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PSG and Barcelona are among the clubs interested in Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia but according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the most likely scenario for the Georgian star is a contract extension with a release clause.

Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis is ready to meet Kvaratskhelia’s agent, Mamuka Jugeli, to discuss a contract extension for the Georgian ace.

According to the latest report of La Gazzetta dello Sport, a new summit between the two parties will take place at the beginning of the campaign, so not later than in two weeks.

Kvara has demanded a new €5m-a-year contract through his entourage, while Napoli will not offer more than €4m plus add-ons.

The winger’s agent has already informed the Partenopei about PSG and Barcelona’s interest in his client, but the Ligue 1 giants would be the favourite in this race because of a better financial situation.

Kvaratskhelia: most likely scenario revealed amid Barcelona and PSG rumours

President De Laurentiis has not ruled out a sale, but according to Gazzetta, the most likely scenario would be for Kvaratskhelia to extend his contract with the Partenopei, including a release clause in his contract.

How much would it be worth? Surely more than €100m and potentially close to Osimhen’s clause between €120m and €130m.

Kvara only gets €1.5m per season and his current deal runs out in June 2027. Napoli didn’t offer him a new deal after their title-winning campaign in 2022-23 so they will surely make their proposal in the coming days.

The agents of a number of high-profile squad members at La Liga giants Barcelona have recently made contact with president Joan Laporta.

As much comes in a bid to make clear their frustrations with Barca head coach Xavi.

Only some weeks after Laporta convinced Xavi Hernandez to go back on his word and continue as the Barcelona head coach for the next season, the latter’s position at the Catalan club’s bench is once again subject to a lot of uncertainty.

As a result, speculation about who will replace Xavi on the bench is already rife. Previously, Hansi Flick and Rafa Marquez were considered to be the favorites for this position, while Marcelo Gallardo was also being seen as a possible option.

Yesterday, Roberto de Zerbi, who was previously also being considered as a replacement for Xavi, also terminated his contract with Brighton and Hove Albion by mutual consent. His being free also makes him a highly attractive option for FC Barcelona.

In such a scenario, Mundo Deportivo claims that the name of the Italian coach, Thiago Motta, can also be added to the list of possible replacements for Xavi, as an outsider has recommended and offered him to one of the powerful individuals at the Catalan club.

There is no doubt he can be an interesting option for Barcelona, especially keeping in view his work with Bologna this season, a team competing for third place in the Italian Serie A.

He is already being considered as a serious candidate to replace Max Allegri at Juventus, but as Motta himself made clear yesterday, nothing is finalized yet, and he has his options still open.

Barcelona will miss out on signing 17-year-old Brazilian winger Estevao Willian as Chelsea have reached a verbal agreement to secure the player until 2032.

According to reporter Fabrizio Romano, Palmeiras are ready to accept Chelsea’s offer of €40 million plus an additional €25 million in potential add-ons.

Personal terms were agreed upon ten days ago with the player, and Estevao is set to join the Premier League side in 2025.

This development ends Barcelona’s pursuit of Estevao, which began last year. Barcelona had been keen on the young talent, but several factors, including the rise of Lamine Yamal and the high cost of the transfer, hindered their progress.

It is to be noted that Estevao had previously expressed his dream of playing for Barcelona, even posing with a Pedri shirt, but he will now continue his journey somewhere else.

Barcelona had decided against the signing

Last month, reports indicated that Barcelona had stepped back from pursuing Estevao, largely due to the emergence of Yamal in the first team.
The Barcelona management, supported by the administration, decided against making any moves that might impede Yamal’s development.

The decision not to pursue Estevao was not primarily about the transfer cost but rather about avoiding competition for the same position between two young players of the same age.

Additionally, Palmeiras’ president Leila Pereira, who recently negotiated Endrick’s transfer to Real Madrid, was not interested in negotiating further.

Given this stance, Barcelona chose not to invest in Estevao, who would only arrive in 2025 and instead allocated their resources to strengthening other areas of the team.

