SETTABLOID

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.

Barcelona generally have spent the last year trying to bring in the best teenage talents from other clubs in Spain, but they look set to lose one. At least that is the view from within Can Barca. The 18-year-old Dani Rodriguez is one of their brightest talents at the under-19 age group, but looks set to depart the club in the summer.

Rodriguez arrived from Real Sociedad two summers ago, and signed a two-year deal which is due to expire this summer, and there is no sign of a renewal happening. As per Sport, he returned from injury this weekend, coming off the bench to create the winning goal for the Juvenil A against Sabadell, but did is set to be used sparingly until the end of the season.

That is because the Blaugrana believe that agent Pini Zahavi has already agreed a deal with Athletic Club to sign with the Basques this summer. He will sign his first professional deal this summer as an adult, and is unlikely to do so with the Blaugrana.

This season he has played 6 times off the bench for Rafael Marquez’s Barca Atletic, all off the bench. The left winger stood out in European action though, contributing to seven goals in seven games during the UEFA Youth League. The good news keeps on coming for the Copa del Rey winners Athletic Club.

Barcelona will fancy their chances against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal that will be played over two legs this month.

The first of the two instalments will be played in Paris in just over 48 hours, and the Blaugranas have been preparing for over a week for the same.

Xavi has his lineup for the night all but ready, and it is only the midfield department that forces him into a dilemma. After all, Andreas Christensen, Frenkie de Jong, and Pedri all missed the last game through either injury or discomfort.

As revealed by Cadena SER in their latest report, all three players will return to Xavi’s squad for the game against PSG and could have minutes on the night.

Two players – de Jong and Christensen – are well placed to even start on the night based on their physical sensations.

The latter will almost certainly return to his role in the defensive midfield on the night considering that he was only suffering from a minor discomfort.

In the Dutchman’s case, however, the decision will rest on Xavi. While he is indeed declared fit to start, his lack of match-fitness could place the likes of Sergi Roberto or Fermin Lopez above him on the pecking order.

The situation with star midfielder Pedri, however, is still in doubt. The player is fit to travel, but the club will be cautious with him given his recent struggle for fitness.

His sensations in the final training sessions and on the match day will govern his participation against Luis Enrique’s side.

At this point, it is safe to say that he will not start on the night and any potential involvement will arise off the bench.

Robert Lewandowski’s move to Barcelona marked a pivotal moment in the Polish hitman’s career. Many even thought it would be the last big move of his career, especially given his age.

But even at the age of 35, Lewandowski has remained Barcelona’s main man upfront and has been one of the protagonists behind the club’s resurgence during the second half of the campaign.

Despite some initial uncertainty over his continuation, Barcelona, for their part, want to continue with the Polish veteran for the time being.

There is no doubt that Lewandowski’s love for Barça was a key factor in convincing him to join the Catalans in 2022.

But more than the club, it appears the Pole has a special affection for the city as well. In a recent interview, the veteran has hinted he would like to stay in the city even after retirement.

“It is difficult to predict what I will do when I finish my career, but Barcelona is, without a doubt, a city to which we will return,” Lewandowski told WP SportoweFakty (h/t Diario SPORT).

he Pole went on to hint that he may even consider retiring in Barcelona, adding, “Of course, we will also go to Warsaw and Poland, because we have family and friends, but when we have more time we will return to Barcelona. It is a city where we feel we can stay after my career ends.”

Unless nothing exceptional happens, Lewandowski is expected to continue at Barcelona until the end of his contract in 2026.

The forward does not rule out a prolonged stay in Catalonia either, but it may depend on his fitness and physical levels.

“It all depends on how I feel physically and what my heart says. There are many things that I have not yet started to think about because it’s not time yet. I still see that everything is fine on the field and in training,” Lewandowski said.

The idea of Lewandowski retiring at Barcelona certainly cannot be ruled out, especially considering the fact that the Pole has rejected lucrative advances from Saudi Arabia in the past.

But it is too early to dissect that idea and only time will tell as to what happens with the future of the former Bayern Munich superstar.

After dominating the Italian champions Napoli at the Montjuic last month, Barcelona now find themselves faced with an even bigger test.

Awaiting the Catalans are the champions of France, Paris Saint-Germain, led by arguably the best player in the world, Kylain Mbappé.

Barcelona versus PSG has turned into something of a Champions League staple over the last decade.

This is a tie that has given football fans so much to relish, whether the iconic Remontada, Mbappé’s hattrick at Camp Nou, or the 5-1 aggregate win during the Catalans’ last Champions League triumph.

Come April 10, we should expect another thrilling encounter.

In this piece, we’ll take a closer look at the Parisiens, including how they operate under ex-Barça manager Luis Enrique, and how Barcelona should look to exploit their weaknesses.

A quick rundown of the Parisiens’ season thus far gives us the following: they lead Ligue One by eleven points, undefeated since mid-September, they won the Trophée des Champions in January, and they are in the Coupe de France semi-finals.

Recently, they saw off Real Sociedad 4-1 across two legs in the UCL Round of 16.

While PSG are far from the most dominant team remaining in Europe’s most prestigious competition, they boast a world-class manager in Enrique, who will look to outfox Xavi and world-class players all over the pitch.