No Verratti? Better Call Saul! Or Kovacic!

  Ernesto Valverde's side, FC Barcelona, are looking to bolster their midfield this summer. They want to find a suitable replacement for ageing Andres Iniesta.

   The Catalans have had a tough season, winning only Copa Del Rey. They lost La Liga to historic rivals Real Madrid, and got kicked out from Champions League quarter final by Italian giants, Juventus.

   Barca's midfield was disasterous, with Andre Gomez failing to make an impact, and the diappointing form of both, Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitic.

   There have been rumours linking Marco Verratti with the Blaugrana, but Paris Saint Germain will refuse any offer for the dynamo.

   The French giants have a clear plan. Their objective is to succeed in Europe and if that is going to happen, they must keep their key players.
   
   Moreover, the club is one of the richest clubs in the world which means they don't have to sell players for money, and no price can lure them.

   This barrier led Barcelona to search for other options to strengthen their midfield.

   According to Sky Sports, the Catalans are keen on signing Atletico Madrid's Saul Niguez. Barcelona are ready to pay €80 million for their long-time-target. But Atletico Madrid are banned from bringing new players to the Vicente Calderon, by FIFA. This means that the Madrid side are desperate to keep their players which makes the deal unlikely.

   In this case, Barcelona will switch their interest towards Real's Mateo Kovacic, who's being tipped to become a long-term-replacement for Croatian team-mate Luka Modric.

   Don Ballon reports that Ernesto Valverde will work hard to make Kovacic one of the few players who switch from the Santiago Bernabeu to the Camp Nou.

   It also claims that the 23-year-old has no intention of leaving Los Blancos, as he is considered to be one of Real's big stars in the years to come. Moreover, he was reliable when needed in the center of the park in the absence of the star players, which contributed to Real winning the Champions League and La Liga.

Official: Salah Signs For Liverpool

   Liverpool completed record €42 million (+€8 million add-ons) signing of Mohammed Salah from Roma.  The 25-year-old agreed a long-term contract worth £90,000 a week.

   The forward is now the club's #11 after he switched with Roberto Firminho who chose #9. Salah is set to thrive at Anfield, bolstering the Red's attack.

   Jurgen Klopp is happy with his new signing. He hailed the Egyptian speedster, saying that he will create more attacking options, and that his skills will be helpful for the squad.

   Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com, Salah said: 'I'm very excited to be here. I'm very happy.
'I will give 100 per cent and give everything for the club. I really want to win something for this club. We have a great team and very good players. I was watching the games last year and everyone was giving 100 per cent to win something. Everyone can see the coach gives everything. I hope to see that together we can give everything to win something for the club, for the supporters and for us.'

   There are many people who criticize this move, and don't believe that he can succeed in the Merseyside. But in my opinion, Salah is the perfect fit for liverpool. His style of play fits Klopp's plans. He is pacy, skillful, agile, and a versatile player. He can replace Sadio Mane or Philippe Coutinho, and can deliver the same quality, when needed, as Liverpool are back in The Champions League, and need to maintain their form.

Arsenal's Error Reveals Sanchez Is Leaving!

   Arsenal made a huge mistake earlier this day, when they revealed their new kits for fans to pre-order. According to The Telegraph, Danny Welbeck was given #7 before the error was fixed and then switched back his #23.

   This slip fueld speculations about Alexis Sanchez' future with the Gunners next season, amid interest from Bayern Munich, Manchester City, and Chelsea.

   The Chilean's plans are still unkown, and he is yet to sign a new contract with Arsenal. Meanwhile, Sanchez was absent from the official unveiling of the puma strip, but it could be due to his sponsorship deal with Nike.

  Arsene Wenger announced last month that neither Alexis Sanchez, nor, Mesut Ozil are leaving this season. But with top clubs roaming around the 28-year-old, he could leave instantly, as Arsenal are out of Champions League, in addition to feeling unappreciated by the club, who refuse to offer a better deal.

   Reports claim that Alexis has made it clear he wants Manchester City switch, after he told Bayern he wants £420,000 a week, knowing that the club has a strict wage structure. And with 1 year left in his contract, City can snatch the forward for £50 million, plus they are able to meet his demands.

  Real Madrid also have shown interest in the player, as they have doubts about their stars futures, like Ronaldo and Bale. But Alexis would prefer a move to The Sky Blues, where he can rejoin Pep Guardiola who helped him during his spell at Barcelona.

Cristiano Ronaldo To Quit Real And Join United After Fraud Allegations.

   Every summer we hear rumours about Ronaldo reuniting with Manchester United, then Real offer a bumper deal on the table and he stays. But this time is different!

   Cristiano Ronaldo is accused of defrauding the authorities of £13 million in tax between 2011 and 2014, and if that turns out to be true, then he's facing 6 years of jail time.

