SETTABLOID

Estevao ‘Messinho’ Willian has become one of the most sought-after young prospects coming through from Brazil, with a host of top European teams vying for his signing.

The Brazilian wonderkid has also been heavily linked with a move to FC Barcelona, who have a good relationship with his agent, Andre Cury.

Furthermore, the Palmeiras gem had himself gone on the record stating that he dreamt of playing for the Catalan heavyweights.

But, Barcelona’s financial situation was always going to make the signing difficult and it now appears that Estevao will slip out of the Catalans’ hands for good.

Chelsea agree personal terms

Indeed, as per Fabrizio Romano, Premier League big-spenders Chelsea have now reached a verbal agreement over personal terms with Estevao Willian.

Earlier this week, we reported that the Blues had entered into talks to sign the 17-year-old prodigy, who can move to Europe next year once he turns 18.

Things have moved quite swiftly now, with a verbal agreement over personal terms in place.

Negotiations with Palmeiras are still ongoing, with a first bid worth around €32 million plus add-ons set to be submitted imminently.

Estevao has a release clause worth €60 million in his contract and Palmeiras will seek a total package that will meet that value.

It was something that was out of the question for Barcelona at this point given their financial situation.

Furthermore, the La Liga giants have other, more pressing needs to address in the squad, such as the signing of a new pivot and a left-winger, among others.

As such, Estevao will not be fulfilling his dream of playing for Barcelona for now, with Chelsea the favourites to clinch his signing.

Sergi Roberto has spent the entirety of his career at Barcelona, having risen through the ranks at the club’s factory of talents, La Masia.

Roberto made his debut for Barcelona’s first team in 2010 and continues to be a part of the squad dynamics.

As he nears the end of his contract, the possibility of him hitting the exit door has garnered some attention.

But the Barcelona management coaching staff values Roberto’s presence highly, with the club naming him captain just last season.

Roberto will renew for one more season

Reports earlier suggested that the Spaniard aimed to acquire a contract renewal for two additional years.

Now, COPE have come out to report that Sergi Roberto has agreed to renew his contract with the club for one more season, with an option to extend for an additional year.

This means he will remain with the team through the upcoming season, and Barcelona holds the discretion to extend his contract for another year based on his performance or team needs.

The agreement is finalized, but his agent is still waiting for the updated documents from Barcelona.

The 32-year-old is said to be keen to play in the revamped Camp Nou before exploring an opportunity in Major League Soccer.

Although Roberto isn’t a guaranteed starter for the Catalan giants, the club values his versatility, especially as he is one of the team’s lowest-paid players.

He is recognized as a reliable utility player who can fill in capably during squad absences or injury crises.

And despite his fatal error against Girona most recently, which saw him gift wrap a goal to the opponents, Barcelona still intends to carry on with his renewal.

It is beyond perplexing to imagine a scenario where the financial troubles of Barcelona would just vanish away. The Catalan giants remain in deep trouble when it comes to their economic situation, but they continue to find alternative options. Even now, despite their worries, Barcelona hope to continue building a better team next season.

Yet, that does not mean that every player from this season will retain their place. Many of the Barcelona players who have been deemed as under-performers during this campaign will be placed in a limbo of sorts where Barcelona would be more than open to listening to offers for them.

Very few players will ultimately manage to avoid this rather worrying fate. Among them, the likes of Pedri, Gavi, and Lamine Yamal are some of the obvious shouts. However, according to SPORT, another name at Barcelona could find himself remain at the club for another season based off of the respect he has gained from the coaches.

Andreas Christensen, aged 28, continues to be one of Xavi Hernandez’s most trusted soldiers. The people at Barcelona especially seem to respect his determination to continue playing and showing up for the team even in tense moments and despite the fact that he has been asked to constantly switch up his position.

After being instructed to play as a pivot, the Danish defender filled that role perfectly. Moreover, he also managed to contribute crucial goals to the team in high-profile games such as the ones against PSG, Real Madrid, and even against Girona.

While the objective would be to have him return as a central defender next season, his ability to be versatile enough to play as a pivot continues to impress Barcelona. On the other, he arrived on a free transfer from Chelsea and a potential sale could generate nothing but profit for Barça. On the sporting side of things, however, it seems that Xavi and his staff have no complaints about Christensen.

Barcelona are considering rehiring former Champions League winning manager Luis Enrique in 2025, should Xavi Hernandez fail to extend his contract, reports in Spain claim.

Enrique led Barcelona to Champions League glory in 2014/15, in what was his first season in charge of the Catalan giants. He also won two La Liga titles and three successive Copa del Rey during his three-year tenure, also winning the Super Cup and Club World Cup.

The 54-year-old opted to leave Barcelona at the end of his contract in 2017 before taking on the Spanish national team job, and is currently in charge of Paris Saint-Germain.

Enrique tasted disappointment on Tuesday night as PSG were eliminated in the semi-finals of this season’s Champions League, but his work in the French capital – which saw his side knock out Barcelona in the last eight – has seemingly piqued the interest of his former employers.

Spanish publication SPORT state that one eye is being kept on Enrique as Barcelona make contingency plans in case Xavi, whose contract runs until the summer of 2025, does not stay on as head coach.

The legendary former midfielder was due to leave Barcelona at the end of the season after announcing in January that being the club’s boss was a “cruel, unpleasant” experience and a “terrible drain on your mental health.”

