FC barcelona News

Ibrahimovic: Mancini Suitable For Manchester City

2009-12-31T07:35:00.000-08:00

Many rumors if management decisions Manchester City appoint Roberto Mancini as coach to replace Mark Hughes got a rejection from the internal team. Issue, some players could boycott.

But for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Manchester City's need figures like Mancini. Barcelona's striker Mancini rate can change manchester City into a respected team.

"I think Manchester City have to understand they can not be Barcelona or Inter Milan overnight. It only takes a lot, but also the right person to handle the team," said Ibrahimovic told People quoted Il Corriere dello Sport on Monday (28 / 12).

"Mancini will change the mentality of the club because he is a good coach, and players must be aware of in the near future."

"Only a good coach who can handle a great player. If they see a weak coach, who had never handled a large team, they can take advantage of it."

"It is not respecting Mark Hughes, but Manchester City need a coach who knows how to change the team mediocre to great," he said Ibrahimovic.

Messi wants New Challenges

2009-12-31T07:29:00.000-08:00

Lionel Messi submit the resolution for the year 2010. Barcelona star who brings his team successfully won six championships this year, as well as carrying herself as the best player of Europe and the world that wants to carve out a higher performance again.

"My hope for 2010 is to continue winning the title with Barcelona. To be honest, I never tired or even exhausted mind to be a champion," said Messi told Sport, Monday (28/12).

"Personally, not much more can I ask for this year. Needless to say, I want to continue to develop myself as a footballer, because I was one person who thinks there is room to develop themselves."

"I like new challenges, although I have to appreciate how spectacular this year," he explained.

Mourinho praised Guardiola

2009-12-31T07:23:00.000-08:00

Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho is secretly a huge fan of Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola. The Special One claimed to strongly support that Guardiola could sign a contract any longer with Barca.

"I expect Pep Guardiola could survive as Barcelona coach any longer," said Mourinho.

Mourinho's statement was born because until now Guardiola was still not updated his contract with Real Madrid - the club who have won six titles diantarkannya differ in one year.

"I saw that Guardiola is able to understand very well how to adapt the culture of Madrid and of course the best coach for the team," he said.

Report: Barcelona To Make Official Offer To Valencia For David Villa Via Bancaja

2009-07-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

Valencia and their president, Manuel Llorente have spent the past few days bluntly denying rumours that they are currently engaged in negotiations to sell David Villa to Barcelona.

That has largely to do with the fact that the Blaugrana have yet to table any formal bids, which they are now ready to do, according to various reports in Spain.

Both Sport and El Periodico believe that Barca will make an official offer of €40 million plus Keirrison (on loan) and Martinn Caceres. It is believed, however, that the Catalan giants will not submit their proposal directly to Los Che. Instead, they will go through Bancaja, the financial institution currently overlooking Valencia’s debt, which has now reportedly amounted to €547 million.

Barca are hoping that the organisation will pressure Valencia to accept the deal as the Mestalla outfit have frequently persisted that they want more than €40m in cash for Villa without any player swaps included in the agreement.

It has been reported that ‘El Tricampeon’ have already agreed personal terms with ‘El Guaje’ in a deal worth €7.5 million per year for five seasons.

Arsenal Captain Cesc Fabregas Would Cost Barcelona €50m - Report

2009-07-03T22:00:00.000-07:00

Barcelona supremo, Joan Laporta had confirmed yesterday that he as well as the club’s coaching staff are intent on taking Cesc Fabregas back from Arsenal.

Last week, meanwhile, the Blaugrana’s potential presidential candidate for next year, Sandro Rosell revealed that he wants to make the midfielder his pre-election promise.

These declarations have not gone unnoticed in England and The Sun has predicted that only a €50 million offer would be enough to tempt the Gunners to part with their skipper, eventhough the price tag was set by the media at just €40m a few days prior.

