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MESSI’S FATHER SUGGESTS SON MAY STAY AT THE CAMP NOU THIS SEASON.

Jorge Messi, father and agent of Lionel Messi, appeared to concede his son could remain at Barcelona this season, according to footage broadcast by Spanish media on Thursday.

Messi senior seemingly replied “yes” when asked by a reporter if they had considered the possibility of staying at the club for another season and then leaving for free next year, in a video recorded by a Spanish TV station.

The images were captured as Jorge Messi pulled into a parking garage reportedly for another day of meetings with the family’s lawyers.

He had arrived in Barcelona on Wednesday, landing at the private terminal in El Prat airport on a flight from the Argentine city of Rosario.

Six-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi boycotted Barcelona’s first pre-season training session on Monday, as he tries to force his way out of the club he joined as a 13-year-old.

Messi also failed to attend a coronavirus test at Barcelona’s training ground on Sunday.

Messi’s father was followed throughout the city by reporters and TV crews on Wednesday, and told reporters it would be “difficult” for his son to stay at Barcelona.

According to local reports, club directors met with Messi and his advisors for more than two hours on Wednesday, but neither party was willing to alter their stance. Further negotiations are expected to be held in due course between Barcelona and Messi’s entourage, which also includes his brother Rodrigo.

Barcelona insist their captain remains under contract until June 2021 and will only depart if his 700-million-euro ($833 million) release clause is activated, a stance that has been backed up by La Liga, who say that release clause still applies.

But Messi and his lawyers argue he is allowed to go for free this summer according to another clause in his contract, which they claim was triggered on August 25 when a burofax stating Messi’s intention to leave arrived at Camp Nou.

Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City have expressed an interest in signing him.

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LIVERPOOL’S GINI WIJNALDUM RESPONDS TO REPORTS OF BARCA INTEREST.

Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum has remained coy over a potential move to Barcelona this summer.

The 29-year-old’s contract with the Premier League champions is due to expire next summer and the midfielder could potentially leave Anfield on a free transfer.

Reports in Spain have claimed this week that Wijnaldum has already agreed to a three-year contract with Barcelona, and the Spanish club are now preparing to submit an offer to Liverpool.

Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp’s side are already lining up replacements and are poised to move for Thiago Alcantara, whose contract with Bayern Munich also ends at the end of the season.

Ronald Koeman, who was appointed as Barcelona’s new manager last month, has reportedly made Wijnaldum one of his targets in order to bolster his midfield options. But when asked directly about the possibility of joining Barcelona this summer, Wijnaldum said at a press conference on Thursday: ‘It’s a rumour, I have nothing to say about it.’

Speaking about Koeman’s departure from his role as Netherlands’ head coach to Barcelona, Wijnaldum said: ‘We have taken a path with a trainer. ‘Of course it is a shame that he left, but we are also very happy for him. ‘It can be compared to when you are in such a situation as a player. But we have to move on now.’

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MESSI’S FATHER ARRIVES BARCELONA TO DISCUSS SON’S FUTURE.

Lionel Messi’s father arrived in Spain early Wednesday and is expected to meet with Barcelona club officials to discuss his son’s future.

Jorge Messi, who is also Lionel Messi’s agent, landed in Barcelona from Argentina. He is expected to meet with club president Josep Bartomeu and other team officials, but it’s unclear when then meeting will take place.

“I don’t know anything,” Jorge Messi said briefly after being questioned at the airport.

Lionel Messi last week told Barcelona he wanted to leave the club and invoked a contract clause that allowed him to depart for free at the end of the season.

But Barcelona claimed the clause expired in June and said he must see out his current contract until June 2021, or leave by paying the buyout clause of $700 million euros ($837 million).

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KEPA WILLING TO STAY AND FIGHT FOR THE NUMBER ONE SPOT AT STANFORD BRIDGE.

Kepa Arrizabalaga is reportedly keen to stay at Chelsea and fight for his place in the starting XI, even if Frank Lampard opts to sign a new goalkeeper.

Club record signing Kepa struggled in Lampard’s first season in charge at Stamford Bridge and was heavily criticised by fans after making a number of mistakes.

The Blues are eyeing Rennes goalkeeper Edourard Mendy this summer yet Kepa – signed for £71.6m in the summer of 2018 wants to battle for the No. 1 jersey at Chelsea, according to reports.

The 25-year-old is still aiming to win Lampard over and hopes he is given a chance to impress at the beginning of next season.

Lampard dropped Kepa for Chelsea’s final three matches of last season – the win against Wolves which clinched Champions League football, the defeat in the FA Cup final to Arsenal and the Champions League last-16 second-leg loss to Bayern Munich.

Ex-Blues goalkeeper Petr Cech, currently technical and performance advisor at Chelsea, recently suggested the club would be patient with Kepa.

