SETTABLOID

Ever since the appointment of Xavi Hernandez, Barcelona have performed extremely well against Atletico Madrid.

In fact, the Catalans have secured more wins against the capital club than they have against any other top team in La Liga under Xavi.

Barcelona have already beaten Atleti twice this season, with their most recent triumph coming on March 18.

Barcelona players handed Macbooks for win over Atleti

In light of Barcelona’s dominance over Atletico Madrid, a recent report from Mundo Deportivo has revealed that the players were handed a special gift for the team’s win over Los Colchoneros during the first half of the season.

The report adds that Barcelona first-team players were promised Macbooks by the club if they had secured a win over Atletico Madrid in early December.

Barcelona won the game 1-0, with on-loan star Joao Felix notably scoring the winner. Inaki Pena, too, made several crucial saves to help Barcelona keep a clean sheet.

Now, exactly four months after the victory, the club have finally handed Macbooks to each first-team member.

No gift for Xavi & the coaching staff

The gifts, though, were not extended to Xavi Hernandez and the rest of the coaching staff.

This has left a bad taste in the mouth of the coaching staff, particularly given the fact that it is Xavi who has helped the team secure a brilliant record against Atletico Madrid.

As mentioned earlier, Barcelona have outperformed Atletico Madrid more than any other La Liga rivals under Xavi’s leadership.

 

Barcelona are forecasting an array of young talents to reinforce the team in the coming summer – essentially players coming back from loan.

One of them is Alex Valle. Currently on loan at Levante, the young defender has been one of the most impressive loanees for Barcelona this season.

A left-back by trade, Valle has emerged as an ever-present figure for Levante, racking up 23 appearances in the second division.

The 19-year-old has impressed onlookers with his technical proficiency and the ability to provide width going forward. As a result, many expect him to be a part of the Barcelona squad next season.

Valle to benefit from Alonso’s departure?

According to Alex Pintanel, Valle may stand to gain from the departure of Marcos Alonso this summer.

The veteran defender is indeed going to leave Barcelona as a free agent at the end of the season. He has already found his next club in the form of Atletico Madrid.

Alonso’s exit may open up space in the left-back unit and that is where Alex Valle comes into the fray. The youngster may compete for the left-back spot next season alongside Alejandro Balde and potentially Joao Cancelo, depending on whether or not Barça can retain him.

Barcelona’s chief coordinator, Bojan, has witnessed Valle in action multiple times this season and is very convinced of his performances.

The club, therefore, could be ready to count on the youngster’s services next season. In fact, he is not the only loan player who may become a part of the team next season, with the club receiving good reports for right-back Julian Araujo.

Barcelona’s economic woes, coupled with a lack of depth in the full-back positions could catapult these two into important roles in the senior team for the season ahead.

Earlier this year when things were not going their way, Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez decided to experiment with a new role for a certain Andreas Christensen.

Oriol Romeu had not been performing well, and Ilkay Gundogan’s effectiveness was getting hampered by playing in a deeper role. As such, Xavi decided to put Christensen in the defensive midfield position and the move has worked a treat.

The 27-year-old has proven to be an effective solution in the pivot midfield position, providing defensive reassurance as well as allowing the likes of Gundogan to flourish higher up the pitch.

So much so that, reports suggested that Barcelona might look to make this transition a long-term one if they are unable to sign a new pivot midfielder in the summer.

Barcelona do not see Christensen’s move as a long-term one

However, as per Mundo Deportivo, that is far from the truth. While Barcelona are happy with what Christensen has been contributing in the defensive midfield role, they do not see this as a long-term assignment for him.

Christensen’s versatility has provided a solution to the Blaugrana at a time when it seemed difficult to find one. The player’s performances have taken a step forward in the No. 6 role as well.

But, despite that, there is no question of him continuing in this position in the long term, with the idea being that he will return to his natural role as centre-back next season.

New pivot being targeted

As has been reported widely, Barcelona are targeting the signing of a top pivot midfielder in the summer.

Several names have been linked, ranging from Joshua Kimmich of Bayern Munich to Arsenal veteran Jorginho, among others.

More recently, Real Sociedad Mikel Merino has also emerged as a possible target for the reigning La Liga champions.

It remains to be seen who Barcelona sign, depending on their finances, but Christensen’s role in the long run will be at centre-back.

With Barcelona needing some big sales in the summer, the centre-back department is being seen as one where cuts can be made in the squad.

The Blaugrana have ample options at the heart of the defence and there are players who can fetch a good sum if sold in the summer and are attracting interest from big clubs.

One such player happens to be Jules Kounde, who, according to Mundo Deportivo, is staring at an uncertain future at Barcelona.

Indeed, as per the report, the 25-year-old French international’s continuity at the club is up in the air, especially with PSG reportedly sniffing around his situation.

