Barcelona captain still not responding to the club’s contract offer

With the summer transfer window now on the horizon, FC Barcelona have begun their planning to make changes to their squad for next season.

Some players will be sold in order to address the Financial Fair Play issue and the name of Ronald Araujo has been touted as a possible candidate to be sold.

The defender is attracting interest from Bayern Munich and Manchester United and would fetch a big fee if sold.

No response on renewal offer

Barcelona, though, are eager to hand Ronald Araujo a new contract and have even tabled a proposal for the Uruguayan international.

However, as per Mundo Deportivo, Araujo is yet to respond to the offer sent by the Blaugrana, which adds to the uncertainty surrounding his future.

The Uruguayan international’s current contract runs until the summer of 2026, but his wages are not reflective of his status within the squad, given that he is one of the captains and one of Xavi’s most crucial players.

Barça have made it clear that they want to retain Araujo with the new contract offer and the player has always insisted that he is happy at the club.

Furthermore, the report states that Araujo had some disagreement with Xavi which they have already talked about.

However, the silence when it comes to responding to the proposal is a bit concerning, as it would suggest that the centre-back might be assessing the possibility of a departure.

If a response is not forthcoming, Barcelona could listen to offers for Araujo, of which there should not be a shortage, with Aston Villa also showing an interest in the centre-half.

Barcelona defensive mainstay could have already played his last game for the club

Ronald Araujo has been barely seen on the pitch for FC Barcelona in recent games as he deals with discomfort in his knee.

The Uruguayan international did not feature against Real Sociedad and UD Almeria and played only 28 minutes as a substitute against Rayo Vallecano this past Sunday night.

Araujo might miss Sevilla clash

Now, SPORT reports that Araujo may very well have played his final game for Barcelona as his involvement against Sevilla this weekend is a doubt.

A few days before Barça travel to Sevilla to end the league season, it is far from certain that the Uruguayan will be on the plane.

The player, apart from some knee discomfort that he has been carrying for a few weeks and which is gradually easing, is in a position to play minutes as we saw against Rayo, but he had a chat with the coach in which they agreed to avoid any kind of risk.

The priority is Araujo’s physical health, as in less than a week he has to travel to join the Uruguayan national team for the Copa America.

Araujo is one of Uruguay’s captains and that is why the focus, with Barcelona’s campaign done, is on this tournament.

Has Araujo played his last game?

However, heading into the summer transfer window, Araujo is staring at an uncertain future at Barcelona.

Bayern Munich are eager to sign him and have even made a formal offer several weeks ago while Manchester United are also interested.

Xavi and Deco both want to retain the Uruguayan and there has been a contract offer made as well, although the player is yet to respond.

Araujo has no intention of leaving Barça, a club he feels very close to. He is very happy with his family in Barcelona too, but, on the other hand, no scenario can be ruled out owing to the club’s finances.

If so, Araujo could have played his last game for Barça against Rayo Vallecano. After the game, he was photographed on the pitch with some teammates who also appear in the pools of possible departures.

PSG starlet wants only Barcelona move despite Chelsea, Manchester United interest

As per journalist Roger Torello’s scoop in Mundo Deportivo, Xavi Simons is catching the eyes of some big football clubs like Bayer Leverkusen, Chelsea, Manchester United, RB Leipzig, and Newcastle United.

Interestingly enough, though, the player’s heart is set on returning to Barça.

Now, it is no secret that Barcelona want to sign Simons as much as the player wants to sign for the Blaugrana.

Word has it that Paris Saint-Germain might let him go on loan for another season if he is not keen on sticking around in Paris, despite the club signalling he is in Luis Enrique’s plans for the 2024-25 season.

Barcelona know Simons will be a coup

It is said that Barça view Simons as a great fit. He knows the club inside out, he has got the physicality, he is versatile and his loan could help ease the club’s financial woes.

Bringing him in temporarily seems doable and might not ruffle any financial fair play feathers.

