all time leading goalscorer for Juventus.

Mariano left Real Madrid for Olympique Lyonnais in 2017 after six years of almost no opportunities to showcase his talents. In one season, he convinced Los Blancos to sign him again.

After a good start in his second stint, he has since gone back to being a peripheral player and has even had the number 7 jersey which he demanded on his re-signing taken from him and given to Eden Hazard, another whose future at the Santiago Bernabeu is in doubt.

West Ham, however, will have to contend with Sevilla who have reportedly made proactive moves for Mariano’s signature and have gotten a response from Madrid.

The reports also state that Madrid are demanding €20 million for the striker.

If he leaves in January, Mariano will have made only 65 appearances for Los Blancos in his two spells and have scored 11 goals in total.

Madrid to battle Manchester City for new Brazilian talent

“New talent” does not quite describe Weslley Patati, who is already a phenomenon in Brazil.

Patati is yet to make his senior debut for Santos, yet the club values the 18-year-old at €100 million, which is a clear indication of his talents and the caliber of clubs looking into prying the youngster away from Brazil to Europe.

Real Madrid are the latest club to join the race for Patati and along with Premier League giants Manchester City, are the only clubs with the financial muscle to negotiate any sort of deal for the forward.

Spanish outlet Defensa Central reports that both clubs are currently vying for Patati who has a €100 million release clause in his contract with Santos.

Madrid seem to have the upper hand, however, as Patati has revealed in the past that he wishes to emulate another Santos-trained Brazilian starlet, Rodrygo Goes, in joining Real Madrid.

Rodrygo, 20, joined Los Blancos in 2019 as an 18-year old for €45 million and has impressed in his time at the Santiago Bernabeu.

It remains to be seen if the Spanish giants would be willing to pay €100 million to Santos for Patati, however.

Borussia Dortmund identify latest youngster for transfer

Borussia Dortmund have set their sights on 20-year-old Barcelona B central defender Mika Marmol, as they scout the world for more interesting young players to add to their ranks.

Barcelona’s La Masia is famed for the talent it produces. The past decade-and-a half, however, has seen the talent production from the famed academy take a nosedive.

But a lucky resurgence in the past few years has seen the club sign interesting youngsters in their early to late teens and groom them into the stars that La Masia is famed for producing.

Some of these players, together with a talented crop from the club’s Juvenil systems are now making a statement in the senior team.

Ansu Fati, Riqui Puig, Ronald Araujo, Oscar Mingueza were the first of the new generation to breakthrough. More recently, Pablo Paez Gavira alias Gavi, Nico Gonzalez, Alejandro Balde, Abdessamad Ezzalzouli alias Ez Abde and Ferran Jutgla are now making a name for themselves with the senior team.

There are other youngsters who Barcelona have great faith in and are currently on the fringes of the senior team, like Alex Collado, Ilias Akhomach, and Mika Marmol, who Borussia Dortmund is looking to tempt away from Barcelona with senior football.

Dortmund looking for loan with option to buy for Marmol

Marmol is a left-footed central defender like Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti. The 20-year-old is currently the third option for a left-footed central defender should manager Xavi Hernandez have an absolute need to play with one.

He could also find himself in the first team dynamics earlier than he expects as both Lenglet and Umtiti are not certain to remain Barcelona players for longer.

The Barcelona B defender, who signed from Spanish minnow club Jabac in 2018 has grabbed the attention of the expert talent spotters at BVB, who are looking to take the youngster to Germany on loan but with an option to buy for €10 million.

Reports from El Nacional claim that Barça president Joan Laporta is mulling over the proposal because the offer is a substantial one for a player with no senior football experience.

The offer, however, shows how good La Masia talents currently are and how profitable the academy can be for the club who is dealing with financial troubles.

The reports, however, claim that manager Xavi will make the final call on the deal as he has the player in his plans.

Barcelona Transfer News: Man City defender emerges new target; Contact made with Swiss midfielder

The winter transfer window is officially open and here is the latest news from cash strapped FC Barcelona.

Completed deals

Barcelona have been linked with a number of players despite being in a financial mess.

The club recorded billions of Euros in losses and debts in Jose Maria Bartomeu’s tenure as president and are currently facing their toughest period yet.

Joan Laporta, however, has managed to tie down key youngsters to new contracts with improved wages, while also signing Dani Alves and Ferran Torres for free and €55 million respectively ahead of the January window.

Both players will now be registered as January signings as Xavi Hernandez continues his squad rebuild.

