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The 2022 January transfer window is closed, but there’s still plenty of gossip swirling about who’s moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings and goings and, of course, done deals!
TOP STORY: Mane to leave Liverpool for Barcelona or Real Madrid?
Sadio Mane is open to leaving Liverpool in the summer should he receive an offer from Barcelona or Real Madrid, according to Goal.
The 29-year-old winger is celebrating winning the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal, but as he nears the final year of a contract that expires in 2023, there has still been no official contact from the club over a new deal.
Mane is reportedly now beginning to think about the future. It is a childhood dream of his to represent one of the LaLiga giants and he has informed his agent that he wants to have the chance to make that dream a reality before he retires.
Since joining Liverpool from Southampton in the summer of 2016, Mane has gone on to become a Premier League, Champions League and Club World Cup winner, while he could further add to his medal tally when Jurgen Klopp’s side take on Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final later this month.
And with the Reds confirming the €45 million signing of winger Luis Diaz from FC Porto in January, it may now be an easier decision for Klopp to let of one of his star forwards leave.
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LIVE BLOG
08.59 GMT: The wait for a new Messi is over.
Argentinian club Newell’s Old Boys, where Lionel Messi began his playing career, have found another Messi: Joaquin Messi, who bears no relation to Lionel, plays for Newell’s Under-20 side.
The 19-year-old came on as a substitute in his team’s 1-0 defeat against Guarani in the Under-20 Copa Libertadores on Monday wearing the No. 10 jersey.
“I’m Joaquin Messi, a Newell’s player and I’m playing with the number 10 jersey,” he said. “Since I’ve arrived, many people have asked me if I have any connection with him [Lionel Messi]. It’s simply coincidence because in the village where I live there are three families that have the Messi surname so it’s normal, just like it is with other surnames in the rest of the world. I happen to share the same surname with him. Because I’m a footballer it has more relevance. I started at Newell’s like him, I’m now wearing the No. 10.”
Asked about the possibility that the two of them could play one day together at Newell’s, Joaquin said: “It would be the most beautiful thing that could happen to me in my life. It would be something impressive.”
Asked who would wear the No. 10 jersey if that happened, Joaquin said laughing: “No, he would. Give me any number, always give him the No. 10. As long as I play, I’ll take any number.”
08.30 GMT: Barcelona chief executive officer Ferran Reverter has resigned, with sources telling ESPN that the club’s sponsorship deal with Spotify was the latest in a series of contentious issues between the CEO and president Joan Laporta.
Reverter had been seen as a key member of Laporta’s management team since taking up the position in July, as Barca look to restructure their finances and deal with the club’s €1.35 billion debt.
A statement on Barcelona’s website on Tuesday cited “personal and family reasons” for Reverter’s exit, which will come into effect as soon as a new CEO is appointed. However, sources told ESPN that Reverter had disagreed with Laporta over a number of issues ever since he took the job at Camp Nou.
The agreement with Spotify was seen as the last straw, sources said.
0:50
James Olley explains what Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Barcelona move means for Arsenal.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Adam Brown)
– Xavi Hernandez is pushing for Gavi to sign a new contract, according to Sport. After an impressive display against Atletico Madrid, the 17-year-old midfielder further displayed his importance to Barcelona’s long-term project. The report suggests that Xavi will now step up talks to get the deal over the line, with the Camp Nou hierarchy prepared to offer their young star a new five-year extension until the summer of 2027.
– Tottenham Hotspur are keen on a move for Arturo Vidal, with manager Antonio Conte making contact with the 34-year-old midfielder’s representatives. Chilean newspaper La Tercera writes that Vidal has already decided that he wants to leave Internazionale in the summer, and that the Premier League would be a dream destination for him. Vidal has made just one start in Serie A this season.
– Atalanta are looking for solutions after discovering that striker Duvan Zapata will require surgery. Calciomercato writes that they are considering making a move for Diego Costa, who is a free agent. The 33-year-old striker has recently been linked with Fenerbahce, with his goal-scoring form helping Atletico Mineiro to the Brazilian league title in 2021.
– A number of teams are looking to capitalise on the contract situation of Schalke 04 goalkeeper Martin Fraisl, reports the Daily Mail. The 28-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, and that has seen Norwich City and Rangers monitoring him for a potential pre-contract agreement ahead of the summer.
– It’s good news for Arsenal fans as Fabrizio Romano revealed on the Here We Go podcast that they will head back into the market to acquire a striker this summer. Mikel Arteta’s side were prepared to spend big in January, but there were a number of targets on the shortlist that clubs did not want to part ways with in the middle of the season. The Gunners are already considering a number of options to begin approaches for, and they will move quickly in the summer to land a marquee signing up front.