Yet, Barcelona aren’t the only suitor vying for Simons’ loan deal. After a stellar stint at RB Leipzig, where he notched up 10 goals and 15 assists in 43 games, Simons has caught the eye of many.

Interest in Simons is plenty

Apart from the recent interest from Bayern Munich and Barça, five other teams are eager to snap him up on loan next season.

According to the aforementioned report, Bayer Leverkusen, and three Premier League sides—Manchester United, Chelsea, and Newcastle—are also in the hunt for him.

Still, Simons is pulling out all the stops to make his Barça dream a reality. Ever since he set foot in La Masia at the tender age of 12, Barcelona have been his dream.

With friends like Gavi, Alejandro Balde, and Fermin Lopez in the current squad, he is eager to team up again and help restore Barça to their rightful place.

Hansi Flick rejects Chelsea, wants Barcelona move

Hansi Flick has reportedly rejected the chance to join Chelsea, with the 59-year-old having his heart set on moving to Barcelona.

According to a report by Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Hansi Flick was the subject of interest from Chelsea. The Blues are parting ways with Mauricio Pochettino this summer due to differences behind the scenes. However, the 59-year-old treble-winning manager has rejected Chelsea as he is keen on joining Barcelona.

Hansi Flick has been one of the most highly sought-after managers in the last few years. The German tactician was an unknown quantity in the coaching sphere before he took charge of Bayern Munich as an emergency replacement for Niko Kovac in 2019.

The 59-year-old made an immediate impact for Bayern Munich, guiding the club to a treble in the 2019/20 season. Die Roten also won a few more trophies in the 2020/21 season, including the Bundesliga. However, Flick abruptly ended his spell with the Bavarian giants in 2021, joining the German national team on July 1.

Flick began his spell with Germany on a high. But things started to unravel after a few months, and Die Mannschaft bowed out of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the group stage. Flick’s stint with his national side ended in September 2023, and he has been a free agent since then. However, his stock is as high as ever, with Chelsea and Barcelona interested in him.

Chelsea’s interest in Hansi Flick comes in the wake of reports that Mauricio Pochettino will leave the West London outfit imminently. The Argentine tactician has had his differences with the board members at the club. So, the Blues are scouring the market for a new manager, with Flick among their prospective targets.

Barcelona defender will join Atletico Madrid as a free agent

Journalist Ferran Correas from SPORT reports that Barcelona defender Marcos Alonso is set to leave the club at the end of his contract and is expected to join Atletico Madrid on a free transfer.

Alonso’s current deal with Barcelona expires in June, and he has decided not to renew it. If all goes according to plan, he will move to Atletico Madrid to replace Mario Hermoso, who is leaving Diego Simeone’s side.

This season, Alonso has struggled to find a place in Xavi’s lineup. He has only made five appearances in La Liga and three in the Champions League, totalling just 389 minutes of play.

A back injury sidelined him for three months this season, and even after being cleared to play in early March, he only featured in one match against Cadiz when Xavi rested his regular starters for a Champions League clash with PSG.

Despite Alejandro Balde’s long-term injury, Xavi preferred to use Joao Cancelo or bring in Hector Fort when Cancelo was unavailable or needed a rest.

Alonso will leave as he arrived

Alonso joined Barcelona in the summer of 2022. Initially, he signed a one-season contract due to financial fair play considerations, but there was an understanding that he would stay for two seasons.

This was formalized in January 2023 when his contract was extended until the end of the current season. In his first season with Barcelona, Alonso’s involvement increased over time.

He played a total of 37 games and scored three goals. Xavi often relied on him in crucial European matches, starting him in five of the six Champions League group stage games to bolster the defence.

In La Liga, Alonso alternated between starting and coming off the bench, frequently filling in as a central defender due to injuries to players like Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen, and Gerard Piqué’s retirement before the World Cup in Qatar.