With limited transfer budget this summer, Barcelona are unlikely to even attempt a move for their former young sensation. And Sport believes, despite the constant rumours about Cesc’s future over the past few weeks, that the 22-year-old will not be a priority for the Catalan behemoths for the upcoming season.

I Am Desperate To Play For Barcelona - Filipe

2009-07-03T21:55:00.000-07:00

Deportivo La Coruna defender Luis Filipe has stated that he is "desperate" to play for Barcelona and that it is a dream for him.

The full back appears to be on the verge of a move to Barcelona but as of yet nothing has been agreed upon, with Deportivo reportedly demanding more money than Barcelona are willing to pay.

Filipe himself has stated his desire to play for the Catalan club on numerous occasions and today he told Radio Galega "I am desperate to play for Brazil and for Barcelona".

"It is a dream and the opportunity of a life time. That makes me nervous because there is a lot of anxiety and desire that can be quickly fixed," he said.

"I will never interfere in the matters of [Augusto Cesar] Lendorio [Deportivo president]. I owe a lot to him because he opened the doors of La Primera to me, but I did not ask for a pay rise and I expect that they will think about my future because I can succeed and move up into the national team."

Filipe also acknowledged that he is aware Barcelona are not willing to pay the €20 million release clause to sign him.

"It is reported that Barcelona are not desperate for a full back, and it is very hard to pay that much for, in theory, a substitute, but I promise I would fight for a starting place," he declared.

Barcelona And Manchester City Look For Eto'o Solution - Report

2009-07-03T21:49:00.000-07:00

Barcelona and Manchester City are lining up further talks to try and find a solution to the transfer of Samuel Eto'o from Barcelona outfit to the Premier League side, according to a report.

Eto'o is believed to have agreed to a €10 million a year contract at Eastlands, but has demanded compensation from Barcelona for forcing him to move.

While that obstacle is also under consideration, the matter of how much Manchester City will have to pay is still ensuring that the two clubs are yet to reach an agreement.

Barcelona have offered to lower their asking price of €30 million if City are willing to raise their initial bid to show willing and talks can then continue, Sport state.

With only one season left on his current contact, Barcelona are trying to earn as much from Eto'o's transfer as possible, with the money then being used to buy David Villa from Valencia.

City have agreed to further negotiations after contact was made, and a move could be completed by the end of next week when Eto'o returns from the United States.

Report - Barcelona To Move For Juan Mata

2009-07-03T21:41:00.000-07:00

Barcelona are preparing to make a bid for Juan Mata, but they will only make their interest official once they have signed David Villa, according to a report.

The 21 year old forward is now at the top of the treble winners list of players to add to their ranks after Barcelona opted to not pursue Franck Ribery or David Silva.

Coach Pep Guardiola has kept his cards close to his chest on summer signings, but El Mundo Deportivo believes that a left sided forward is a priority.

Mata has a contract with Valencia until 2013, but he only earns €600,000 per year, and Barcelona would be able to increase that significantly if he were to agree to join them.

His father, also called Juan Manuel Mata, is a FIFA agent who represents player agency Traffic in Europe and has often held talks with Barcelona in their dealings to sign Henrique and Keirrison.

That line of communication has allowed the Blaugrana to let Mata senior know what would be on the table, and to learn how much Valencia value his son.

Valencia's enormous debts have not stopped them from making Silva unavailable, but Mata could well push for a move to the Camp Nou, which could be the key to any deal.

Florent Malouda was also on Barca's list before he penned a new deal with Chelsea, while Robinho has been ruled out of a move by Manchester City.

Barca Want "David Villa" Next Week As Valencia Must Sell

2009-07-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

Barcelona are keen to wrap up a deal to sign David Villa next week as Valencia know that they have to sell the striker in order to appease their enormous debt with the banks, according to reports in Barcelona.

Los Che's president, Manuel Llorente, may have claimed that the striker was not for sale, but Sport believe that the club recognise that they have no choice but to listen to offers.