‘Kepa struggled last season, that is unquestionable,’ Cech said.

‘But the club invested in him and gave him a long-term contract because they believe he has the qualities and attributes to be successful.

‘Additions will be made to the squad, perhaps even in goal, and this is what is being discussed now. But nobody is giving up on Kepa and we all hope he has a great future.’

Kepa was signed two years ago after Chelsea sold Thibaut Courtois to Real Madrid.

Yet his first season was best remembered for his refusal to leave the pitch against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final, resulting in a very public fallout with then-manager Maurizio Sarri.

And though Kepa found last season tricky too, he is determined to make a success of his career at Chelsea, having been a club-record signing when he joined from Athletic Bilbao.

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KELVIN VOLLAND LEAVES BAYER LEVERKUSEN TO JOIN MONACO ON A FOUR YEAR DEAL.

Striker Kevin Volland has left Bayer Leverkusen to join France’s Ligue 1 club AS Monaco on a four-year-contract, the Bundesliga club said on Wednesday, with Kai Havertz also set to leave for Chelsea.

The 28-year-old, who earned 10 caps for Germany between 2014-16, joined Leverkusen four years ago after four years at Hoffenheim. He will meet up with former Bundesliga coach Niko Kovac, who signed for the club in July.

When Kevin now got the opportunity to go to an attractive club abroad, the club granted his wish after a satisfactory agreement for all sides,” Leverkusen sports director Simon Rolfes said in a club statement.

Volland scored 10 league goals in the Bundesliga last season.

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Everton want James Rodriguez

Everton are hopeful of completing an ambitious deal worth more than £20m for Real Madrid and Colombia forward James Rodriguez by the end of the week.

The 29-year-old played under Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti at Spanish champions Real and Bayern Munich.

Rodriguez, who has been marginalised under Zinedine Zidane at the Bernabeu, has been allowed to miss pre-season training to sort out his future.

It would be Ancelotti’s first major signing since become boss in December.

He has been the driving force behind the deal, with Rodriguez, who is entering the final year of his contract at Real, attracted by the idea of working with the Italian once more.

A three-year contract is under discussion as Everton look to pull off a transfer that would be regarded as a major coup and a powerful statement of intent as Ancelotti moves to reshape a side that finished 12th last season.

Everton have also agreed a deal with Napoli for 29-year-old Brazil midfielder Allan which is expected to be confirmed shortly. The Italian club’s chairman Aureolio De Laurentis has already said: “We are at the final farewell. Allan will go to Everton.”

Ancelotti made Allan a priority after working with him at Napoli while discussions are continuing with Watford over a deal for Abdoulaye Doucoure.

The midfielder is believed to be keen on a move to Goodison Park but Watford are currently holding out for around £30m for the 27-year-old

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INTER MILAN REJECTS FIRST BAYERN BID FOR IVAN PERISIC.

According to an Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Bayern Munich’s first official bid to Inter Milan for veteran winger Ivan Perišić has been rejected.

Romano indicated that Bayern Munich submitted a bid of €12 million for Perisic, while Inter is insisting on €15 million.

With only a €3 million difference between the sides, it looks like there could be a compromise in sight if talks continue.

As it is, Bayern Munich manager Hansi Flick would like to bring back Perišić, despite already adding Leroy Sané to the team’s group of wingers. Sane, Serge Gnabry, and Kingsley Coman represent the team’s first three options, but Perišić could, again, prove to be invaluable as a veteran depth piece, who can provide stable and consistent play when called upon.

Regardless, Flick’s organizational clout with personnel decisions will be tested again with this move. For Bayern Munich, the club’s brass might want to consider this investment closely.

Each of the club’s current first-team wingers has a bit of a sketchy injury history and there is no reason to think that Perišić will not have an important role to play despite the talent ahead of him on the depth chart.

In addition, this might be a relatively inexpensive price to pay to give a deserving coach what he wants. Flick’s Champions League-winning performance alone should merit him the opportunity to have more of a say in the roster composition than he has had thus far.

Perišić is 31-years-old and had eight goals and 10 assists in 35 games across all competitions for Bayern Munich during the 2019/2020 campaign.

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ARSENAL CONFIRM £27M SIGNING OF LILLE DEFENDER GABRIEL MAGALHAES

Arsenal have finally confirmed the £27million signing of defender Gabriel Magalhaes – as the club unveiled him during a live clip on social media.

The Brazilian has signed a long-term deal and will wear the number six shirt as he becomes Mikel Arteta’s fourth major signing of the summer.

The club had teased fans by announcing that David Luiz and Willian will be joined by a ‘special guest’ in a group chat video, showing a picture of both players alongside a silhouette with a question mark, saying: ‘You don’t want to miss this one!’