As Alonso prepares for his last match with Barcelona against Sevilla on Sunday, his overall record with the club stands at 45 appearances and three goals across two seasons.

Former Barcelona ace claims he could score “more than 2000” goals today

FC Barcelona has housed many of the game’s greats, and many of them in the modern generation. The likes of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Luis Suarez, Xavi Hernandez, and similar names are still relevant even today in different ways. However, it is not only the modern generation of superstars that Barcelona has been a home to.

Even in the past, many greats of the game have worn the famous and iconic Blaugrana colors. This included the Brazilian icon and legend, Romario, as well. A fabled player who has achieved a lot in his time while playing as a professional, few would claim to go against his legacy as a player.

His own words, however, do seem to put him on the rather eccentric side of players. Recently pointed out by AS in a report, the now 58-year-old retired former Barcelona player and Brazilian National team icon made a claim that would understandably raise a lot of eyebrows.

Recounting and revisiting his playing days, Romario used his own achievements and compared those to the football of today, making an outlandish and arguably exaggerated claim that he would score ‘2000’ goals in today’s version of football:

“I think that on the field my success would be greater because today the guys are very stupid. They run too much. In my time, football was also physical, it was always like that, but the players were much more technical and much more intelligent… I’m sure I would score more than 2,000 goals today.”

While these words can be deemed outlandish, there is no denying Romario’s own quality as a player. A former FIFA World Cup, and FIFA World Cup golden ball winner, he was also part of Barcelona icon Johan Cruyff’s dream team and was undoubtedly an elite level goalscorer during his time in Barcelona, where he spent two years as part of his highest-level experience of European football.

Moreover, not all of his words seem to be of a distasteful nature towards the modern generation of footballers and the sport at large. Previously, he has even heaped praise towards the latest Brazilian forward to join Barcelona, Vitor Roque. He claimed the player to be one of the most complete prospects to come out of Brazil, and while his future at Barcelona may have staggered since arriving, words of praise from an icon like Romario carry huge weight.

Barcelona revive interest in €60 million Bundesliga versatile attacker – report

Barcelona are gearing up for a busy summer ahead and it won’t come as a surprise to see the club making multiple changes to the first team.

The club’s management, led by sporting director Deco, is very clear on the type of players they want to sign and the particular weak points they want to address, despite the club’s staggered finances.

To that end, one of the players Deco has closely followed in recent times is Dani Olmo, the RB Leipzig superstar waiting for a summer of change.

Olmo back on Barcelona’s radar

For a while, Barcelona were simply linked with a move for Olmo without any proper advancement, as far as the deal is concerned.

However, a recent report from MARCA suggests that Olmo is back on Barça’s radar once again, as the club desperately look to beef up its options in the creative department.

The Catalans have been linked with other options such as Bernardo Silva of Manchester City. But it appears Olmo’s profile is liked by Barça’s management, while his La Masia background makes him an appealing target.
Not to mention, Barcelona can sign Olmo for a fee of just €60 million this summer, which is the value of his release clause.

The clock is ticking

However, there is one catch. The report highlights that Olmo’s release clause is only applicable until July 15.

After that point onwards, Barcelona will have to negotiate with RB Leipzig if they are to acquire the services of Olmo.

Given the way Leipzig have dealt in the market in recent years, the Bundesliga giants are expected to hype up Olmo’s valuation even more.

The clock, therefore, is running for Barcelona as they look to bring back their former youth graduate to Catalonia this summer.

Barcelona not ruling out the summer departure of €35 million-rated forward

As the summer transfer window starts to appear on the horizon, a number of FC Barcelona stars are staring at uncertain futures.

Some players like Marcos Alonso and Oriol Romeu are certain to be moving on at the end of the season while others like Ronald Araujo, Raphinha, and Frenkie de Jong could be sold to secure a financial boost.

At the same time, there are a number of other footballers for whom the club could entertain offers for while not actively trying to offload them.