With a debt now totalling €547 million, Bancaja, among others, are leaning on Valencia to make a repayment in order to reduce the amount by a considerable chunk.

Offers of loan players heading to the Mestalla are of no interest as a result and Barcelona will have to raise the money on offer and end talk of Keirrison or Caceres being included in any deal.

Talks between Villa and Barca directors Txiki Begiristain and Raul Sanllehi in Asturias this week were not well received by the Valencia hierarchy, but there is little that can be done.

Barcelona are now waiting to see who must make the first move, according to El Mundo Deportivo, with the Camp Nou board hoping to receive a call from Valencia to reopen negotiations.

David Villa has made it clear that he would like to go to Barcelona and both Sport and El Mundo Deportivo are convinced that a deal will be done, with the latter's reporters staying in Asturias near the player to speak to his family and friends.

Sport believe that the former Real Zaragoza forward has told his relatives that he will be joining the Catalan club and that he would prefer a resolution to the matter before having to return to Valencia.

A five year deal worth €7.5 million-per-season has been agreed, according to Sport, between Barcelona and the player. Now Barcelona will likely offer Valencia a fee between €40m and €50m.

Report: Barcelona Ready To Drop Filipe Luis Interest To Focus On Bruno Alves

2009-07-03T21:25:00.000-07:00

Barcelona have grown tired of Deportivo La Coruna playing hard ball over Filipe Luis. The Galicians have been holding firm on their €20 million asking price for the Brazilian, while the Catalan giants are only prepared to pay half that amount.

And according to Sport, Blaugrana coach Pep Guardiola, who is reportedly getting impatient with the lack of reinforcements, wants the club to forget about the left-back slot.

The Barca-based paper believes that the Santpedor-born trainer is confident Eric Abidal will be able to perform his duties as the main left-back with the versatile Carles Puyol acting as a back-up when necessary. Instead, Pep now wants to focus on bringing in a two reliable centre-backs and has targeted Porto’s Bruno Alves and Shakhtar Donetsk’s Dmytro Chyhrynskyi.

The 27-year-old Porto man will not be easy for Barca to lure, as his club have slapped a €30m price tag on him, although the Catalan giants are hoping to bring it down to a mere €15m once negotiations start.

And even though the player himself has said he is in no hurry to leave the Dragao, his father, Washington Alves, told Sport, “Bruno is excited, because it fills him with pride that such a big club is asking for him.

“It’s true that he is a little worried as he is unsure about his future because he knows that one of the best clubs in the world have made an offer for him.”

The 22-year-old Chyhrynskyi, however, could be a slightly easier target for Guardiola. The centre-back would also cost Barcelona around €15m and the player has already made it known that he wants to make the jump to the Camp Nou.

Shakhtar’s coach Mircea Lucescu is aware that he could lose his key player, but he admitted that nothing is concrete yet.

“We are aware that Barca are interested in him, but [club president] Akhmetov has not accepted any offers yet so he continues to be our player,” Sport quoted him saying.

Liverpool Prepared To Sell Mascherano To Barcelona At The Right Price - Report

2009-07-02T23:18:00.000-07:00

Barcelona are ready to bid for Javier Mascherano, having been told by Liverpool that they would consider a sale at the right place.

The Blaugrana have been chasing Mascherano for some time, but Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez had been adamant in his refusal to let the player go. However, according to El Mundo Deportivo, he appears to have conceded that Mascherano has his heart set on a move to the Camp Nou, and is willing to sanction a sale.

Now, The Independent is reporting that Barca have prepared a €29 million bid for the midfielder, a figure that would represent that vast majority of their reported transfer budget. Rafael Benitez had previously set a €58 million asking price on Mascherano's head, but he is prepared to compromise.

However, any deal could hinge on whether Xabi Alonso seals his proposed move to Real Madrid. Alonso and Mascherano are both key components of Liverpool's midfield, and Benitez would be loath to lose both of them at once.

