I think this is just negotiation tactics. He knows Barca can't start the season with anyone as good as him, and he wants more money and/or longer Barca deal than what has been offered to him. I understand the club has made him two offers, and he has turned both down. Looking at this case, and Iker's case, makes me happy our legends Valdes, Puyi, and Xavi left totally respectfully. Not that Alves is that caliber legend, but he has been a central players for years now and Barca's history doesn't have too many better RBs than him. FWIW, I think there are two important issues going on. 1. The timing of this lament of muy triste, just before the finals, doesn't help anything, but it raises the profile of his announcement of unhappiness. Basically putting his money ahead of team focus. Very disrespectful from him towards the club that has had a symbiotic relationship with him for years. 2. We're currently doing super well. But we've seen what happens when players get older and slower, and we try to get peak results out of players who are only 95% of what they were at their peak. IMO, jerk move from Alves to come out like that, but that said, both ways are fine: him staying has its upside and downside, him leaving ditto. What he need from him now is to deliver that 200% kinda performance twice and shut up, and after Berlin they can talk all the summer if they want.
Right back rumors if Alves goes: http://www.sport-english.com/en/new...lves-leaves-aleix-vidal-cedric-soares-4223660
More on Aleix Vidal, possible Dani replacement (or possible Montoya and/or Douglas replacement if Dani stays): http://www.totalbarca.com/2015/opinion-pieces/living-without-dani-scouting-aleix-vidal/
i guess i'll put this here, since it's about a transfer. Santos president Modesto Roma Jr told reporters at a press conference: "Yesterday [Thursday], Santos made an official complaint to Fifa against Barcelona, Mr. Neymar da Silva Santos Jr., Neymar Silva Santos and Neymar Sport Marketing Ltd. "On May 31, two years will have passed since Santos and the mentioned agreed on a transfer in which the player's rights were sold to Barcelona for €17.1 million, plus a clause of €2m if the player was among the finalists for the Fifa Ballon d'Or. "Santos then got to know that the value for the player's sale rose to the sum of €83m. Santos considers that Barcelona, Neymar and his company owe this club compensation, and believe that the Barcelona directors may suffer sanctions for these actions. "This action isn't against a club idol, but rather for Santos. We could not keep quiet in the face of this situation. We respect everyone, but we need redress for the damage caused to the club." "If this transfer doesn't get properly analysed it will cause some serious damage to the world football, as it will break every player transfer mechanism established by Fifa"
I hope you guys buy Kovacic from inter. Would fit the Barca system perfectly and eventually replace iniesta.
Even with the big game looming and seemingly no likelihood of Alba leaving (under contract till 2017) they announce this today: http://www.sport-english.com/en/new...lba-will-sign-new-contract-until-2020-4240263 I have to think that this has something to do with a last attempt to re-sign Dani which tries to save some face for both angry sides - Dani and our Barca Board. My thinking is that if they can honestly say that they just re-signed 26 y.o. Alba for X Euros a season, then they can contrast that favorably with what they have already offered 32 y.o. Alves (pretty certain he was making more than Jordi previously, so Dani still wants more and they've very likely already offered him more). Anyways it is just a hunch, like Board saying look Jordi is staying for 3 more years at 6M/season, why won't you agree to stay for 2+1 years at 7.5M, or 3 years all guaranteed at 7M/season. Anyways, pure speculation on the numbers but since both are top fullbacks, one in his prime and one leaving his prime, the timing suggests it may be some relationship. And I'm an optimist who wants Dani to stay even if it means guaranteeing that 3rd year (when he is hopefully a wily sub for us).
Good news ..Chielliniis 99% certain to MISS the final apparently !! Bad news . .. Pedro has extended his contract till 2019 !!
I feel the opposite: it's not good news when somebody is injured, and, well, Pedro is a very valuable player and I'm happy if he stays.
I agree about Pedro. However, I wouldn't mind if Juventus loose every player they have due to injury for this final. I don't wish them any injury (specially career ending ones) but if they are injured and will miss the final, it can only be a good news for me. Winning the fifth CL is more important to me than to beat Juventus in full strength.
injuries to our opponents is already being used to tarnish Barca's accomplishments this season. (instead, credit should be going to Lucho for managing to keep his players fit, healthy and happy) so Chiellini being out is bad news.
To be fair it's great news if Chiellini is out . He would be targeting Suarez especially after the shoulder bite incident . It's bad enough that Suarez will have to face Evra is other arch enemy ...
Bah. Screw them all. This is just another form of "Uefalona", "Villarato" and those other ways of diminishing Barcelona's achievements.
