SETTABLOID

AS reports that Sevilla are ready to contact Barcelona in order to sign Ansu Fati in the summer on a season-long loan.

Just like Barcelona, Sevilla are struggling to keep their finances in check. As of today, they will have to sell several players, terminate others at any cost and bring in a lot of players who are free and/or do not cost too much.

Amidst all this, they will have some room to rope in a player on loan and this is where Ansu comes into the picture.

A move could be possible

It is to be noted that before moving to Barcelona, Ansu trained with the youth teams of Sevilla. Between that period and the current situation, a lot has changed for both the player and Barcelona.

After a disappointing stint at Brighton, it is doubtful that the club will be able to offload him for a hefty sum, considering his high salary as well. If they are left with no choice but to loan him out again, Sevilla seems poised to make a move.

As of today, the player seems open to joining Sevilla and this move was on the cards even last summer.

An insight into the planned colours set to be donned by La Liga giants Barcelona in their upcoming meeting with Paris Saint-Germain this week has today been provided.

Barca, of course, will turn their attentions back towards matters on the continent this Wednesday night.

After marking their return to action post-international break with a La Liga downing of Las Palmas, focus is now firmly on the first leg of the club’s Champions League quarter-final tie with the aforementioned PSG.

Xavi’s troops will head into proceedings seeking every advantage they can muster in Paris, aware that a raucous atmosphere awaits them at the Parc des Princes.

And hope of one such good omen will come by way of the Blaugrana’s kit choice.

As revealed by Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona will take to the pitch on Wednesday in their ‘Senyera’ strip – yellow with a quartet of horizontal stripes across the shirt’s chest.

And all associated with the Catalans will be hopeful of their good luck in the jersey continuing in France.

This comes with Xavi and co, in ten outings in yellow across the season to date, having racked up seven wins, and three draws.

It is no secret that Barcelona see Ronald Araujo in their future goals and for that, Joan Laporta has taken the matter into his own hands to ensure the defender’s continuity is sealed.

Given the club’s stance, a report from SPORT has mentioned that Araujo is now ready to commit his future even in the light of Bayern Munich’s interest.

Barcelona have made a firm decision regarding Araujo, opting not to entertain offers despite genuine interest from Bayern Munich and inquiries from two Premier League clubs for the talented Uruguayan centre-back.

This decision marks a definitive stance, although it has not been without its share of tensions and misunderstandings, all of which have now been successfully ironed out.

The turning point in Araujo’s renewal saga occurred on March 6, coinciding with the unveiling of a documentary centred around the player.

It was during this event that Laporta, alongside Deco, Araujo himself, and his agents, convened, signalling Barcelona’s commitment to the player.

Any previous hesitations were dispelled, and the club made it clear that they were firmly backing Araujo.

Interestingly, Araujo was initially unaware of Barcelona’s proposed contract renewal, which had been submitted to his agents for consideration.

Laporta took the initiative to personally approach the player and his representatives, facilitating a transparent discussion.

Consequently, Araujo communicated his desire to negotiate and finalize the terms of the contract extension, with the intention of reaching an agreement before the season concludes.

Despite overtures from Bayern Munich, Araujo’s priority lies with Barcelona, a sentiment that his agents have acknowledged and pledged to respect.

In essence, Barcelona’s decision not to sell Araujo reflects a renewed commitment to nurturing and retaining promising talent within the club.

The resolution of any lingering tensions and misunderstandings underscores the importance of open communication and alignment between the player, his representatives, and the club’s management.

Looking forward, the focus shifts towards finalizing the terms of Araujo’s contract extension, a process that is expected to be completed before the culmination of the current season.

With Araujo firmly committed to Barcelona’s cause, the club can now proceed with confidence, knowing that one of their key defensive assets will remain an integral part of their future plans.

The biggest game of Barcelona’s season has arrived: the Catalans travel to France for the much-anticipated first leg of the Champions League quarter-final tie against Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes, needing a positive result on the road ahead of next week’s return leg at the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium.