Rumoured deals and contacts

Torres was one of a few Manchester City stars linked with a switch to the Camp Nou. Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva were also rumoured to be in the sights of Barcelona.

Sterling is reportedly learning Spanish from former teammate Torres who is now at Barcelona, and it has been claimed that the England international is preparing for a move to Barcelona.

Fresh reports now claim that another City player, Aymeric Laporte, who is valued at €65 million, is the club’s latest target as Xavi seeks to pair him with his former City teammate, Eric Garcia.

Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani as well as Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are also rumoured to be on Barcelona’s radar. The strikers are touted as replacements for Sergio Aguero who had to retire due to health issues after just four matches for Barcelona.

Xavi, however, is thought to be on the lookout for a midfielder to replace Busquets who Xavi wants to ease out of the starting 11.

As a result, the club have reportedly established contact with Swiss midfielder Dennis Zakaria who will not be renewing his contract at Borussia Monchengladbach as announced by the German Bundesliga club.

Ajax Amsterdam right-back, Noussair Mazraoui, is also a target and the club is reportedly working on signing him this January. His signing could be key to helping Barcelona sign the most sought-after player in football at the moment, Erling Haaland.

Potential departures

The club’s financial situation has reportedly led to them putting all but Pedri, Ansu Fati, and a few others on the transfer shortlist.

Philippe Coutinho and Sergiño Dest especially are two players whose futures at Camp Nou beyond January are currently in doubt.

The Brazilian is wanted by a number of clubs including Arsenal, Newcastle United and Everton in the Premier League, and Inter Milan in the Serie A, according to rumours.

Dest is attracting interest from Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and most recently, Juventus according to rumours.

Clement Lenglet could also be on his way out this January with both Sevilla and Tottenham Hotspur strongly interested in the 26-year-old per confirmed reports. However, Xavi would welcome the opportunity to keep Lenglet for longer at the Camp Nou as he considers the defender a key squad player.

Injury hit Chelsea faces setback to recall player out on loan

Chelsea are having an injury crisis at the worst moment in their season and have suffered even more setbacks as their attempts to recall one of their players on loan has failed.

The Blues have lost left-back Ben Chilwell for the rest of the season after a surgery on the torn ACL which he suffered back in November requires a recovery period of eight months.

Emerson Palmieri was a key part of Italy’s Euro 2020 title winning side but was never going to be a key player at Chelsea. The left-back risked not being selected for Italy’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers playoffs as well as the tournament itself should the Azurri qualify.

Emerson Palmieri left Stamford Bridge for Olympique Lyonnais on loan after discussing with his national team boss, Roberto Mancini who encouraged him to find options to play more.

He has made 15 Ligue 1 appearances so far this season for Lyon who are currently 13th on the log, plus three in the Europa League, contributing one goal and one assist.

Chelsea prefer not to go into the market in January for a replacement for Chilwell but have attempted to recall Emerson to support Marcos Alonso in January. The French side have reportedly blocked the move as there is no clause in the loan contract that allows for a recall.

Chelsea academy graduate Ian Maatsen who is currently playing on loan for Coventry in the Championship is another option that the Blues are exploring, but it doesn’t look likely either.

Former Barcelona man emerges as transfer target for Chelsea

While it has been reported that Chelsea are not looking to fill up the spot left by Ben Chilwell’s injury by signing a new player, the club has still identified a possible signing should their loan recall plans for Emerson and/or Maatsen totally fall through.

Everton fullback Lucas Digne has emerged as a prime target for Tuchel’s side in case they cannot get Emerson back. The former Barcelona man is reportedly ready to move on from Everton and would welcome a move to Stamford Bridge.

Italian journalist Angelo Mangiante, who broke the news, wrote: “Lucas Digne is the ideal player to replace Chilwell. He is Premier League proven and he has already played very well in one season in Rome with Rudiger.

“Digne is very good defensively and his crossing ability is pretty great too. He is Chelsea’s main goal.”

Chelsea will, however, face competition from Internazionale and Napoli who further reports claim to be interested in the 28-year-old. A move back to the Serie A could also interest the French defender, who once plied his trade at AS Roma.

Chelsea in dire straits with player fitness issues

Thomas Tuchel’s side’s setback was compounded on Wednesday evening when both Reece James and Andreas Christensen suffered injuries that are likely to rule them out for the next few weeks at least.

The German prefers a tactical system that relies heavily on attack-minded wing-backs and three central defenders but the injuries to both James and Christensen mean that his options are now severely limited.