Mascherano has represented Liverpool 79 times during his time at Anfield, and is currently Argentina's captain. Barca are desperate for midfield reinforcements ahead of next season, as Yaya Toure and Seydou Keita are set to to miss a month of an already gruelling campaign due to the African Nations Cup.

Barcelona President Laporta Confirms Interest In Arsenal Skipper Cesc Fabregas

2009-07-02T23:14:00.000-07:00

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed that his club are eager to sign their superstar youth product, Cesc Fabregas, from Arsenal.

The Spanish midfielder has been linked with his former club for a long time, but these comments from Laporta confirm that a move is a distinct possibility.

Speaking to radio station Cadena Cope, the supremo said, "Cesc Fabregas has the Barcelona DNA in his body and we know that he wants to play for this club.

"At the moment he is the leader at Arsenal and a very important player for them. But Cesc is wanted by me, by the coach Pep Guardiola, and by the sport director Txiki Begiristain.

“We are concentrating all of our efforts on it, but at the same time we have a lot of respect for Arsenal. We have positive relations with Arsenal so it will not be an easy topic to talk to them about.”

The player himself has sent mixed messages about his future recently, re-affriming his commitment to the Gunners while confirming that he would love to play for Barcelona at some point.

Arsenal signed Fabregas in 2003, offering him a professional contract before Barca were able to due to Spanish laws. Since then, he has made 231 appearances for the club, and is currently their captain.

Keirrison Promises Proper Palmeiras Farewell Before Leaving For Barcelona

2009-07-02T23:11:00.000-07:00

Keirrison has stirred up a storm at Palmeiras while he patiently waits for an official word to complete his move to Barcelona.

His coach, Vanderlei Luxemburgo, has already been sacked for banishing him from the squad and lambasting his lack of professionalism, while just recently, team captain Edmilson slated the young striker for isolating himself from the rest of the team.

But 'K9' has now responded swiftly to clear up the situation to ensure he does not leave the Verdao on a sour note.

“I do want to say goodbye to everyone and I will speak to Edmilson so that he can tell to me about Barca,” he told Globoesporte.

“Everything has happened very fast and so far I have only been able to speak to two of my team-mates [Willians and Pierre] on the telephone, but I want to thank everyone for their support.”

Keirrison is expected to touch down in Barcelona on July 13 to finalise the transfer, but it is reported that he will personally address the issue with Palme

I Want To Join Barcelona - David Villa

2009-07-02T23:08:00.000-07:00

David Villa has told Barcelona, in a face-to-face meeting, that he wants to join them - and now the Catalan club are set to make a push to secure his services.

The Valencia striker maintained his silence over a move away from Mestalla throughout the Confederations Cup, but is now reported to have made his intentions clear.

Blaugrana technical secretary Txiki Begiristain flew to Asturias on Monday to speak directly to Villa and was told in no uncertain terms that the player wanted a deal to be done.

"I want to join Barcelona," Villa is quoted as telling the Barca chief by Sport.

Valencia admitted that there have been talks, but the rumour mill has since gone into over-drive regarding the type of deal that could be put forward to try and convince them to sell.

If Barcelona meet los Che's asking price then a move could be done, but the involvement of loan players is said to complicate matters and could delay any move.

Villa has yet to return to Valencia after going back to Asturias to be with his family, and until he reports for pre-season training there will be no out

Eidur Gudjohnsen Could Yet Stay With Barcelona - Father

2009-07-02T23:06:00.000-07:00

Eidur Gudjohnsen could stay at Barcelona, if the club want him and ignore offers from across Europe, but he will not be rushed into any decision, according to his father.

The Icelandic international has been widely tipped to leave Camp Nou this summer after playing a bit-part role last term, and several English teams have already registered their interest.

But Arnor Gudjohnsen, who acts as his son's agent, does not think that he will automatically leave Barcelona and could well opt to stay and compete for a place next season in Pep Guaridola's side.