Barça had 10 days to prepare for this match and will be the fresher of the two teams, but that doesn’t make the Blaugrana task any easier: PSG are favorites in the tie and have a Barça legend as their manager in Luis Enrique and one of the best players in the world in Kylian Mbappe, and they are hungry to get a big result at home and take a big step towards the semi-finals.

Here’s how we think Xavi Hernández will line up his troops for Wednesday’s battle:

The rare but welcome 10-day window to prepare for this game gave Xavi a chance to fully focus on one opponent and come up with his best possible gameplan to take a positive result back to Catalonia, and the coach seemed to already know his starting XI before the training sessions even began.

According to all reports the boss will stick with pretty much the same team that won the second leg of the Round of 16 against Napoli, which would mean Marc-André ter Stegen in goal and a back four of Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsí and João Cancelo.

The only question about the back four is tactical and it depends on the position of Mbappe: if the French superstar plays on the left wing, Araujo will most likely start at right-back with Kounde in the middle; if Mbappe is the central striker, Kounde will retain his full-back spot and Araujo will be in the heart of the backline. We’ll only know the answer once the game starts.

The international break and the 10 days off after the win over Las Palmas allowed Xavi to recover two crucial pieces: Frenkie de Jong took part in all training sessions over the last week and is expected back in the squad as of this writing, though the same cannot be said of Pedri who will most likely be saved for the second leg.

The second key player back in the fold is Andreas Christensen, who is once again over his Achilles troubles and is ready to start in his now regular defensive midfield role. Ilkay Gündogan will start as usual, and De Jong will most likely be a substitute given his long absence recovering from an ankle injury.

That means there will be two players fighting for the remaining spot in midfield: captain Sergi Roberto and young Fermín López, who have both given plenty of reasons to deserve a start in the big game. Xavi has often opted for experience in big away games throughout his time as Barça coach, so Roberto will most likely get the nod in a more defensive role to allow Gündogan full license to attack in Paris.

Manchester United have joined Juventus and Arsenal in the race for young Barcelona centre-back Mikayil Faye, according to reports in Spain.

(The 19-year-old currently plays for Barcelona’s reserve team in the third tier of Spanish football, but his performances have caught the eye of several clubs. Spanish outlet Sport  claims that United are one of those teams, along with Arsenal, Juventus, Lens, Girona, Nice and Borussia Dortmund.

Faye’s contract at the Nou Camp runs until 2027 and he is said to have a €400m (£343m) release clause. Barcelona are said to be readying themselves for offers but do not plan to sell him or loan him out in the summer.

The Catalan giants are said to be planning to give him opportunities next season. But the player himself and his entourage could be open to a move away from the club.

Elsewhere, Football Insider claims that a decision has been made to part ways with Raphael Varane in the summer. The defender is out of contract in the summer, and United have opted not to trigger a one-year option.

The report says that the club’s hierarchy have recently held fresh talks with Varane, but the Frenchman is now set to leave the club at the end of his contract. He has been able to speak to and agree to a pre-contract with any overseas sides since January.

The defender is currently out injured after leaving the pitch at half time against Chelsea last week. The problem saw him miss the weekend’s clash vs Liverpool, whether he can return against Bournemouth next week is still to be seen.

Barcelona have no shortage of talented youngsters in and around the first team at present but could be set to wave goodbye to one impressive teenager.

Dani Rodriquez is being tipped to leave Barcelona in the summer when his contract expires and move on to Athletic Club, according to Sport.

The winger has caught the eye this season, scoring some stunning goals, and has also been called up on occasion to train with the first team.

However, Rodriguez is yet to make his senior debut and an exit is on the cards as the end of the season is fast approaching and a new contract has not been agreed.

The 18-year-old recently changed agent to Pini Zahavi and it’s thought that he may have already agreed to move to La Liga rivals Athletic Club.

