FC Barcelona are handed a big boost ahead of game against Valencia as two of their star players, Dembele and Aguero returns to training after being injured for a while.
Pedri is the only Barcelona player in the Ballon d’or top 30 Nominees. The 18 year old Spaniard had an amazing season.
Players with the most direct goal contributions (goals + assists) in 2021:
• Lewandowski – 58
• Messi – 52
• Memphis – 49
• Halaand – 48
• Mbappe – 48
• Benzema – 46
Memphis is the only one not in the list for a Ballon D’or nomination.
Captain Sergio Busquets has been chosen as the Best Player of the Final Four of the UEFA Nations League.
Gavi played 75 minutes and Eric García and Busquets played the entire match as Spain lost 1-2 to France in the Nations League Final.
• Sergi Roberto didn’t play.
• Busquets assisted Spain’s goal.
Barcelona have incorporated Sergi Ricart, who has worked in Nike for 18 years, as the new Brand Director.
• He replaces Guillem Graell and his job would be to continue expanding the brand and the digital area of the club.
Ronald Araújo was subbed off vs Argentina after 72 minutes with discomfort in his right thigh.
• After the game he was observed with ice in the affected area.
• Hopefully it was just a precaution as Uruguay face Brazil on Thursday.
Laporta, about the future Camp Nou: “If the assembly authorizes it, the remodeling will begin in summer.
During the Camp Nou remodeling, the most powerful option is to play at the Estadi Johan Cruyff for one year with an increase in capacity to about 50,000 people.”
Transfer News
Barcelona’s contract renewal list:
• Ansu Fati.
• Pedri.
• Ronald Araújo.
• Ousmane Dembélé.
• Pablo Paéz ‘Gavi’.
Manchester United are willing to give Ousmane Dembélé a large pay bump if he leaves Barcelona for free at the end of the season. Barça have given him until the ens of October to accept the renewal. If he doesn’t, he will watch football from the stands this season.
If Dembélé doesn’t renew with the club, Barca will try to sign Sterling in January. The club prefer to sign Sterling on loan with a mandatory purchase option. Mateu Alemany was already in contact with ManCity in the summer, becoming interested in Sterling.
Barcelona are pressuring Ousmane Dembele and his entourage to sign a contract extension. The club say that if he does not renew, he may not play this season, just as Ilaix Moriba was told. Mateu Alemany is in direct contact with his agent.
Liverpool are already preparing the economic operation to sign Ousmane Dembélé
• Jurgen Klopp is in love with the Frenchman, and the ‘Reds’ sports director, Michael Edwards, has already put the plan in place to get him signed next summer
Inaki Peña will leave on loan in January. Koeman who was reluctant to let him go in the summer, has decided to give his ‘OK’ to the deal. There are several LaLiga clubs interested in him, as the player prioritises staying in Spain.
Xavi on TVE on his future: “Any offer will be valued and then decided. I don’t know where my future will take me, but I’m open to any possibility.”
Barça and Pedri have reached a full agreement. The 18-year-old Spanish player will sign for five seasons next week.
Interviewer from NOS: Do you regret picking PSG over Barcelona?
Wijnaldum: “Well, I don’t like my current situation at PSG. I can’t say I’m completely happy. It’s worrying if I don’t play.”
Barcelona remain keen on Darwin Núñez but due to the economic situation they don’t intend to make a move.
• Ramón Planes scouted him even after he signed for Benfica.
• Benfica want to keep him & a potential transfer fee will be very high.
La Liga statement regarding Barcelona’s financial situation:
• The club has been always complying with the Economic Control Regulations, there are no overdue debts with employees, clubs and Public Administrations, nor complaints of non-payment to players.
• FC Barcelona has shown an uninterrupted profit path after taxes since the 2013/2014 season when the regulations came into force and until 2018/2019, specifically accumulating a generation of profits after taxes in the referred seasons of €120m.
• This trend ends from the 2019/2020 season, first affected by COVID. The Cost of Sports Workforce has always been within the limit until 19/20, except for an excess of 3.6% in 2018/2019, which was sanctioned despite the fact that the accounting result continued to be positive.
• The FC Barcelona Net Debt indicator had been reflecting a much more favorable position than the average of LaLiga clubs, although suffering a marked deterioration from the 2019/2020 season, the first season affected by COVID – 19.
• The 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 seasons, affected by COVID-19, have led to a marked decrease in turnover compared to the 18/19 (€-128M in 19/20 and €- 261M in 2p/21) and transfer benefits (€-10M in 19/20 and €-88M in 20/21, compared to the average of the previous 5 seasons.
• The joint effect of the impact of COVID – 19 on operating operations, the loss of profit from player transfers and the accounting record of impairment and provisions in the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 seasons is around €500m.
NEXT MATCH
FC Barcelona vs Valencia
Sun 17th October
Time: 20:00
CREDITS: Mundodeportivo, Sports, Fabrizio Romano