"Well, there is nothing happening at the moment, it seems to be very quiet," he is quoted as saying by Sport.

"Eidur is not in any rush and he plans to make his decision in two or three weeks.

"To be honest everything is possible, he might stay in Spain or he could go to England, he has not made up his mind."

Report: Barcelona Waiting For David Villa Agreement Before Confirming Keirrison Deal

2009-07-02T22:54:00.000-07:00

Real Madrid may have to step out of the summer limelight for a moment as their eternal enemies, Barcelona, prepare to make their first big move in the transfer market.

The Spanish media are now convinced that ‘El Tricampeon’ are moving closer towards signing David Villa from Valencia, following reports that the player and his agent, Jose Luis Tamargo, met yesterday with Barca's technical director, Txiki Begiristain, to begin negotiations.

AS is speculating that the Blaugrana will offer Los Che anywhere between €35 million to €40 million, a sum that would still fall short of the Mestalla outfit’s expectations.

As such, it is believed that Begiristain has asked ‘El Guaje’ to force the issue and demand an exit, and if Valencia are willing to open talks, then the Catalan giants could include Martin Caceres or even Bojan Krkic in the deal.

Globosporte, meanwhile, has confirmed that Barcelona have reached an agreement with Traffic Sports Marketing to sign Keirrison for around €16m.

However, AS reckons that the official announcement has been postponed because Barca are waiting to reach an agreement for Villa first, as the club fear that Valencia would significantly increase their asking price for the striker.

It is also widely expected that 'K9' could be incorporated into a part-exchange deal to lure Villa to the Camp Nou.

Report: La Blaugrana Waiting For "David Villa" Agreement Before Confirming Keirrison Deal

2009-07-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

Real Madrid may have to step out of the summer limelight for a moment as their eternal enemies, Barcelona, prepare to make their first big move in the transfer market.

The Spanish media are now convinced that ‘El Tricampeon’ are moving closer towards signing "David Villa" from Valencia, following reports that the player and his agent, Jose Luis Tamargo, met yesterday with Barcelona's technical director, Txiki Begiristain, to begin negotiations.

AS is speculating that the Blaugrana will offer Los Che anywhere between €35 million to €40 million, a sum that would still fall short of the Mestalla outfit’s expectations.

As such, it is believed that Begiristain has asked ‘El Guaje’ to force the issue and demand an exit, and if Valencia are willing to open talks, then the Catalan giants could include Martin Caceres or even Bojan Krkic in the deal.

Globosporte, meanwhile, has confirmed that Barcelona have reached an agreement with Traffic Sports Marketing to sign Keirrison for around €16m.

However, AS reckons that the official announcement has been postponed because Barcelona are waiting to reach an agreement for David Villa first, as the club fear that Valencia would significantly increase their asking price for the striker.

It is also widely expected that 'K9' could be incorporated into a part exchange deal to lure David Villa to Barcelona

Filipe Pleads With Deportivo For Barca Decision

2009-07-01T19:22:00.000-07:00

Filipe Luis has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona as the Catalan club continue their quest to find a replacement for Sylvinho.

Despite Barcelona's strong interest in Filipe, an agreement between the two clubs has reportedly reached a stalemate as Deportivo remain determined to be paid the €20 million stipulated in the Brazilian left-back's contract.

And Filipe, who has made no secret of his wish to play for the Champions League holders, has urged Deportivo to make a quick decision on his future.

"Talks have been going on for a long time and one hopes for a solution as soon as possible because I do not know if I have to leave or stay," he told Catalunya Radio.

"This is a very troublesome situation."

Agent - Barcelona Make Official Enquiry About Mascherano

2009-07-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

Barcelona have made contact with Mascherano, but are yet to make an official offer until they are confident he will be allowed to leave, according to a report.

The Blaugrana's technical secretary, Txiki Begiristain, has spoken to Reds boss Rafa Benitez about the Argentinian international in order to let him know of the club's interest.