Hope Sid Lowe is wrong but he was there at Dani's presser and says Dani is gone after tomorrow: http://www.espnfc.com/club/barcelon...es-leaves-barcelona-cause-for-regret-sid-lowe
He's an idiot if he leaves just as the team is approaching greatness .. Plus he's practically irreplaceable as regards our right side link up play with Messi ..
Great ... so it seems we signed Vidal the right back/winger of Seville and he will just hang around for 6 months till he can play on January next year .... so now we have Montoya , Douglas , Vidal , Adriano and maybe Pedro & Bartra , and not one of them can even be as half as good as Alves even with his current form and age as a right back , is it really hard to freaking renew for Alves after all he did for the club and give him more rather than waste shit load of money to replace him and fail ? what kind of idiots are running the show here , i thought Zubi is already out ... maybe fire them as well ?
Can't believe that he would leave. Playing extremely well lately, and having a good season indeed, doesn't take away the past year or two though. Which Alves will be the one we continue to get? Of course his play will decline now that age is catching up, but I thought he would definitely have been offered a sensible contract. Dani Alves allows Barcelona to play in a way that we wouldn't be able to, if he leaves. He gives the team that extra width that will bring defenders out, creating spaces for the forwards. I wouldn't think that any of this has anything to do with his sense of style, because that is ridiculous. I have read that he wants a big payday, but I also heard it would upset the wage structure. In any case, if Alves does go, I will miss him, and the club will find out that they will miss him too. I think I could understand letting Alves go, if they were going to do something better with the money he is asking for wages in years two and three of his contract. However, after spending on an injured Verminator and Douglas, money is obviously something the club doesn't mind throwing around despite little return on investment (at this point). Edit: Great news on Pedro returning though. I thought he would be gone for sure to an EPL or more likely, high caliber Spanish side. I have changed my mind after a few years of criticizing, he is a great team player and if he is alright being 4th on the depth chart, then it's great.
I'm gutted . Thought we'd bought the other Vidal Looks like its Alves's last match ....he will supposedly announce his departure after the game regardless of the result . We've apparently just signed a replacement RB - Vidal who will join us Jan 2016. Yet another Mediocre player to add to all the others whilst the other teams buy top class players! I reckon we've bought the wrong Vidal
Well they planned to sign a RB whether Alves stayed or not, was more a question of type (one for the future or one for right now err January 2016). So Vidal signing does not mean that Alves cannot renew. Trouble is Alves wants an extra big payday because he's been left to dangle (he bore all the risk if he got injured or if his play stunk this year) and now is free to be overpaid by another club due to Bosman/no transfer fee. So yeah, it's his last big contract in Europe and someone will pay him a huge salary. Barca probably OK with a small increase to his already considerable salary. He probably is gone but if he renews it's a win win, we sell Montoya and Douglas, or Adriano and Douglas, just not all 3 (as Adriano and Montoya can both back up Alba too). If Alves is gone, as expected, that's said but we have Adriano and Montoya till January, then Vidal. http://www.sport-english.com/en/new...has-signed-for-barcelona-from-sevilla-4251593 It'll hurt next season for sure but in 2 or 3 years will we miss Alves, hard to say how well he'll be playing then. He was great with us and Sevilla for many years regardless.
Still chatting up Pogba's agent, the evil Mino Raiola (see Zlatan). If he wants to come here for less salary all power too him, we'll even let him play a full season of CL with Juventus and take him next summer and pay for him now. But I heard he wants 2nd highest salary on team so forget it: http://www.sport-english.com/en/new...catches-with-paul-pogbas-agent-berlin-4251973
I've checked him out on utube his afternoon .......and ..... He ain't no right back - that's for sure . He plays more like a cross between Pedro and Alexis Sanchez !!!! Confused !
OFFICIAL!! Aleix Vidal signs for Barca!! http://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/detail/article/aleix-vidal-signs-up-till-2020
And I guess it's official then that Dani is gone. I can understand why the club didn't want to be tied down to excess years, but I still wish more was done since there is no way Dani can fit into a better system than here (where else is Dani going to get so much freedom as a RB and such a great complement to his style as Messi?). No answer in that official release as to whether he'll just practice with the squad until January 1st (I guess we can make do with Adriano, Montoya and Douglas??) or whether he'll play "on loan" at Sevilla until the winter transfer window opens.
Welcome Aleix Vidal back to Barca! May you be a great success. As to what this means tactically etc, I hold my guesses and speculations a bit later until we know more about who comes and who goes.