Only earlier this week we reported that the Parisian giants had taken an interest in Kounde and had discussed the possibility of a move for him as well as Hector Fort with Barça.

Kounde arrived at Barcelona in 2022 from Sevilla and has performed well even though he has largely been used at right-back instead of his preferred position at the heart of the defence.

The defender did express some displeasure about the switch in his position at the end of the last season, but has once again performed better at right-back than at centre-back this season.

As such, Kounde’s future at Barcelona could possibly depend on whether he is willing to continue as a full-back.

The Frenchman’s contract with the Blaugrana runs until the summer of 2027 and his transfer is not fully amortised at this point. As such, for Barcelona to register a profit from the operation, they would have to sell him for a sizeable fee.

So, it will be interesting to see whether the Catalans opt to part ways with Kounde or stick with him and look to offload some other players.

FC Barcelona is always an exciting club to follow ahead of any given transfer window. The Catalan giants may not have the most blessed of financial situations, but they continue to have their own ways of doing things. Even now in the summer, Barcelona are eyeing great things.

To ensure that Xavi Hernandez stays beyond this season, the Catalan club must offer him guarantees. For the Barcelona coach, those guarantees come in the form of certain signings that he believes to be crucial. One of those possible targets currently plays in Manchester City, and it may be Barça’s last chance to steal him.

Bernardo Silva, aged 29, remains a great dream for Xavi Hernandez. The Barcelona coach believes him to be a missing piece of the puzzle at the club, and thinks that his arrival would greatly amplify the effectiveness of this team of his.

Now, as per Mundo Deportivo, this coming summer may be Barça’s last chance to make that dream a reality. It just so happens that the last time Bernardo Silva extended his contract with Man City until 2026, he reportedly ensured that a release clause was included, which is not excessively high.

That reported release clause sets his price at €58 million. Not exactly low numbers, but possibly much lower than what Manchester City would otherwise want for one of their biggest stars. However, this summer window is potentially their final chance to unite Xavi with one of his Barcelona dreams.

Paris Saint-Germain already tried last summer to hijack a potential transfer, but Barcelona themselves could not make it happen. Due to their financial fair play limitations, the Catalan giants had to remain seated. This time around, however, reports suggest that things could be different.

For now, there are no guarantees about what will happen. Barcelona greatly appreciate Silva and his abilities as the star interior that Xavi wishes to have in his arsenal, but the economic challenge is a big one indeed.

It remains to be seen how this saga progresses, but Barcelona may have a big window of opportunity if they manage to go along with it.

Barcelona are preparing to offer Manchester United target, Mikayil Faye, as part of a deal to sign Khephren Thuram form OGC Nice.

Manchester United have had their fair share of defensive issues as they have incredibly given up 81 shots in three league games in March.

With the heartbreaking news of Lisandro Martinez suffering his third serious injury of the campaign, the Red Devils currently don’t have any centre backs without a question mark over their future at the club.

In this context, it is clear that new owners INEOS will aim to bring in a centre back or two and some of the most reported names of late have been Jarrad Branthwaite, Gleison Bremer and most recently of all, Faye.

United have reportedly been keeping a keen eye on the Senegalese defender and have been scouting him for the last three months.

It was also relayed here that Barcelona would also be open to selling him but only with an advantageous buy-back option for themselves, a deal a club the size of United would be unlikely to entertain.

His contract ends in 2025 and his current valuation is €35 million, a figure that Barça could pay and could potentially even lower the price if a player enters in exchange, as would be the case with Faye. Thuram is not the first option for the Blaugrana, but given the way the economy and market prices are, he could jump up the list as the days go by”.

It is an interesting thought as the paper also highlights Barca’s desire for Nice to sell Jean-Clair Todibo to a club like Manchester United as they stand to gain €12m in “pure profit” from a potential deal of €60m.

Sport’s reasoning is that the sale of Todibo would mean the French club will be in the market for a replacement and will be happy to shop at Barcelona again due to the success of the Todibo deal.

It is also intriguing from a United perspective as Ratcliffe could refuse to include a buy-back option in the deal for Faye and then sell the player to Old Trafford in the future once he has gained some experience in the French league.

The potential for the two clubs to work together in this way is an exciting possibility for both clubs as United could ensure a more stable environment for loaning young players and Nice could have first option on some of Carrington’s biggest jewels.

In return, the Red Devils could then have first option at any exciting starlets or players Nice develop at the club, like the established Todibo or a hypothetical Faye deal in the future.

Barcelona face an important summer ahead where they will need to make several sales to improve their Financial Fair Play situation so that they can sign their intended targets.

The Centre-back department is seen as an area where cuts could be made due to the sheer number of options in the position. And, one name whose future has been called into question is that of Inigo Martinez.