Sport believe that Liverpool manager is unhappy about the situation and that Liverpool are also unsettled that Barca are alleged to have already sounded out the player's agent.

Real Madrid have no chance of persuading Javier Mascherano to join them as he is now focused on pushing through a move to Barcelona, the report states.

Mascherano's agent, Walter Tamer, is aware of the conversation between Begiristain and Benitez and also knows that Barceona view his client as a fundamental player for next season.

According to Sport, Liverpool need to sell in order to reinforce their own squad and the question remains over which players they will be prepared to let go.

Madrid are keen on Xabi Alonso and Juventus are also said to have registered their interest, but Benitez will not allow both his central midfielders to leave, and that is why Begiristain made direct contact to explain Barca's position.

Agent - Samuel Eto'o Prepared To Join City

2009-07-01T19:16:00.001-07:00

Eto'o could be set to join Manchester City despite Barcelona's offer of a new contract because he has become disillusioned with the Catalan club, according to his agent.

Samuel Eto'o has stated that his first option would be to stay at Barcelona, but Josep Maria Mesalles thinks that Barcelona are looking to edge him out after being told he is not wanted

That belief is growing despite the offer of a two year extension to his contract, and a move to Manchester City could be on the cards if all the criterior are met.

"If we find out for sure that they don't want him, then we will do our best to find him another club and Manchester City would be a good option," Mesallaes told reporters in Barca.

"There are only about six or seven clubs out there who could afford Eto'o, but Manchester City is one and they are a serious club.

"In theory he wants to play in the Champions League, but if Manchester City have an offer accepted, we would be delighted to go there," he said.

Barcelona have made it clear that they do not see the striker who netted 29 league goals last term as part of their plans, despite the public declarations that they want him to stay.

"We have had two meetings with the club and they have told us both times that Samuel is not in their plans for next season," Mesalles continued.

"I don't know if they made the offer because they want him to stay or because they want to make money.

"They want 30 to 35 million euros from his sale and that is unrealistic - he has one year left on his contract and they are asking for too much, especially in a year when he would play the African Cup of Nations and then the World Cup in the summer.

"Samuel is very disappointed with Barcelona."

Report - Keirrison Will Arrive In The Catalan On July 13

2009-07-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

After reporting that Barca would confirm the signing of Keirrison from Palmeiras by the end of yesterday, newspaper Sport is confident that the deal is now definitely done and all that is missing is a contract to make the signing official.
The Catalan based daily revealed that Keirrison unofficially declared himself a Barcelona player last Sunday when he inserted his own picture next to Barcelona badge on his website.

The paper then explained that the reason the transfer wasn’t formally announced yesterday was because both Palmeiras and Barcelona decided to postpone the confirmation until the end of this week in order to obtain maximum media coverage.

The highly rated 20 year old striker also divulged on his website that he will not be participating in any further games in Brazil and he will start training alone to avoid picking up any injuries.

Sport has quoted July 13 (a week on Monday) as the date K9 will disembark at Barcelona’s El Prat Airport to conduct the usual medical examinations and sign a contract that will tie him to the Camp Nou for four years.

It is still unclear if Barcelona will keep hold of the youngster, or use him as a pawn to sign David Villa from Valencia.

Barcelona To Offer Liverpool €30m For Mascherano

2009-07-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

Various reports in Spain appear to be hinting that Barca are growing impatient at their lack of activity in the summer transfer period.

Following rumours yesterday that Spain’s treble champions are on the verge of signing Keirrison from Palmeiras, AS is now reporting that the Barcelona hierarchy are about to send off a fax, if they haven’t already done so, to Liverpool with an “irresistible offer” for Mascherano. It is believed that the offer could reach or even exceed €30 million.

The bid may instantly wipe out almost all off Barcelona’s transfer budget for this summer, but Barcelona are aware that if they successfully sign the Argentine national team captain, then bitter enemies Real Madrid would stand no chance of acquiring Xabi Alonso.

