SETTABLOID

The youth department, La Masia, has become the lifeline for this current avatar of Barcelona, with several first-team stars stemming from the academy.

There is no shortage of talents in the conveyor belt either, with a host of young players ready to make their mark in the senior team in the years to come.

One of such talents is Dani Rodriguez – a winger who is currently plying his trade for Barcelona’s U19 squad.

However, it appears Barcelona fans might not get the opportunity to see Dani Rodriguez in action for the first team anytime soon.

That is because the young forward could be on his way out of Camp Nou at the end of the season, reports Diario SPORT.

The report suggests that Rodriguez, who has recently hired Pini Zahavi as his agent, will not have a future at Barça, especially with his contract expiring in the coming summer.

Dani Rodriguez has shown no desire to renew his contract, which has led to assumptions over his future this summer.

There is no shortage of suitors for Dani Rodriguez either, especially given the immense potential the player has shown at a young age.

Barcelona, for their part, believe the youngster may have already signed an agreement with Athletic Club, even though the player was courted by Tottenham Hotspur as well.

Although there is no detail on Rodriguez’s negotiations with Athletic Club, the player’s Basque background, coupled with uncertainty over the future of Nico Williams, the Spanish club would not hesitate to go after the forward this summer.

The transfer team at La Liga giants Barcelona have this week been advised to launch a summer assault for a member of the midfield ranks at none other than arch rivals Real Madrid.

Ilkay Gundogan has quite easily been Barcelona’s best, and most reliable midfielder this season.

Despite arriving just last summer, the treble-winning captain has adapted wonderfully to life in Catalonia and featured in many roles across the field.

Owing to Barcelona’s injuries, he has played deeper in midfield than he would have liked to, yet he has recorded a stunning five goals and six assists in La Liga alone.

Speaking to the media recently, the Barcelona midfielder elaborated on his playing style and how it developed over the years.

“Was I born with my skill, or did I learn it? I think I have learned it over time, I have always been a player who brings a lot about the game, about the game process.”

“When I am on the pitch I do not only look at myself but also my teammates, I look at the entire image, how to get the ball from the defence, that I reach the centre of the field, the attack,” he added, emphasising that he always stayed a step ahead of his teammates.

The German maestro then went on to praise and credit Pep Guardiola, with whom he worked at Manchester City, for maturing his footballing philosophy.

“Before everything was less, I would say a little simpler, but, when I started working with Pep, everything began to evolve enormously, also very fast.”

“He teaches you that there are many phases of the game that you didn’t even know before and yes, he taught me a lot about football,” he added on the Barcelona legend’s ideology.

Having returned from international duty, Gundogan starred in Barcelona’s tight win over Las Palmas last week and is set to start against Paris Saint-Germain later this week.

With Pedri unlikely to feature on the night and de Jong just returning from injury, the pressure will once more be on the veteran’s shoulders.

Barcelona have reportedly told Pedri they plan to offer him a new contract at the club and want to sit down soon and start negotiations.

Pedri’s current contract runs until 2026 and contains a 1 billion euro release clause, but Barcelona want to extend that even further, according to Mundo Deportivo.

The Catalan giants see Pedri as a key player for the future and therefore don’t want to take any risks when it comes to his contract.

Barca want his long-term future secured to avoid him heading towards the final year of his contract without an agreement having been reached.

The club are also said to be keen to talk contracts as a “show of support and absolute trust” in Pedri during a difficult time for the midfielder.

Pedri is once again on the sidelines due to injury, and it’s not clear yet when he will return to first-team action.

The midfielder’s injury problems have been a recurring theme in recent seasons, but Barca do not seem worried by the situation and want to ensure Pedri stays for the long term.

The summer transfer window of 2024 will be a difficult one for Barcelona as they try to navigate their financial problems for hopefully the last time in an attempt to complete the ‘squad revolution’ that has been in the works for a few years now.

The team has some evident gaps which desperately need to bolstered, including defensive midfield, left-wing, and perhaps even left-back and central midfield.Barcelona cannot, once again, compromise on the players they sign, like bringing in Oriol Romeu last summer. However, to make the correct moves, the club will need to offload players and earn enough money to stabilise their FFP issues.

It has already been reported that Barcelona do not want to compromise on their squad and will not offload their important players like Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Gavi, Lamine Yamal, Ronald Araujo, and Fermin Lopez, among others.

According to the reliable Joan Fontes, Barcelona are preparing a ‘painful’ exit this summer, one that may hurt fans of the club.

Barcelona will want to stabilise their FFP issues this summer, and return to the 1:1 rule in La Liga, which will allow them to spend as much money as they get in, as opposed to the 3:1 rule they are on right now.

However, the report adds that the sale of this player will not be due to the FFP issue, but an attempt to save the money they put in from their own pocket last year.

To put it into further context, President Joan Laporta and Treasurer Ferran Olive put in nearly €30 million of their own money as a ‘personal guarantee’ to register players when the money from Libero did not arrive timely for Barça Studios.

This current Barcelona setup features a fair few players who are young and have already won over the fans to a large extent.

