The 2022 January transfer window saw Ferran Torres depart Man City for Barcelona and the winger has revealed what former manager Pep Guardiola said to him before leaving the Premier League champions.

The Spanish star moved to Catalunya as part of a €55m deal having spent just two seasons with the Manchester club, in which he won the Premier League and EFL Cup.

When Barcelona came calling, Torres wanted the move and the 23-year-old has revealed what Guardiola said to him when he asked to leave City.

Speaking to The Wild Project, the Barcelona star said via Fabrizio Romano: “Pep told me: Barça? I just can’t say no to you. It’s my Barça. My Barça. As long as the clubs can agree, you can leave. Barça is Barça.”

?? What did Pep tell to you when you told him you wanted to sign for Barça?

Ferrán Torres: “Pep told me: Barça? I just can't say no to you. It's my Barça. My Barça. As long as the clubs can agree, you can leave. Barça is Barça”, via The Wild Project. pic.twitter.com/10eoeF7WOO

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) November 23, 2023

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Torres’ time at Barcelona has not been as straightforward as he would have liked as the winger is yet to become a regular starter at the Catalan club.

The 23-year-old scored 19 goals and assisted a further 11 across the 87 matches he has played with Barca and being just 23 years of age, the winger still has plenty of room to develop his skills further over the coming years.

The post “Can’t say no to you” – Former Man City star unveils what Guardiola said to him before leaving appeared first on CaughtOffside.

How Man United fare in the upcoming January transfer window is likely to set the tone for the second half of what’s been a disappointing 2023/24 campaign so far.

Erik ten Hag’s side have flattered to deceive for the most part, but with a strong January can still end up finishing the season smelling of roses.

That will almost certainly be the Dutchman’s focus, particularly with all of the expected change going on behind the scenes.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival could well see a shake up in the first-team squad, and one of the first deals that he could be likely to authorise will see a player move from one of his teams to another.

According to The Sun, Nice’s 23-year-old defensive star, Jean-Clair Todibo, is top of the list as far as defensive replacements at Old Trafford are concerned.

Things didn’t quite work out for Todibo when he was at Barcelona, however, he’s one of the rocks in the Nice defence that have ensured the team are just a point behind Paris Saint-Germain in the Ligue Un table.

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To that end, a mid-season switch for the player isn’t likely to go down well amongst the Nice faithful, but modern football being what it is means that such a switch could be the first of many for Ratcliffe’s multi-club ownership model.

The post Man United scouting 23-year-old with Barcelona past ahead of transfer window appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Tottenham Hotspur need to be on their guard for an approach from Barcelona for one of their players in January.

The north Londoners could provide the key to unlocking the Catalan’s current issues, exacerbated by the recent injury to talented midfielder, Gavi.

The effervescent youngster won’t play again this season, and is likely to miss Euro 2024 as a result of the knee injury that he suffered in a meaningless qualifier – given that La Roja had already qualified from their group as champions.

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If there is to be a saving grace, then it is that the next transfer window is just around the corner and, according to Mundo Deportivo, La Liga are giving the Catalan club some leeway in terms of new signings precisely because of what’s happened to Gavi.

The outlet note that it’s Spurs’ Gio Lo Celso that is at the top of Barcelona’s wish list once the window opens for business on January 1.

He was favoured by Xavi in the summer, but the club’s financial situation conspired against them and the player never arrived.

It appears that they’ll push hard again in the new year, in the hope that the player’s will and Ange Postecoglou’s acquiescence sees the deal go through without too much trouble.

The post Tottenham ace at the top of Barcelona’s January wish list after Gavi injury appeared first on CaughtOffside.

When Lionel Messi was in his Barcelona pomp they were, unquestionably, the best team in the world.

They’ve long since been that of course with manager, Pep Guardiola, now ensuring his Man City side have taken on that particular mantle.

That Barca side, from 2008/09 to 2014/15, have to also be in the conversation for the best ever sides, and though Messi was the King of Camp Nou, he didn’t do it all on his own.

Neymar, Luis Suarez, Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Pedro, David Villa, Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto’o, Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol and many, many more, all played their part.

One player who dovetailed brilliantly with Messi and, in fact, provided the second most assists (42) to him during his time at the club, per Planet Football, was marauding right-back, Dani Alves.

Only Luis Suarez with 47 assists tops that particular list, evidencing just how important Alves was to Messi’s earlier years at Barcelona.

Unfortunately, their trajectories have gone in opposite directions now.

Messi was, finally, victorious at a World Cup with Argentina in 2022 and is now seeing out his playing days at Inter Miami.

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Alves also played at the last World Cup, however, he was then arrested in January for alleged sexual assault in December in Barcelona, after the tournament in Qatar had finished.

BBC Sport report that he’s been in jail since January with no possibility of bail, and that the Spanish Public Prosecutor is recommending a term of nine years in jail for the Brazilian who has also seen his marriage fail as a result of the allegations.