The Blues seem to have failed in their bid to recall Emerson and are currently looking at recalling Maatsen. Tuchel has cut an exasperated figure with everything happening at the club.

“We can try to find players who are ready to play,” he said after the Brighton game which saw them drop two important points.

“We have no more wing-backs, we have everybody injured. Players coming back from Covid situation and they’re playing, playing, playing. I will always protect my players. I want to digest this and not talk about the next game.

“This is the reality, this is where we are and we have to adapt to the demands of the situation which you are in. This is what I am saying. I competed very hard for the win at Brighton at home.

“I don’t know what I can expect from my players in terms of physicality, intensity or minutes. Nobody knows anymore because we have never done something like this. We play trial and error and see what I can do. I will protect my team. We can play better but we need the full squad over weeks and weeks.

“If you see the impact from N’Golo Kante that he has if he only plays 30 minutes. One single player if you add the minutes that he is missing over a season, if you add the minutes over Mateo Kovacic it is too much.”

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang offered way out of Arsenal by former teammate

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could be returning to his former club Saint-Etienne according to latest reports.

Aubameyang has been speaking with his former teammate at Saint-Etienne, Bakary Sako, who has come out to reveal that the talks are mostly about convincing the striker to return to the French club.

The ostracised Arsenal striker is currently at Gabon’s camp to prepare for the African Cup of Nations. As the national team captain, Aubameyang will be expected to lead the line for his country.

His future after the Afcon with Arsenal is uncertain, however, as his current situation doesn’t look to have an end in sight. His reps have started looking for other clubs and now, his former teammate is offering him another way out.

Sako rejoined Saint-Etienne after stints at Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers But is yet to make an appearance for the club. The midfielder played with Aubameyang in his first stint at the French club between 2009 and 2012.

He is now trying to play agent for the club by convincing Aubameyang, who is still one of the world’s elite strikers to return to the club where he first made his name.

It is not easy to leave London, Sako says of Aubameyang’s situation

The Gabonese striker moved to North London in 2018 and became a fan favourite immediately.

He has grown to love the environment, even choosing to stay out of a new-found love for the environment. He was rewarded with a bumper contract which is worth around £350,000 a week.

Sako, who spent some time in London with Crystal Palace over two different stints admitted that London is a hard city to say goodbye to.

“I am trying to attract him,” Sako said in a press conference. “Wouldn’t you like to see Aubameyang back at Saint-Etienne? We all feel the same. I am very serious when I tell him to come, even if it is in a joking tone.

“I don’t know if it is possible, but I hope he will respond favourably. It is difficult because he has been at Arsenal for a long time, it is not easy to leave London.”

Aubameyang has played 128 league games for the Gunners and scored 68 goals for them in the time he’s been at the Emirates. He has 165 total appearances for the Gunners and has scored a total of 92 goals.

Saint-Etienne currently sit at 20th in Ligue 1 and the club could do with Aubameyang’s goal scoring abilities to help them avoid relegation.

Jack Wilshere offered new lease of life as a footballer

Elsewhere, Brazilian outfit Fortaleza has offered former Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere a route back into football.

The 29-year-old is currently without a club but has been training with his former side Arsenal to stay match fit in case any club comes calling.

Brazilian media reports claim that Fortaleza has identified the midfielder as one of several high profile signings they want to bring into the club as they prepare for their first ever season in the Copa Libertadores.

Real Madrid reach transfer agreement with PSG star

Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid have agreed a strategy for the Frenchman’s switch to LaLiga at the end of the season, according to reports.

Los Blancos are focused on taking the World Cup winner to Santiago Bernabeu above all else and have now agreed a strategy with the Frenchman for the transfer.

The reports claim that Mbappe and Madrid have agreed they will not finalise a deal until the end of the season. The Spanish giants were looking at a backdoor deal to get the 23-year-old to commit in January but Mbappe wants to respect PSG and PSG’s fans.

Mbappe and PSG have also been drawn to face Madrid in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 in February and March and a January agreement will benefit neither of the clubs.

Mbappe, in an interview with CNN earlier in the week, assured PSG fans that he will remain with the club until the end of the season and work hard to win a big trophy for them this season.

However, he still harbours dreams of a move to Madrid and is refusing to sign a new contract at PSG. He has now agreed with Madrid to open talks at the end of the season to allow him focus on delivering his promise to PSG fans.