This strategic decision reflects Barcelona’s focus on nurturing their existing talents and making prudent financial choices for the club’s future.

As for Estevao, he will join the Premier League side in 2025 once he turns 18.

Barcelona might turn to 48-year-old Argentine manager Marcelo Gallardo if they part ways with Xavi Hernandez in the coming weeks.

According to a report by Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, Marcelo Gallardo is the subject of interest from Barcelona. The Catalan giants are scouring the market for a new manager heading into the summer amid uncertainties surrounding the future of Xavi Hernandez. The former Spanish international faces an uncertain future at the club after some of his recent comments.

The Xavi Hernandez saga is slowly turning Barcelona into a laughing stock in the footballing world. The 44-year-old announced his departure from the club in January, citing reasons that intensified his frustrations behind the scenes. A couple of months later, Xavi reversed his decision, with Joan Laporta and Deco coaxing him to continue beyond the season.

Marcelo Gallardo has been one of the most revered young coaches in the world in the last half a decade. The Argentine tactician saw his stock soar during his stint with River Plate, guiding the club to multiple honours. However, since ending his spell with River Plate, he has endured instability in the managerial world.

The 48-year-old joined Al-Ittihad in November 2023 after the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo but has already left the club due to some poor results and conflicts behind the scenes. So, Gallardo is on the market again, emerging on the radar of long-term suitor Barcelona.

With Gallardo available for a transfer, it will not be surprising to see him finally join Barcelona after years of courting. However, it all depends on Xavi’s future at the Catalan club, with the former Spanish international insisting he is not going anywhere.

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La Liga outfit Barcelona have on Saturday been afforded a timely boost on the personnel front.

In a recent report, Fichajes mentioned that Barcelona are facing tough competition for Girona full-back Yan Couto, who is currently playing on loan from Manchester City. It has been stated that the Catalan club would have to rival Arsenal and Manchester United in the race to land the Brazilian defender this summer.

Couto has enjoyed a decent loan spell at the Spanish club after putting in a run of impressive displays on the right side of their backline. The Brazilian talent has been involved in 38 matches for Girona this season, netting two goals and picking up ten assists in all competitions.

The 21-year-old has caught the eye at times on the right flank as he is averaging 1.3 tackles, 0.5 clearances, 0.9 shots, 0.8 key passes and 1.4 dribbles per game in La Liga. He has even been accurate when distributing possession after completing 82.3% of his attempted passes in the top tier of Spanish football (stats via whoscored).

His current contract at his parent club Manchester City will expire at the end of next season which could open the door for Barcelona to sign him on the cheap later this summer.

Barcelona Are Facing Tough Competition For Couto: Is He Worth The Fight?

Couto loves a tackle and doesn’t mind putting his foot through the ball when required. He is a decent dribbler with the ball at his feet and can create a few promising chances for his teammates to find the back of the net. The Brazilian sensation can even shoot the ball with power and precision from long range and can chip in by scoring and creating a handful of important goals for his team from the right flank.

Couto mainly operates as a right-back but can also play as a right-sided wide player if asked to do so. We can expect someone with his skillset and versatility to enhance the quality of Barcelona head coach Xavi’s match-day squad.

At 21, Couto has the potential to be a future star in Spanish football as long as he continues to develop with each year. Hence, he would be well worth the fight, so the Catalan club should focus on stepping up their efforts to land him at the end of this campaign.

An update on the plans of Spanish national team head coach Luis de la Fuente to make use of Barcelona star Pedri has on Saturday been forthcoming.

The Barcelona and Xavi Hernandez exit drama has taken another twist amid reports of player unrest.

Xavi’s decision to change his stance on leaving Barcelona this summer appeared to have placed the squad on a solid footing.

However, the picture has changed in recent days, with Xavi now potentially facing the sack following his controversial remarks over Barcelona’s transfer power.

As situation evolves, Xavi is expected to hold crunch talks with club president Joan Laporta in the coming days, to resolve his future.