The post Legendary Barcelona ace that played alongside Messi could be jailed for nine years appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Inside Spain is a weekly instalment brought to you by Football España, providing an insight into all of the major stories coming out of the rich and intense climes of La Liga and beyond.

The injury crisis across football took several victims during this international break, but the anterior cruciate ligament tear suffered by Gavi felt particularly cruel. The 19-year-old was having a monstruous season, starting for Barcelona and Spain, but will now miss the rest of the club season, the Euros and the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The question for Barcelona is whether they try to replace him. Sporting Director Deco has explained that that is ‘impossible’ on the market, but Barcelona can bring in a loan signing for up to 80% of Gavi’s wages until the end of the season without salary limit restrictions.

So far the debate is whether they should try and persuade Tottenham Hotspur to part with the almost unused Giovani Lo Celso on loan, or bring forward the transfer of Vitor Roque. The 18-year-old Brazilian striker will join for €30m plus €31m in variables next summer, but they don’t have a back up for the creaking legs of Robert Lewandowski.

Meanwhile Real Madrid have lost Vinicius Junior until February and Eduardo Camavinga until mid-January, to add to a long-term injury list already containing Eder Militao, Thibaut Courtois, Arda Guler and Aurelien Tchouameni.

Marcelino will do that, according to Trigueros. pic.twitter.com/r5zfLJewXs

— Football España (@footballespana_) November 22, 2023

Yet the talk about replacements in Madrid is quiet – at least for the players. Conflicting information continues to leak out about Carlo Ancelotti and the potential for him to take over the Brazil job next summer, but Los Blancos have contacted Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi about a potential vacancy. He is added to an impressive list of candidates already containing Xabi Alonso.

Elsewhere, Real Betis are negotiating with Leeds United for midifelder Marc Roca, who has been excellent since arriving. West Ham are interested in Celta Vigo defender Oscar Mingueza, and Sevilla are after Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi.

In less frivolous news, the public prosecutor has requested a sentence of nine years behind bars and a fine of €150k for Dani Alves if they get a guilty conviction against the Brazilian for rape. Meanwhile former Sevilla and Ajax midfielder Tarik Oulida will escape jail time entirely after sexually assaulting his own six-year-old daughter.

The post Inside Spain: Real Madrid managerial race, Barcelona respond to injury crisis and Dani Alves case appeared first on CaughtOffside.

This article was originally published on Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive articles via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

Is Antoine Griezmann really a target for Manchester United?

There have been many rumours during the international break about the future of Antoine Griezmann. I’ve been receiving a lot of questions about him since there were some reports in Spain linking Griezmann with Manchester United.

While it’s true that Griezmann has a release clause at Atletico Madrid, but it’s also the case that the player is only focused on Atletico Madrid – he is in love with the club. He already left once in the past, joining Barcelona in 2019, and then he wanted to return. Now he’s back and he has a great relationship with manager Diego Simeone and his teammates – his idea is not to change clubs in January, there is no plan at all to leave, there is absolutely nothing going on with Manchester United.

And as I’ve previously reported on Griezmann, back in June he had the possibility to accept a life-changing contract proposal to move to Saudi Arabia, but he wasn’t interested because he only wanted to stay at Atletico Madrid. So it’s not just Man United, there is no desire for Griezmann to leave for any club, he wants to stay at Atletico Madrid.

Staying with Man United, there’s no concrete update yet on Donny van de Beek, but he is one player who is very much expected to leave in January. United and Van de Beek will find a solution for sure, though there is no clarity yet about a specific club, it’s still too early.

Chelsea still backing Mykhaylo Mudryk despite Khvicha Kvaratskhelia links

I’m aware there have been some stories about Chelsea having an interest in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, with reports that he’s a player they really like, but I wouldn’t read too much into this for now. Of course we can all see Kvaratskhelia is a superb talent – he’s been a joy to watch for Napoli and so I think it’s normal to see stories like this.

The key point with Chelsea, however, is that they still believe Mykhaylo Mudryk will be the future in that position, so nothing has been decided in terms of investing big money there for another player after they fought hard to sign Mudryk ahead of Arsenal in that tense battle last January.

Also with Napoli there is the reality that they could be forced to sell Victor Osimhen in the summer – I’ve reported on interest in him several times recently, and there’s been no progress on a new contract with Napoli, so they will hope to keep Kvaratskhelia if they lose another of their important players.

A lot can change in football and it’s too early to know for sure what will happen, but my understanding remains that it’s not a concrete thing with Chelsea so far.

In other news…

Pablo Fornals – There have been some surprise links between Pablo Fornals and Barcelona, with the West Ham midfielder supposedly mentioned as an option to cover for the injured Gavi. Still, I’m not aware of concrete talks for Fornals so far, there’s still nothing decided in terms of new midfielder; as Deco said, the situation is still very quiet. Barcelona’s priority is to use funds on Financial Fair Play to register Vitor Roque.

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Pascal Gross – The Brighton star is a player Eintracht Frankfurt really like, as has been reported. Eintracht love Gross, but they also know nothing will happen in January, he’s a dream target for June but very difficult as Gross is very happy at Brighton and there are no problems between Brighton and Gross, at all.