It is understood that Liverpool’s new managing director, Christian Purslow, has received strict orders not to sell both the team’s central midfielders, meaning it will be first come, first served between Real Madrid and Barcelona.

On the other hand, it could also be seen as a way for AS to push Real Madrid towards making an immediate offer for Alonso before the Catalan giants, or any other team, snap up Javier Mascherano.

I Rejected Barcelona, Milan & Real Madrid To Stay At Manchester Utd - Nemanja Vidic

2009-06-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

Nemanja Vidic has revealed that he turned down offers Barcelona, Milan and Real Madrid in order to stay at manchester.

Nemanja Vidic has become one of the most important players at the club, as evidenced by the fact that he won both the Fans' and Players' Player of the Year Awards last season. Interest in him was inevitable, but Nemanja Vidic has always remained committed toManchester United.

Speaking to The Sun, he said, "I am happy with the team and Manchester and the club’s ambitions for next season.

"“I got offers from Milan, Barcelona and Real Madrid and I played a very honest game — I disclosed all these offers to my boss Sir Alex [Ferguson]. He reacted quickly.

"I was told he was raising my pay to bring it to the level where my reputation is in the Premier League and Europe."

Indeed, after receiving a mega offer from Barcelona, Ferguson decided to raise Vidic's wages from £20,000 a week to £70,000.

Vidic continued, "After Milan and Real Madrid made their offers, Barcelona came in — they wanted to pay £30m for my services but after Sir Alex’s move, I am definitely staying in Manchester until my contract expires in 2012."

Having moved to Old Trafford in 2006, Nemanja Vidic has now racked up 102 appearances for the club.

Barcelona Chief - We Need A New Striker Even If Eto'o Stays

2009-06-30T19:21:00.000-07:00

Barcelona should pursue a new striker this summer even if Eto'o decides to stay for another season because he will be missing for several weeks in the New Year, a club director has stated.

Xavier Sala i Martin believes that Barcelona should not stop chasing David Villa or any of their other targets as the squad needs strengthening up front.

Samuel Eto'o has yet to decide whether he will leave, pen a new deal with Barcelona or see out the remaining year of his current contract and that has led to intense speculation.

If Eto'o accepts Manchester City's offer then Barcelona will move for Villa, but if he turns that chance down then that should not change the club's plans, Sala i Martin thinks.

"Whether or not Eto'o stays we should strengthen the striker position because Samuel, like Keita and Toure, will be going to the African Cup of Nations halfway through the season and we will have to have a goalscorer for those weeks," Sport quote him as saying.

Barcelona have offered Samuel Eto'o a new two year extension on the same salary and Sala i Martin has revealed that he would be delighted if the goalscorer put pen to paper.

"If he does sign a new deal then we will be happy," he added.

Gudjohnsen Will Leave Barcelona

2009-06-30T19:19:00.000-07:00

Eidur Gudjohnsen's father and agent believes that his son will leave Barcelona this summer, but does not think that a move to England will be definite.

The former Chelsea star's dad, Arnor, has revealed that, although his son's days at the Camp Nou are over, he may remain on the continent rather than take up one of the offers from the Premier League.

Three English clubs have made their intentions known and Gudjohnsen must now consider all the options that he has before deciding where next to ply his trade.

"I think that Eidur will leave Barcelona, but I am not sure where he will end up playing next," Arnor is quoted as saying by Sport.

"There are many possibilities open to him, and apart from Aston Villa, Fulham and Everton, there are also clubs in other European countries that want him."

Tuesday's Manchester Evening News, reports that former club Bolton Wanderers are considering a move for the Icelandic star.

The 30 year old has expressed an interest in joining former Chelsea team mate Gianfranco Zola at West Ham, but nothing official has come from the east London outfit.

Leaving Barcelona will be a wrench as Gudjohnsen and his family are settled in Catalunya and his two boys are with the Blaugrana's youth academy.