Ferran Torres could be sold

Indeed, AS reports that Ferran Torres is one such player whose sale Barcelona are not ruling out at this point heading into the summer.

Ferran, 24, has had a decent season, racking up 11 goals and four assists from 41 matches, although he has gone through bouts of inconsistency over the course of the campaign.

The Spanish international’s ability to play anywhere across the frontline and his sharp movement make him a valuable commodity at Barça.

However, as things stand, none of the forwards barring Lamine Yamal are seen as non-transferable by the club, leaving the doors open for Ferran’s exit.

The 24-year-old, for his part, has always maintained that he intends to stay and succeed at the club.

But the financial situation at Barça could dictate what happens with the ex-Manchester City man, while the new coach that replaces Xavi might also have a major say in his future.

For now, however, Torres’ sale in the summer is not definitively ruled out by the club.

Barcelona place 20-year-old La Masia graduate on the transfer market

With the La Liga season in its last week and the second-place finish locked in Barcelona are fully focusing on the summer transfer window.

While the situation surrounding Xavi Hernandez and his continuity is a concern, sporting director Deco and his team are simultaneously laying out the roadmap for the summer to make tweaks to the squad.

As is well-established by this point, there will be a few sales, with only a handful of players regarded as ‘non-transferable’ by the Catalans.

Alejandro Balde on the market

As such, Diario AS reports that Barcelona have placed Alejandro Balde on the transfer market for the summer, meaning offers for the 20-year-old will likely be studied by the club.

Balde, a La Masia graduate, took over as the first-choice left-back in the senior team last season, displacing Jordi Alba.

The young Spaniard signed a new contract last year and was even handed the No. 3 shirt by the club heading into the 2023/24 campaign.

Balde, though, did not enjoy the best of the seasons, before an injury in January brought an end to his campaign prematurely.

The 20-year-old is currently in the final phase of his recovery from injury, and is seemingly placed on the list of transferable players if a big offer arrives.

Barcelona, for their part, are understood to have turned down an offer from the Premier League for Balde in January already.

As such, there is unlikely to be a shortage of suitors for the 20-year-old, if he is indeed available in the summer.

The Catalan heavyweights, though, will command a significant fee for one of the brightest academy talents if they do decide to part ways with him.

Barcelona close to earning their first bucks from the upcoming summer window

There is still one match left for FC Barcelona in the 2023-24 season, but the club is already shifting its focus on the upcoming summer transfer window. In the coming months, the Catalans will have to sort out the future of Xavi Hernandez, while also assembling a squad good enough to compete for all the trophies.

This latter task will involve both getting new players and selling some of their current players, as Barcelona are already struggling with FFP and need to generate a significant income to be able to get new players.

In this regard, SPORT reports that the Catalans are already close to completing their first operation, as the on-loan defender, Chadi Riad, is finalizing his move to the Premier League side, Crystal Palace.

The Moroccan defender has been playing with Real Betis this season, and this potential transfer will be beneficial for all the involved parties.

Barcelona do not really need him in their squad for the next season, as they are already over-booked in the center-back position, and the explosion of Pau Cubarsi effectively closed any doors for Riad’s return to the Catalan club.

On the other hand, the defender had been a very important player for Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Betis side, and has been a clear starter since the departure of Luiz Felipe and the injury to Marc Bartra.

He played 30 games for the Verdiblancos this season, but could not play in the Europa League because he was not registered in time.

For now, Real Betis will exercise the €3 million purchase option on the defender to get him permanently, before proceeding to carry out the transfer operation with Crystal Palace which is estimated to approach €18 million, without counting the bonuses that can later be activated. There is already an agreement in principle between the two parties.

This operation will be beneficial for Barcelona as in addition to the €3 million from Real Betis, they will also get 50% of any fee that Crystal Palace pays for Riad. This income will definitely be welcome at the Catalan club, considering their current weak financial position.