Jose Mourinho – Al Hilal wanted Jose Mourinho in June 2023, but he decided to respect AS Roma and so he turned down the proposal. He’s now suggested he will manage in Saudi Arabia one day, but it’s too early for anything concrete, as nothing will happen until at least next summer.

The post Transfer news: Griezmann Man United links, Kvaratskhelia Chelsea rumours, Mourinho Saudi Arabia & more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United and Chelsea are reportedly among the clubs eyeing the potential transfer of Palmeiras and Brazil wonderkid Estevao Willian.

The South American starlet is one of the most highly regarded talents in world football right now, and it seems there is no shortage of interest in him from Europe’s top clubs.

According to Mundo Deportivo, as cited and translated by Sport Witness, there is interest from the likes of Man Utd and Chelsea, though his dream destination is thought to be Barcelona.

One possible advantage for United and Chelsea at the moment, however, is that Estevao looks unaffordable to Barca due to their current financial issues.

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The report suggests Estevao clearly won’t come cheap, with the 16-year-old possibly already worth as much as €60million.

That’s his current release clause, and that might be what it takes for Palmeiras to sell, as the report adds that Paris Saint-Germain have previously failed with offers worth around €40m and €50m.

Estevao looks like exactly the kind of player this Chelsea ownership like to sign, though United would also do well to start recruiting elite young talent like this as part of a likely shake-up once Sir Jim Ratcliffe finalises his purchase of a 25% stake in the club.

The post Man United & Chelsea eyeing star with €60m release clause, his dream transfer looks complicated appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Barcelona legend Lionel Messi could reportedly returned to play for the club one final time in a one-off appearance for a Legends match against a World XI.

Messi, currently of MLS side Inter Miami, spent the bulk of his career at Barca before a surprise exit at the end of his contract in 2021, when he made the move to Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer.

According to a report from Football Transfers, Messi could now line up at the Nou Camp one more time in 2024, giving him the chance to say a proper goodbye to the club.

The report names other all-time greats who could feature in this match, with former Barcelona players like Rivaldo, David Villa and Cesc Fabregas possibly set to be involved, while others like Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gareth Bale could feature for the World XI.

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This would be quite a spectacular event, and it would be intriguing to see so many great former players linking up together, even if it’s not a competitive game.

Messi surely deserves this chance to say a proper farewell to Barcelona fans after the sudden nature of his departure in 2021.

The post Lionel Messi set for Barcelona return in one-off game as part of star-studded line up appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Despite some surprise links with West Ham midfielder Pablo Fornals, Fabrizio Romano has spoken exclusively to CaughtOffside about Barcelona’s priority being to get Vitor Roque in.

The journalist is not aware of anything concrete happening between Barca and Fornals at the moment, even if there have been other reports stating that the Hammers ace could be seen as an emergency option to move to the Nou Camp as cover for the injured Gavi.

Still, it seems Barcelona have not yet made a decision on a midfielder signing, and it would certainly be a bit strange if they went for someone like Fornals, who is not currently playing regularly for West Ham, even if he was a key player for them in the past.

Barca also have issues with Financial Fair Play to think about, according to Romano, and it seems their current focus is on ensuring that they can bring Roque in without breaching any regulations on that front.

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“Pablo Fornals – There have been some surprise links between Pablo Fornals and Barcelona, with the West Ham midfielder supposedly mentioned as an option to cover for the injured Gavi,” Romano said to CaughtOffside for his Daily Briefing column.

“Still, I’m not aware of concrete talks for Fornals so far, there’s still nothing decided in terms of new midfielder; as Deco said, the situation is still very quiet. Barcelona’s priority is to use funds on Financial Fair Play to register Vitor Roque.”

The post Exclusive: Fabrizio Romano reveals Barcelona’s transfer “priority” amid links with West Ham ace appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United and Chelsea are reportedly among the clubs showing a strong interest in the potential transfer of Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde.

The talented 20-year-old looks like yet another gem produced by Barca’s famous La Masia academy, and it now seems clubs from the Premier League could try to lure him away in the near future.

According to Todo Fichajes, Man Utd and Chelsea are among the teams from England showing an interest, along with Manchester City and Newcastle, with the report stating that they’d be prepared to pay €55million to sign the Spain international.

Balde could be an important signing for Chelsea at the moment due to their shortage of quality options at left-back as Ben Chilwell has had a number of injury problems, while Marc Cucurella hasn’t really delivered consistently since joining the club.

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United, meanwhile, might also do well to think about a long-term successor to Luke Shaw, with the England international another player with fitness issues in recent times, while backup left-back Sergio Reguilon is only at Old Trafford on loan.

Todo Fichajes suggest it won’t be easy to lure Balde away from Barcelona, but this does seem like a saga worth keeping an eye on in the coming months.

The post Manchester United & Chelsea ready to pay €55million for transfer of La Liga star appeared first on CaughtOffside.