The 32-year-old veteran was signed only last summer on a free transfer from Athletic Club with the Centre-back signing a two-year contract with an option for an additional twelve months.

However, Barça registered his contract for only one year with La Liga due to Financial Fair Play issues. As such, the club would need to re-register him from scratch this summer.

Given the Catalans’ current situation, however, it is being suggested that they have decided to part ways with Martinez as it would free up some space on the wage bill for them.

In fact, it was even claimed that Barça themselves would help the Spaniard find a new club where his financial and sporting ambitions would be met.

However, a fresh report from Mundo Deportivo now claims that Martinez does not plan on leaving Barcelona in the summer transfer window.

While he has battled with fitness problems on occasions, the former Athletic Club defender has largely done well when fit and available and has made an impression in his debut season at the club.

As such, Martinez is believed to have the approval of Barcelona and is not considering the prospect of a summer departure despite reports suggesting otherwise.

In that scenario, though, Barça might have to look at some of the other Centre-backs to sell and generate revenue while freeing up space on the salary bill.

Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique has said that former Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele is technically impossible to stop.

The 26-year-old, who has scored just one goal this season while providing 13 assists across all competitions, has been an important figure in the first team fold since leaving Barcelona for his home country,

Speaking after his side’s 1-0 win over Rennes in the French Cup semi-final, Enrique spoke on different subjects, including his take on Dembele, the UEFA Champions League tie against Barcelona as well as an update on Warren Zaire-Emery.

Speaking about the former Barcelona forward, Enrique was quoted by Mundo Deportivo as saying, “Dembele is a technically almost unbeatable player with both legs.

You don’t know if he comes out on the left or the right. I think that now, playing inside, we are going to find a better version of Ousmane.”

 The PSG boss added that although his final output is still lacking, the player will eventually improve.

I’m not worried that the last shot is a bit accelerated. He will make it better. He is a player who scores many goals. 

“What Dembele already generates, just with his actions, is very positive for the team. He is an unstoppable player,” he added.

FC Barcelona are looking to strengthen several positions going into the next transfer window, but the area that needs strengthening the most at this point in time is that of the midfield pivot.

This was one of the most prominent weaknesses for the Catalan team this season, and as Oriol Romeu is expected to leave the club this summer, this position is going to get further weakened.

As SPORT has reported, there are several candidates that Barcelona are considering for this position, but there are factors that make the pursuit of each of these players problematic for the Catalans.

For instance, one of the options that emerged for the Blaugranes in the last few weeks was that of Dion Lopy, the Almeria midfielder who was believed to be one of the cheaper options available. However, his good performances have significantly increased his price.

Barcelona were thinking of getting him for around €10 million, but there have already been offers of around €20 made for him. Thus, he is no longer an interesting option for the Catalans club.

Another player who has been closely linked with the blue and garnet club is the Girona captain, Aleix Garcia. However, he is also losing candidacy at Barcelona, but not because of any shortcomings in his game, but mainly because Barcelona are looking for a more physical midfielder or a destroyer, a profile to which Garcia does not really fit. This is also the case with Mats Wieffer.

Amadou Onana still remains a highly popular option for Deco, but Barcelona will have to pay up to €60 million for him, which makes a move for him complicated to begin with. Khephren Thuram is considered to be below Onana in terms of potential and is also not seen as a natural midfield pivot by the Catalans.

Meanwhile, Martin Zubimendi remains Xavi’s favorite to reinforce this position, but he is also going to cost the same as Onana. Thus, Barcelona will have to keep working in the market to strengthen this core area, and will likely have to spend a significant amount for this purpose.

In a week, Barcelona will play one of their biggest matches of the season when they take on PSG in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.

The game will be played away at Parc des Princes and as preparations for the big match get underway, Barça are sweating over the fitness of three of their key players.

Indeed, Pedri, Frenkie de Jong, and Andreas Christensen are recovering from fitness issues and there are still some question marks over their availability against PSG, especially the former two.

As such, Barcelona plan on playing a training match this weekend in order to assess the fitness level and the readiness of Pedri, De Jong, and Christensen for the PSG clash, reports Laia Tudel.

Both Pedri and De Jong have been out for a little more than a month through injury. The Catalans are erring on the side of caution with the former given his injury history. As for the Dutchman, his recovery timeline puts him in the fray for PSG.

As reported recently, Barça expect the duo to resume team training this week and the plan is to test their fitness in an internal training match.

As for Christensen, he is dealing with an Achilles tendon discomfort from before the international break and has missed two games, although the expectation is that he will be ready to face PSG next week.

The training match, thus, will provide a good exercise for the three players to test themselves and their readiness for the high-profile encounter in a week.

It must be noted that Barcelona are not involved in any matches this weekend as La Liga takes a break due to the Copa del Rey final, paving the way for extra work sessions and the training match for the Catalans.