Mbappe and Madrid talked in December, transfer journalist claims

Speaking on his Transfer Window Podcast, Duncan Castles claims that both parties have held talks over the highly anticipated transfer.

Castles also claims that an agreement has been reached to conclude a deal later in 2022.

“Mbappe held talks with Real Madrid in December,” Castles said.

“Obviously not direct talks, through using intermediaries to discuss strategies to enable that move that both parties want.

“In those talks, the conclusion was reached that they would not finish a deal and not attempt to finish a deal in the January window, even though he is formally and legally allowed to speak to Real Madrid and sign a pre-contract if he wanted to.

“The primary reason is Real Madrid were drawn with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Mbappe wants to respect the club and he doesn’t want any problems in his last six months at PSG.

“Real Madrid also feel it would not be a good idea to try and force the deal to closure at this point, given that they have to play Paris Saint-Germain, given the complications that would have entering into the match.

“They are confident they have this deal in place when it’s safer to conclude.

“And therefore you have a situation where Mbappe and Real Madrid have agreed ‘we leave it until the summer, we want this to happen, the intention is there on bad sides, but the timing is bad on a sporting perspective.”

“I want to return to Inter,” Romelu Lukaku says

Sky Sports Italy have released a teaser of an interview with Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku whose comments have sent shockwaves throughout the Chelsea fan base.

Lukaku rejoined Chelsea from Inter Milan for £97.5 million in the summer, ten years after he left the club to seek more opportunities.

The striker has scored a decent seven goals in 18 appearances for the Blues but has struggled to show his Inter form due to injuries, COVID-19 and Thomas Tuchel’s tactics.

The 28-year-old striker spoke to Matteo Barzaghi of Sky Sports Italy about his feelings following the move from Inter, his time at Chelsea, and his love for Italy.

“After two years in Italy, where I worked so hard at Inter with the fitness staff and nutritionist, I feel better than ever,” the former Manchester United man.

“However, I am not happy with the situation at Chelsea, that is normal. I think the coach chose to play a different system, I just have to not give up, keep working and be professional. I am not happy with the situation, but I’m a hard worker and I mustn’t give up.”

Lukaku apologises to Inter fans

Inter supporters turned on the 28-year-old and called him a ‘traitor’ for asking the club to accept Chelsea’s transfer offer.

Lukaku has always wanted to return to Stamford Bridge and didn’t hesitate to take the chance when it came knocking.

Now Lukaku has expressed some regrets on the way the transfer player out and apologised to the fans of the Nerazurri.

“It wasn’t meant to happen like that,” Lukaku said. “The way I left Inter, the way I communicated with the fans, this annoys me, because this might not be the right time to say it, but back then it didn’t feel like the right moment either.

“Now I think it’s right to speak, because I said that I will always have Inter in my heart and I genuinely hope to one day go back to play there. I am in love with Italy, this is the time to let people know what really happened, without bad-mouthing anyone, because that’s not my style.

“I want to apologise to Inter fans, because I think the way I left should’ve been done differently. I should’ve spoken to you first, because the things you did for me, for my family, my mother, my son, those will stay with me for the rest of my life.

“I really, genuinely from the bottom of my heart hope to come back to Inter, not at the end of my career, but while I am still at the level to win more trophies.”

“That’s really s***”: Sebastian Haller replies Afcon or club question

Sebastian Haller is the latest to kick against the “disrespect” shown by Europeans towards the African Cup of Nations.

COVID is currently ripping throughout Europe and the restrictions from the thick of the pandemic are back in many countries.

A few African nations have been red-listed by some European countries and why this move is causing eyebrows to be raised on the political scene, European clubs are looking to take advantage of this to prevent their players from leaving for Afcon.

The 27-year-old former France youth international who declared for the country of his mother’s birth in 2020, was asked by a correspondent of Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf if he would answer Cote d’Ivoire’s call to represent them at Afcon.

Furiously, he replied, “This question shows the disrespect for Africa. Would this question ever get asked to a European player ahead of the EUROs?

“Of course I am going to the Africa Cup [of Nations]. This tournament was actually supposed to be held in the summer, but was postponed due to Covid.

“Of course I will go to the Africa Cup to represent Ivory Coast. That is the highest honour.”

“I hate having to choose,” Haller says

Haller’s outburst is as a result of the way African players across Europe have been asked to choose between club and country.

Many prominent African footballers have spoken out against the “belittling” of the tournament. Emmanuel Adebayor, former Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham forward who was captain of the Togolese national team even came out to claim that no coach would have stopped him from going for Afcon in his time.