The likes of Ronald Araujo, Gavi, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, and Pau Cubarsi are already heavy fan-favourites, but it seems unlikely that either of them could be sold.

Frenkie de Jong is largely a polarising figure in the fanbase, while other players will not be able to generate as much money.

Fermin Lopez is someone who is considered a loved figure among the Barcelona faithful, and carries a realistic transfer value of around €30-40 million.

Either way, at this point, these reports are mere speculation and carry little truth.

Barcelona face a crucial UEFA Champions League quarter final first leg at Paris Saint-Germain on April 10.

La Blaugrana are aiming to end the season with a trophy after seeing their La Liga title challenge falter since the start of 2024.

The Catalans are facing a key battle in the French capital with Xavi Hernandez set for a string of key calls over returning injured stars.

Barcelona have a big task on their hands in three days as they travel to French capital Paris to lock horns against PSG for the first-leg of the Champions League quarter-finals.

The second leg is scheduled to go ahead at Saint Montjuic Stadium next week, but before that Barcelona will need to navigate the first leg with several players sidelined due to injury.

This includes midfield duo Pedri and Frenkie de Jong, both of whom picked up injuries vs Athletic Club. The former picked up a hamstring knock, while the latter rolled his ankle, and both of them were initially ruled out for the PSG tie.

There have been several updates since then, with some claiming that both players will be back in time for the game, while others have said the opposite. And now, there is a new update on the situation.

While Pedri seems to be have been completely ruled out for the game against PSG, Barcelona are still hoping to have de Jong fit and in the squad.

However, a recent report from SPORT has claimed that Frenkie de Jong lacks rhythm and is not expected to start the game even if he is given the green light to participate in the game.

Barcelona will have to navigate a fair few problems this summer, including looking for a new manager. However, that is just the tip of the iceberg, as the main concerns lie in the transfer window.

Due to the ongoing financial distress at the club, Barcelona will be unable to spend money once again to fill in the gaps in the squad, such as the holding midfield position, which has been crying out for a long-term quality replacement after Sergio Busquets’ exit.

Xavi tried using Oriol Romeu in that role, but after a decent early run, it became clear that the Spaniard could not fill in the big boots.

Since then, Ilkay Gundogan, Frenkie de Jong, and Andreas Christensen have all filled in the role to varying success.

But most recently, in light of injuries to de Jong and Pedri, Barcelona’s captain Sergi Roberto has also sparingly filled in the role, and not done half bad. And it seems his performances are set to be rewarded.

According to a report from MARCA, Barcelona are set to send a contract extension offer to Roberto soon. Conversations with his agent are already underway, and the parties are optimistic.

Barcelona failed to progress beyond the UEFA Champions League group stage in their first two seasons after Messi’s departure.

But after two humiliating years in the Europa League, the Catalan giants have been provided the perfect opportunity to redeem themselves against Paris Saint-Germain.

Interestingly enough, the last time Barça reached the tournament’s knockout rounds, they were dealt a defeat by Mauricio Pochettino’s PSG side.

However, much has changed since then. Barcelona have revamped their squad with new faces and a new coach, with the club recently hitting a rich vein of form.

And considering the second leg will be played at the Montjuïc, they will be mildly optimistic about their chances of overcoming the Parisians.

That said, fortune has scarcely favored the Blaugranas in the Champions League, and the looming possibility of key players facing suspension adds an element of tension for Barça.

There are seven players who are one game away from facing suspension and could miss the return leg six days later at home soil if they see yellow.

Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Frenkie de Jong, Sergi Roberto, Joao Felix, Lamine Yamal, and Ferran Torres are the 7 players exposed to the threat of missing the second leg.

The aforementioned players have picked up two yellow cards in the competition and will have to sit a game out if the total goes up to three.

As their finances continue to create problems for them, the future of several players at FC Barcelona is highly uncertain at the moment. The Catalans will have to sell more than one player this summer not only to sign new players but also to make sure they retain their current important players.

In such a context, one player whose future is subject to a high degree of uncertainty is the Barcelona captain, Sergi Roberto. His current contract ends this summer, and the club was pondering whether to renew him or let him leave after this season.

However, according to the latest update on this matter provided by Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have already decided to offer him a new contract, and have already communicated this to the player himself. Negotiations for this new contract will begin in the coming weeks.

One of the most important factor that led the club to decide in favour of his renewal was the recommendation of Xavi, who suggested the Catalans to renew Roberto for another season both in public and in his internal meetings with the club officials.

But beyond Xavi’s advice, Barcelona are also highly satisfied with Roberto’s performances, especially in some important matches against Napoli, Almeria, and Las Palmas. He has scored three goals and given two assists in seventeen games this season.

They also positively see his involvement in the locker-room, and value the way he has taken the responsibilities of being the team’s captain.

Sergi Roberto had already adjusted his salary to ensure he is not being too big a burden on the club’s finances in his last contract renewal. This time, the Catalans will again offer him one year’s contract with the same salary, but there will be some other conditions as well.

Roberto himself is also attracted by the idea of playing in the MLS with his old teammates like Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Sergio Busquets. However, he understands he still has some years to keep playing in Europe, and has several times shown his intention to remain at Barcelona.