Some of his squad are reportedly open to Xavi leaving next month amid rumours of them feeling mistreated by the former Spanish international.

The latest chapter in the saga claims Raphinha insulted Xavi’s brother, and assistant coach Oscar Hernandez, after being substituted against Valencia on April 29.

The Brazilian international was withdrawn with the score tied at 2-2, and as per Twitch channel Jijantes, Raphinha reacted furiously, and was told he would not start the next game.

Xavi followed up his threat by benching Raphinha for the 4-2 loss at Girona and the situation remains tense between the pair.

Rayo Vallecano scored twice at Estadio de Vallecas when they faced Barcelona earlier this season, albeit on two different ends of the field.

An own goal from Florian Lejeune cancelled out Unai Lopez’s opener in the 82nd minute to give the Catalans a draw, but the match left fans with an understanding of just how threatening Rayo can be when in full flow.

Come Sunday, the two teams will meet again in La Liga, this time in the penultimate round of the competition with not much remaining to fight for.

The game will still be hard-fought, nevertheless, with Inigo Perez’s side desperate to earn at least a more respectable finish on the league standings.

Barça Universal bring you three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Rayo Vallecano.

Tumultuous politics

The past 48 hours in Catalonia have seen a serious escalation of internal politics in the Barcelona offices, and the sequelae spoken of could detrimentally impact the team’s planning ahead.

Jolted by Xavi’s recent comments in a recent press conference, the club president and his board are furious and are said to be close to sacking the manager very soon.

Considering that the manager’s continuity was only announced less than a month ago, the sudden change in the club’s stance can only be termed as a hellish situation that serves no party any good.

Twelve hours ago, it was uncertain if Xavi would even oversee the Catalans’ clash against Rayo Vallecano with an immediate sacking spoken of.

No conclusion was reached in yesterday’s meeting, however, and the Spanish tactician will live to see another match from the sidelines.

With such uncertainty looming over the managerial position in Catalonia and multiple forces aligned against the coach, tomorrow could well be one of, if not the last game Xavi oversees for Barcelona.

Sealing the spot

Heading into the clash of the season, there is not much left for Barcelona to fight for except the second spot in La Liga. That in itself, however, is vital for the Blaugranas for reasons that transcend the mere sporting aspect of the project.

With the summer transfer window just around the corner, the Catalans are still strapped for cash and far from stable in a financial sense. At such a juncture, every penny that enters the club’s coffers is valuable making it a non-negotiable for the Catalans to finish second.

A sum of €8 million, a place in the Spanish Super Cup and a direct slot in the Round of 16 of the Copa del Rey awaits the team to finish behind Real Madrid in the league standings.

Barcelona took a big step towards the same with their win over Real Sociedad and can seal their place as the runners-up with a win tomorrow.

With two games remaining, Xavi’s men are placed in second place on 79 points with Girona closely behind on 75 points. A win tomorrow will take Xavi’s side to 82 points which will be enough to guarantee second-place given that Girona can achieve a maximum of 81 points.

A night of uncertain farewells

Sunday’s clash will be Barcelona’s final game of the season at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, signifying the end of the team’s campaign at home.

It thus goes unsaid that the game will be the last time the Barcelona faithful at Montjuic will get to witness some players in the Blaugrana colours. With the upcoming transfer window expected to be explosive, it is not ruled out that it could be the case for some mainstays as well.

For starters, the likes of Marcos Alonso and Oriol Romeu will certainly say their goodbyes to the Barcelona fans as their departure next month is all but confirmed. It thus becomes a dilemma for Xavi to decide if he must give them minutes on the night.

Beyond the certainties, however, is a long list of players who ‘could’ leave the team. Given that very few players at this point are untransferable at this point leaves the door wide open.

Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix, whose loan renewal status is uncertain, are higher up on the list of potential departures while Ronald Araujo, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and Vitor Roque are some of the others on the list.

It will thus be a bizarre night for the fans in attendance. There will be some big farewells to say, but the identity of the players in question is still unknown.