But following an uptick in results, as well as receiving significant backing from Barcelona’s supporters, Xavi eventually reneged on his decision – having spent months denying that he would – and highlighted “trust” from president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco as key components in changing his mind.

He also failed to rule out signing a contract extension at Barcelona, though it remains to be seen whether or not a new deal would be offered if the club fail to wrestle back their recently lost La Liga crown from Real Madrid.

Enrique’s contract at PSG also runs out next summer after he signed a two-year contract to replace Christophe Galtier in July 2023.

Barcelona have been given hope they can sign Xavi Simons in the summer transfer window due to a clause in his current contract.

Xavi is already said to have asked Deco to try and bring in Simons and the rumor mill has now offered an update on the situation.

Mundo Deportivo are reporting Simons has a clause that lets him his choose his destination if he goes out on loan again – and he wants Barcelona.

Simons is said to have a meeting scheduled with PSG chief Nasser Al Khelaïfi to discuss his future amid interest from Xavi’s side.

And that’s likely the part where it gets tricky. Simons is said to be keen to return, but you can imagine PSG aren’t mad about the idea of him moving to Barcelona.

The 21-year-old has spent the season on loan with RB Leipzig, and impressed in the Bundesliga, but is now due back to his parent club where a decision will need to be made.

Barcelona’s financial situation means a loan is the only way they can land Simons right now as PSG would not let him leave for less than €100 million.

According to Jijantes (h/t Mundio Deportivo), Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi has a release clause set at €60 million in his contract.

This means that if Barcelona want to secure a deal for the midfielder, they must be prepared to pay that amount, which is a substantial financial commitment.

However, in order to accommodate such a significant expense, Barcelona would need to undertake major sales of their existing players as well, something that they are already working on.

Deco’s meeting with Zubimendi’s agent

Despite the financial constraints Barcelona continue to face, their sporting director, Deco, recently took a proactive step towards potentially acquiring Zubimendi.

Deco met with Zubimendi’s agent yesterday to discuss the possibility of the transfer. The motivation behind this meeting seems to stem from the fact that Barcelona’s coach, Xavi, has expressed a strong interest in bringing Zubimendi to the team.

Xavi considers Zubimendi as one of his top targets and an essential addition to the squad, reflecting his vision for strengthening Barcelona’s midfield.

Interestingly enough, he caught the attention of Xavi, who believes he is the ideal candidate to fill the void left by Sergio Busquets at the club.

Xavi sees him as the perfect replacement for Busquets because of his playing style and potential to excel in the role that Busquets held at Barça.

Recent reports suggest that Deco had an extended meeting with the midfielder’s agent, which lasted around an hour and a half.

While this interaction hints at possible discussions regarding the player’s future and potential move to Barcelona, the player’s focus is currently on the upcoming game against Barcelona on Monday.

As of today, nothing related to Zubimendi is confirmed as the only way Barcelona can sign him is by paying his release clause, something that remains a big problem for the team.

Barcelona are being linked with a move for Club Brugge winger Antonio Nusa who has been optimistically described as the ‘Norwegian Neymar.’

Nusa, who is known for his dribbling ability, has been linked with a host of clubs this season after impressing in the Belgian Pro League.

Barcelona are the latest club who are said to be interested in the 19-year-old and have received good reports on the youngster.

Nusa is currently valued at around €17 million, making him a low cost option, although he is contracted to Club Brugge until 2027.

Xavi is said to be keen to bring in a left-sided forward this summer and is believed to have a wishlist of Nico Williams, Dani Olmo and Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Nusa would be a far cheaper option, which may suit Barca given their financial difficulties, although he obviously lacks top-level experience and has never played in La Liga.

Fabrizio Romano has said that Tottenham Hotspur tried their best to hijack Barcelona’s move for Brazilian sensation Vitor Roque last summer, hinting that the club could now try again to sign the youngster this summer.

Roque is widely viewed as one of the best-attacking talents to emerge from Brazilian football over the last few years.

The striker has outstanding numbers in front of goal since breaking into Athletico Paranaense’s senior side and even though he only turned 19 a couple of months ago, he has already been capped by the Selecao.

During last summer’s transfer window, Mundo Deportivo reported that Spurs were trying to hijack Barcelona’s move for the teenager as the Catalan giants were delaying sending over the papers for the transfer despite striking a deal with Paranaense.

However, in the end, Barca managed to wrap up the deal for the centre-forward, signing him for an initial fee of £26m, which could rise to £52m if some performance-related add-ons are achieved (Daily Mail).

The youngster linked up with the La Liga club in January but he has found game time hard to come by, having started just two league games for the Catalan giants (Transfermarkt).

It was reported by TBR Football a couple of days ago that Roque could be allowed to leave Camp Nou this summer, with his availability thought to have alerted the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham.

Could Spurs rekindle interest in Vitor Roque?

Romano has now revealed on his YouTube channel that Tottenham tried to swoop for Roque at the last moment after everything was agreed verbally with Barca.

The journalist revealed that the Lilywhites were even prepared to offer €40m (£34.3m) for the teenager but it was too late at the time.

He adds that it is now a matter of waiting and watching to see who shows interest in offering the Brazilian a route out of Camp Nou this summer.

Spurs Web Opinion

Roque’s agent has made it very clear that the striker does not want a loan. So if Barca do put him up for sale, one would expect Tottenham to join the club queue of clubs after the teenager, given that they showed keen interest in his services just 12 months ago.