They hinted that both players would reveal their fellow Brazilian as a Gunners player with the quote: ‘I’m not sure I can talk about it yet… Let’s call him!’

The clip starts with Luiz congratulating Willian on his move to the Emirates, with the winger replying: ‘I’m so happy we will soon be together. Let’s go full throttle and win trophies.

Luiz then says ‘It’s so good that our little Brazilian family keeps growing’, and adds that he has ‘heard the family will get even bigger’. The pair then mention Magalhaes before deciding to invite him into the call to ask if he has joined.

The defender appears in an Arsenal shirt, saying ‘what’s up boys?’ as he is welcomed by his compatriots. ‘I’m so happy to be here with you guys. Let’s make it count,’ he adds. ‘I cannot wait, let’s win trophies. We’ve already started well!’

Speaking about his new signing, manager Mikel Arteta said Magalhaes had ‘outstanding qualities’ to make the team stronger defensively.

He said: ‘He has many qualities which will make us stronger as a defensive unit and as a team. He has proved with Lille that he is a defender with many outstanding attributes and we are looking forward to watching him grow as an Arsenal player.’

Technical director Edu added: ‘We are delighted to have signed Gabriel. He is a player we have been studying for a while and he was in demand from many clubs, so we are proud to have agreed and completed this transfer with Lille and the player.

‘Gabriel is a player of high quality and Mikel and his coaches are looking forward to integrating him into the club.’

Arsenal emerged as front runners to land Magalhaes after agreeing a deal to sign him earlier this month – beating off competition from the likes of Napoli, Manchester United and Chelsea.

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LEICESTER CITY COMPLETES CAPTURE OF BELGIAN WING BACK TO REPLACE BEN CHILWELL.

Leicester City are set to make Belgian international wing-back Timothy Castagne their first signing of the summer.

Reports from Castagne’s home nation say an £18m deal, potentially rising to £21.5m, has now been agreed with his club Atalanta, with the 24-year-old signing a five-year contract at the King Power Stadium.

While naturally a right-sided player, Castagne is equally comfortable on the left and he will help City cope with the departure of Ben Chilwell, who left the club last week in a £50m move to Chelsea.

The foxes wanted to get a deal for Castagne done before he joined up with Youri Tielemans, Dennis Praet, and the Belgian national team ahead of their Nations League games over the next week.

Reports from Belgium say the King Power side had looked at Castagne last summer, but have now made their move and will bring him in to strengthen their full-back and wing-back ranks. City have James Justin, Luke Thomas, Ricardo Pereira, and Christian Fuchs in their senior squad, but the latter two are ruled out until at least October with injury.

Operating as cover for both the right and left wing-backs at Atalanta last season, Castagne played 33 games in all competitions – providing two goals and three assists – as the Bergamo club finished third in Serie A and reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

He spent his youth days at Genk, where he was a team-mate of Wilfred Ndidi.

At the start of the summer, he said his dream was to play in the Premier League.

Speaking in May, Castagne said: “I’ll tell the truth, if I could choose my next destination, I’d lean towards England. I like that Premier League style of football, but I don’t have a preferred club. They are all good.”

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IVAN RAKITIC RETURNS TO SEVILLA FROM BARCELONA.

Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic has left Barcelona in order to return to his old club Sevilla.

The deal was reportedly agreed as early as 31 August, which allowed the player to undergo medical tests ahead of signing a four-year contract with Julen Lopetegui‘s side.

Only seven senior first-team players were not classified as ‘untouchable’ in the Catalan club’s rebuilding project, according to club president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

Croatian midfielder Rakitic was not named among those players, thus paving the way for him to move back to his former side Sevilla, where he has friends and close relatives.

The 32-year-old initially swapped Seville for Barcelona back in 2014 and enjoyed six trophy-laden years in Catalonia.

The midfielder won the Champions League with the club in 2015 and also won four La Liga titles and four Copa del Rey crowns during his time at Barcelona.

Though Rakitic lost his untouchable status at Barcelona, it may seem strange that the club were still willing to sanction his departure this summer.

At 32, the player still has a lot to offer at the highest level and had been a first-team regular in the side ever since his £16 million arrival.

Last season, Rakitic made 42 appearances for the club in all competitions. Thirty-one of those came in La Liga, with the player scoring once and registering three assists.

Sevilla manager Lopetegui will hope Barça’s loss will be Sevilla’s gain. The former Real Madrid boss is looking to use this window to build on last season’s Europa League triumph.

Rakitic will almost certainly not be the last high-profile departure from Ronald Koeman’s side this summer.

Dutch club Ajax are hoping to agree a deal for the signing of their former striker Luis Suarez. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi is desperate to find a new club as well. Manchester City are among the frontrunners for the Argentine great’s signature.