BREAKING NEWS

Barcelona coaching staff agrees:

No-one leaves.

Barcelona will not consider selling any of their players this January - including their backup goalkeepers.
Keeper coach Juan Carlos Unzue has agreed with Pep Guardiola that they should hold onto every player for the second-half of the season.
This will mean Albert Jorquera remaining with Barca, despite being the subject of enquiries from several Primera and Segunda Liga clubs in recent days.

Pepe: Real Madrid pal Robben better than Messi
08.01.09

Real Madrid defender Pepe says teammate Arjen Robben is a better player than Barcelona star Lionel Messi.
Pepe insists Real can still reign in runaway leaders Barca and declared: "Barcelona was very good against Atletico Madrid, but we still believe that it is possible to catch them and win the Liga.
"Barca still have to come to our house and they know it will be difficult for them. The most important thing for us is to go game to game."
Asked about a comparison between Messi and Robben, Pepe said: "Both are in great form, they are the two best players in the league and make the difference.
"If I had to choose, it is easy to say Robben, because he's a teammate, but they are both very good."

Agüero Selects Xavi And Fabregas In His Team Of 2008.
Sergio Agüero has chosen both Xavi and Cesc Fabregas in his team of 2008, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alessandro Del Piero up front, but no space for himself...
Sergio Agüero has today followed his close friend and international team-mate, Lionel Messi, by selecting his team of 2008, and this time there IS a place for Cristiano Ronaldo.Messi left the Portuguese winger out of his ideal eleven, but Agüero decided to include him in the team, published by uefa.com, describing him as an 'exceptional player.'Elsewhere in midfield he has a strong Spanish presence with both Xavi, the best central midfielder he says he has seen in recent years, and Cesc Fabregas, who he says 'always leads the team forward.'The other midfielder in the team is Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery, who Agüero says reminds him of Carlos Tevez.In goal the Argentine selected Petr Cech, because he has 'all the qualities a good goalkeeper should have', and in defence he went for an all-Premiership selection.Bacary Sagna is at right-back, with Rio Ferdinand, 'the rock of Manchester United's defence', and Ricardo Carvalho in the middle, and Patrice Evra at left-back, because he likes the attacking side of his game.The biggest surprises come up front though, where Agüero has decided to pick two players from Serie A.Firstly he chose Alessandro Del Piero, describing him as 'inexhaustible' and 'evergreen', and then he picked Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who he thinks is the best player in the world next to Ronaldo, and is the 'complete striker'.In charge of this dream team he would have Sir Alex Ferguson, because he is a 'true gentleman at all times', and because he never 'loses direction.'

BREAKING NEWS

Barcelona Preparing €50 Million Bid For Van Persie And Fabregas?

Barcelona might already have one of the strongest squads in Europe, but according to reports today, they are looking to strengthen it even more in the summer.The Daily Star assures that the Catalan club are preparing a bid for not just one Arsenal player this summer, but two.The two names in question are Robin Van Persie and Cesc Fabregas, and apparently the size of the bid is €50 million.The news has spread like wildfire since the report, and with Fabregas known to be a target of Barcelona's, it would be no surprise to see them move for him.The problem for Arsenal this season is mainly the competition in the Premier League from Aston Villa, who look like they could usurp them for fourth spot.If this happens, and the north London club fail to get a Champions League place, then there could well be a few players looking at the exit door.Add to that the fact that they appear on the brink of signing Russian playmaker Andrei Arshavin, and a move for Fabregas, at least, seems more feasible.Van Persie joined Arsenal back in 2004 from Dutch side Feyenoord, whilst Fabregas came to England from Barcelona back in 2003.It is no secret that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger would be extremely reluctant to sell either of the players, both of whom are key in the team, but if the price is right, he might not have a choice.

Laporta Heaps Praise On 'Extraordinary' Messi

Following Lionel Messi's single-handed destruction of Atlético Madrid last night, the Argentine has received praise from many quarters, and most recently, from his club president.Joan Laporta told AS today that, following the departure of Ronaldinho last season, Messi was destined to take over the crown, and that he is now fulfilling his potential."There has been a changeover concerning the leaders in the team and Messi was destined to be one of the leaders at Barça and with Argentina," he gushed. "He is one of the best players in the world. He is an extraordinary talent who we have to take a lot of care of. It was a nice experience to see him get applauded in the Vicente Calderón, and I hope it happens in many other places."Indeed, should Messi perform like he did last night, it is likely to happen plenty more times in his career, which, it should not be forgotten, he is only at the beginning of.Laporta took some time away from praising the Argentine to also pay tribute to the team performance last night."The team has enormous confidence in themselves, in the possibilities [they possess], and they live football intensely," he said. "They know the club well and the football and, above all, they know the style that Barcelona like."One worry away from the football pitch has been the financial situation at Barcelona, which has been called into question lately.Laporta assured that it is at an "optimum" level at the moment and guaranteed Barcelona fans that the club can "confront the current crisis with serenity."

Barcelona Won't Sell Yaya Toure To Manchester City... Yet.
The Daily Mail claims that Manchester City will be forced to wait until the end of the season before making a move for Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure.
Rival tabloid The Sun yesterday said that the Sky Blues had launched a £24 million bid for the 25-year-old holding player, who has often been compared to former Arsenal star Patrick Vieira.
But the latest reports suggest that the Blaugrana will not even entertain the thought of selling Toure until the summer, which leaves the Citizens in something of a pickle.
Mark Hughes, the Eastlands club's manager, is eager to draft in defence-minded player to complement the likes of Stephen Ireland and Vincent Kompany in the centre of midfield.
Marcos Senna and Lassana Diarra have both snubbed City, while the speculation surrounding Internazionale's Argentine middle-man, Esteban Cambiasso, has died down in recent weeks.

Eto'o Not Going To City Or Inter - Agent

Samuel Eto'o's agent has stated that his client will not be leaving Barcelona in the winter transfer window amid interest from Manchester City and Inter, while the Catalan giants want him to sign a new deal.The Cameroonian striker has been linked with a move to the Premier League's richest club, while José Mourinho is also said to be monitoring the situation.Despite that, Eto'o is not going anywhere at the moment and is committed to helping Barça continue their pursuit of the Spanish title and the Champions League. The player's representative, José Maria Mesalles, stated. "It is normal that big clubs are interested in Samuel. But he is currently very focused on Barcelona and the success of the team."Barcelona president Joan Laporta is hopeful that the player he has been so supportive of throughout his time at the club's helm will pen a new deal to extend his stay at Camp Nou."This is a priority for us. The first contact with the player has been positive and we are optimistic," Laporta explained.Eto'o was thought to be on his way out of the club last summer before a sudden turnaround saw him win his place back in the squad. His form this season has won back any lingering doubters.