“There is no coach in the world that can prevent me from playing at the Afcon,” Adebayor is quoted as saying by GHANAsoccernet.

“It’s disgusting that some persons are trying to prevent the African players from playing at the Afcon.”

Haller echoed Adebayor’s sentiments. To his earlier comments, he added: “I hate having to choose between my country and my club. That’s really s***.

“This situation is very frustrating. I hate having to choose between my country and my club. That’s really s***.”

Watford looking to block Emmanuel Dennis from Afcon

Elsewhere, Watford boss Claudio Ranieri is trying to block his star man Emmanuel Dennis from travelling with Nigeria to the Afcon tournament in January.

Ranieri claims that the Nigerian Football Federation sent the notice late and as a result, they may not be granted access to Dennis.

“The email didn’t arrive at the right moment. The national team has a time to send a pre-call. They didn’t respect the days, and I want to see,” Ranieri said.

“They have a time when they need to send a pre-call; if they don’t send it, we can choose.

“I’m not so sure I will miss him now, I don’t know if he will go. Let’s think about it this week, and then I will tell you.”

Barcelona signs Ferran Torres as Xavi prepares for a make-or-break second half of the season

On Tuesday, Barcelona officially completed the signing of Ferran Torres from Manchester City for €55 million to the excitement of Barcelona fans the world over.

Torres, 21, has not featured for Manchester City since September after suffering a foot injury playing for Spain during the international break, but not before scoring two goals and providing one assist in the Premier League, and scoring three goals in seven appearances in all competitions for the Citizens.

In total, the right-winger scored 16 goals and provided four assists in 43 games for City across all competitions in the 16 months he spent at the Etihad.

The right-winger is the second signing of the Xavi Hernandez dispensation after Dani Alves, signing until 2027. His release clause is set at €1 billion, which is the same amount that Barcelona has slapped on all their promising youngsters who are attracting the interests of many clubs in Europe.

Torres, who has resumed training with his new teammates, looks set to make his debut for the Blaugrana in the Copa del Rey against Linares Deportivo on Jan. 5. His LaLiga debut will come a little later.

Barcelona will present Torres to the club’s fans on Monday 3 January after which the club’s facilities will be open for the fans to witness the 21-year-old train with his new teammates. 

What can Ferran Torres bring to Camp Nou?

The versatile attacker who is deployed mostly as a right-winger but can play expertly as a left-winger, a central striker and as a second striker is the first of Xavi’s signings which he intends to use to change the club’s fortunes in front of goal.

Torres is also a proven LaLiga veteran, already having made 71 LaLiga appearances and a total of 140 senior club appearances at the young age of 21. However, it was under the tutelage of Barcelona legend and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola that he became a feared goalscorer, as he was deployed more often in the central striker role.

Torres is especially adept at shooting. He has an eye for a shot, being able to turn any chance into a shooting opportunity. His accuracy is also frightening too as many of his shots hit the target. But for great goalkeeping and defending from most of his opponents, the right-winger will have more than his current career total of 25 senior goals.

Ferran Torres himself spoke of what he will bring to Camp Nou after his signing was confirmed to the media. “Versatility, as I think I can play any of the three positions up front, which is important if there are injuries or whatever,” he said.

“I intend to help the team score goals, provide assists and defend.”

Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain had great words to say about the youngster’s short stint at the Etihad: “Ferran should be proud of what he has achieved here at Manchester City,” he said.

“Last season was his first time in a new country, but he adapted well. He always gave 100%, worked hard for the team and scored goals which helped us win trophies.

“Injury unfortunately prevented him from playing more games this season, but Ferran is a player we have all enjoyed working with and we wish him all the best at Barcelona and for the rest of his career.”

Ferran Torres signing is a declaration of Barcelona’s intent

Barcelona’s announcement video of Ferran Torres’ signing showed Ansu Fati, Ronald Araujo, Pedri, Eric Garcia, Nico and Gavi, with Torres rounding up the lot. This shows that Xavi and Joan Laporta are looking to build a team of the future after having a squad full of players over the age of 30.

The club knows they cannot afford another shaky season with their legacy on the line and debts piling up. Xavi made it known from the day of his appointment that the club had to begin again and so far, steps have been taken in that direction.

Ferran Torres’ arrival also means that Barcelona have to sell, and fast. Quite a few players are already on the market, and Barcelona fans can be looking forward to a totally new squad by this time next year