Rodriguez has played six times for Barca Atletic this season but has been more impressive in the Youth League where he scored four goals and produced three assists.

Mundo Deportivo have now claimed that Barcelona are set to enter the race for Atalanta star Ederson, who is also wanted by Tottenham Hotspur.

Ederson has had an outstanding season at Bergamo and the midfielder is being backed to make a step up to a bigger club at the end of the season.

According to a fresh report coming from French outlet L’Equipe, PSG are still keeping tabs on, and interested in signing Barcelona midfield ace Gavi.

They had started to keep a watchful eye on the player starting earlier this season, hoping to sign him to reinforce their midfield, which has been an area of concern for them for a few seasons, now.

They wanted to sign Gavi last summer with the money they would have gotten had Kylian Mbappe decided to move away, as he was ostracised from the PSG squad.

There have also been reports claiming that PSG will try to make a move for Gavi this summer, and could be ready to table a massive offer for his services, which could force Barcelona into making a tough decision.

The report adds that Gavi’s entourage and PSG intermediaries were in contact last year, and agreed to keep in touch after the summer transfer window. The club’s interest in the player has not reduced despite his ACL injury.

Signing Gavi, though, is a good idea in theory, but nearly impossible in practice.

Barcelona have no plans to sell Gavi, now or in the future, and consider him one of the future captains of the club.

Even if PSG can convince the player, they will not be able to persuade Barcelona to sell him, with the €1 billion release clause a huge obstacle in the way.

That said, the Golden Boy Winner has absolutely no intention to leave Barça. He will not listen to any offers, including those from PSG or any other club.

Currently nursing an ACL tear, Gavi is expected to miss the 2024 Euros with Spain. Instead, he will be back ahead of next season.

If his recovery goes well, he could join Barcelona on the pre-season tour, but otherwise, all signs point towards him making a comeback not before the season starts.

Barça will be very cautious with his return, hoping he can recover his best form, and his abilities by the time the new season starts.

Former Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele is relishing the prospect of taking on the Catalan giants with PSG in the Champions League.

Dembele will come up against his former team-mates for the first time since his departure last summer in Europe’s premier club competition.

The forward was asked if he was happy to be have been drawn against Xavi’s side and admits he can’t wait for the two games.

Dembele also revealed he is still in touch with several of his former Barcelona team-mates

The Frenchman has scored just once for PSG so far since his summer move but has weighed in with nine assists in all competitions.

There’s three major threats posing Barcelona for their game against PSG this Wednesday, the first of which is, of course, Kylian Mbappe. The Frenchman is one of the best players in the world, if not the best, and keeping him quiet should be the top priority.

The second is PSG’s ultras group Collectif Ultras Paris (CUP), who have released a message for their fellow fans, asking them to create an atmosphere that will make Barcelona players tremble.

Finally, the third important horseman of this game, and as much as Barcelona fans may hate it, is Ousmane Dembele. The winger has not picked up a single injury since joining PSG, and while may not score or assist as much, he is close to unstoppable when in form.

Ahead of the game, the World Cup winner spoke to UEFA, Dembele was asked whether he was happy about facing Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the competition.

“Yes, it is great to play in Barcelona and Spain, again. I think it will be a great match,” he said.

Dembele was at Barcelona for six seasons, during which his best version was only evident under Xavi. Eventually, though, an offer from PSG tempted him to leave the Catalan giants for €50 million.

I would like to say that I learned a lot, on and off the pitch, thanks to the coaches, but also due to the great friends I made there,” he assessed his time at Barça.

Speaking of great friends, Dembele name-checked Gavi especially as one of the Barcelona players he is still in touch with.

“I saw Kounde during the international break with France, I also called Gavi. We talk to each other often before games.”

Dembele was rested against Clermont Foot this weekend, and is expected to start on the right-wing against Barcelona. Kylian Mbappe will also return to the side, but the third man in the attack is still unknown.