Barcelona to sign João Cancelo next summer

Barcelona are edging closer to securing a deal for the Valencia right-back, João Cancelo. According to reports from Sport, Barcelona are confident of signing Cancelo next summer. The Catalan club has not only held talks with the player’s agent, but has also started negotiating a deal with Valencia.

Los Che are demanding a fee around €30m for the 22-year-old defender, which is too much for a young footballer who has yet to establish himself as a regular international for his country, but Barcelona believe it is worth the investment. After holding talks with the player’s agent, Jorge Mendes, for weeks, Barcelona came to know that two very powerful European clubs are equally interested in the player.

Injury woes for Barca ahead of El Classico

Pique, Alba

Barcelona suffered a fresh injury blow on Monday as left-back Jordi Alba is a huge doubt for Saturday’s showdown clash with Real Madrid after suffering knee and ankle knocks.

Alba battled on to finish the 90 minutes in Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Real Sociedad despite suffering the injuries before half-time.

“The tests carried out this morning reveal that Jordi Alba has heavy bruising on his right knee and a strain of his left ankle,” Barca said in a statement.

Barca’s interest in Moses triggers Chelsea contract talk

Victor Moses

Victor Moses’ impressive displays for Chelsea this season is set to land him a new and improved contract with Chelsea.

According to Sky Sports, Chelsea’s plan comes amid reports that the Nigerian international had become a transfer target for Barcelona.

Moses, who was shunned by Mourinho and failed to impress on loan at Liverpool, had thrived as wing-back for Chelsea under Antonio Conte.

Manchester City masterclass exposes brittle Barca

Barcelona's Argentinian striker Lionel Messi (L) and Barcelona's Brazilian striker Neymar (2L) react as Manchester City's Spanish midfielder Jesus Navas (2R) and Manchester City's German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan leav the pitch following the UEFA Champions League group C football match between Manchester City and Barcelona at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England on November 1, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLIS

Defeat to Manchester City shouldn’t dent Barcelona’s chances of Champions League progression but the manner in which the English side stormed to victory exposed the brittleness of a Barca side badly missing the injured Gerard Pique and Andres Iniesta.

Barca had won all five previous meetings between the sides over the past two years and a landmark European victory looked set to be beyond City once more when Lionel Messi finished off a lethal counterattack for his 15h goal in his last 13 games against English opposition.

Barcelona star Lionel Messi out for three weeks

 

Barcelona star Lionel Messi will be sidelined for the next three weeks due to a groin strain, dealing a huge blow to his club and country. “To lose Lionel Messi means football loses and we lose,” said Barca boss Luis Enrique. 

 

Messi limped off just before the hour mark of the Spanish champions’ 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. 

 

The Argentine captain is set to miss his country’s World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Paraguay next month as well as Barca’s Champions League clash at Borussia Moenchengladbach. Messi will also sit on the Catalans’ La Liga trips to Sporting Gijon and Celta Vigo. Messi. Messi. 

Former Barcelona and Manchester United keeper Victor Valdes completes Middlesbrough move

Middlesbrough have confirmed they have completed the signing of former Barcelona and Manchester United goalkeeper Victor Valdes on July 7, Thursday. The World Cup winner signed a two-year deal with the Premier League newcomers.

“Middlesbrough have completed the signing of World Cup winning goalkeeper Victor Valdes,” a statement read on Middlesbrough’s official website.

“Boro beat off stiff competition to the land the Barcelona legend after an 18-month spell with Manchester United came to an end earlier this summer,” it added.

The 34-year-old left the Catalan club as a free agent in the summer of 2014 and months before he left Camp Nou, he suffered a long-term injury, which made it difficult to find a club immediately after his contract expired at Barcelona.

Messi, father sentenced to 21 months in prison for tax fraud

Barcelona’s Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi (L) sits in court with his father Jorge Horacio Messi during their trial for tax fraud in Barcelona, Spain, June 2, 2016.

A court in Spain on Wednesday sentenced Barcelona striker Lionel Messi and his father to 21 months in jail for tax fraud and slapped them with a fine of 3.7 million euros ($4.1 million).

But these prison sentences are likely to be suspended as is common in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying a sentence of less than two years.

The Argentina and Barcelona star and his father Jorge Horacio Messi were found guilty of using companies in Belize and Uruguay to avoid paying taxes on 4.16 million euros of Messi’s income earned from his image rights from 2007-09.

The income related to Messi’s image rights that was allegedly hidden includes endorsement deals with Banco Sabadell, Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Procter & Gamble and the Kuwait Food Company.

Messi, father sentenced to 21 months in prison for tax fraud

Barcelona’s Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi (L) sits in court with his father Jorge Horacio Messi during their trial for tax fraud in Barcelona, Spain, June 2, 2016.

A court in Spain on Wednesday sentenced Barcelona striker Lionel Messi and his father to 21 months in jail for tax fraud and slapped them with a fine of 3.7 million euros ($4.1 million).

But these prison sentences are likely to be suspended as is common in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying a sentence of less than two years.

The Argentina and Barcelona star and his father Jorge Horacio Messi were found guilty of using companies in Belize and Uruguay to avoid paying taxes on 4.16 million euros of Messi’s income earned from his image rights from 2007-09.

The income related to Messi’s image rights that was allegedly hidden includes endorsement deals with Banco Sabadell, Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Procter & Gamble and the Kuwait Food Company.

Lionel Messi retires from International football after Argentina’s Copa America defeat to Chile

When Francisco Silva scored the winning penalty for Chile, Lionel Messi was seen kneeling on to the ground hiding his face, probably crying as well. He sat alone on the dugout bench with a look of a lost man. The five times Ballon d’Or winner was left distraught, heartbroken and shattered.

He is widely regarded as one of the all-time greats. He has won everything in club football with Barcelona. Despite all his heroics at club level, this one criticism that ‘he hasn’t won anything with Argentina’ puts a blemish on his trophy-laden career.