  A Bola reports that the Portuguese has told the club of his decision to leave. It's been rumoured that Florentino Perez is willing to support the 4-time-Ballon d'Or-winner, but if he wants to leave Perez won't stand in his way, and would name the price tag for interested clubs. Real Madrid released a statement supporting their #1 star on their official website,hoping he stays at the Santiago Bernabeu:

 "Real Madrid CF shows their full confidence in our player Cristiano Ronaldo, who we understand has acted in accordance with the legality regarding compliance with their tax obligations.

Cristiano Ronaldo has always shown since his arrival at Real Madrid CF, in July 2009, a clear will to fulfill all his tax obligations.

Real Madrid CF is absolutely convinced that our player Cristiano Ronaldo will prove his total innocence in this process.

Real Madrid CF hopes that the Justice will act as quickly as possible so that its innocence can be demonstrated as soon as possible."

   Though, a source close to the player told the BBC that the 32-year-old is is willing to leave Los Blancos. The source added:"He's very sad and really upset. He doesn't want to stay in Spain. At this moment, he wants to leave."

  It's obvious that Ronaldo's destination is a world class club, that plays Champions League. And the only clubs that are able to afford his €1 billion release clause, and pay his wages are Manchester United and Paris saint Germain. China move looks unlikely at the moment. It's not a good choice.

Ronaldo would like to return to the Premier League and rejoin the Red Devils, escaping the media and fraud allegations in Spain, where accusing players seems to be a trend. Manchester United fans are very excited about this potential move, and they would like to see Ronaldo again in the Old Trafford. Jose Mourinho could be an additional factor that would facilitate this deal, for the two have worked together in Real Madrid.  

                                                                                       

Chris Smalling On His Way To Arsenal?

   Few days ago, Manchester United officially announced signing Victor Lindelof from Benfica for £30 million. The defender is set to thrive at the Theatre of Dreams. His arrival will push the England international down the pecking order.

   Acording to The Telegraph, Jose Mourinho is willing to sell the player for around £15 million. The 27-year-old arrived from Fulham for £10 million in 2010, and he succeeded under Louis Van Gaal, winning the United's players' player of the year.

   Arsenal are looking to improve their defence, especially if Arsene Wenger is planning to stick with his 3-4-3. Everton and West Ham are also interested in the center back, but Arsenal seem closer, for they showed interest in the player before his move to Old Traford in 2010, then in 2014 when Van Gaal was open to selling the player.

   The deal seems complicated, because of the history of the two managers, although it looks like they resolved their issues. Moreover, the club prefers not to sell their players to rival teams, that fight for the the title. But Smalling looks persistant on his exit, so he hired a new agent this week, although he declared once that he'll fight for his place under Jose Mourinho, when the latter criticized him in front of the media.
 

Barcelona Ask Veratti To Force His Way Out!

   New Barcelona coach, Ernesto Valverde, who was appointed last month hopes to leave his mark by signing new players to bolster the squad. Reports say that Marco Verratti is from the club's priorities.

   According to The Sun, Verratti wants to move away from PSG, but the club isn't willing to sell the player, whose contract ends in 2021. Barcelona could also face financial complications, for Juventus and Chelsea are also interested in the star, and are ready to pay £55 million. Reports in Spain indicate that entering a bidding war isn't a choice for Barca who "are aware of the economic limitations" they face in the transfer market. The club may be one of the richest clubs in the world, but at the same time its the highest-wage-paying club.

   Verratti, who once declared he's happy at Parc de Princes, is now desperate to take his career to next level and win more trophies. And Barcelona happens to be the right place for such dreams. Meanwhile, the Catalans are having hard time replacing Xavi, and soon enough aging Iniesta,33. This means the Italian will be the perfect fit in the Blaugrana's suffering midfield, and could be the solution for their problems.

   The 24-year-old's desire is Camp Nou, deducing from Blaise Matuidi's question to Iniesta if Verratti is his successor, during the famous UCL game which ended 4-0 in favour of the Parisians. Iniesta gave Matuidi a positive answer! Therefore, if Verratti really wants Barca switch, he should force his way out, by informing the board of directors of his wishes, so that the Catalans can start negotiating, lowering the price. Chelsea's interest in Monaco's Bakayoko, could open the doors for Nemanja Matic to leave for Juventus who are interested in signing the Serbian, thus the battle for Verratti won't be fierce, and Barca would land him easily.

   Barcelona used this strategy before with Cesc Fabregas, who ended his transfer saga by joining his former local club. Arsenal refused to sell back then, but Fabregas revealed his desire to leave the club, so the deal took place eventually. Reports also claim that the Spanish giants will repeat the same scenario with Hector Bellerin.

   

Lionel Messi Hails Phenomenal Cristiano Ronaldo And Hints On Contract Renewal

   There has been a debate in the past decade about the best player in the world. The competition is limited between the two incredible players, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

   According to The Telegraph, Lionel Messi hailed the Portoguese's title winning season, and insisted that the rivalry between the two has been created by the media.

   Ronaldo was exceptional in the 2nd half of the season, netting his 600th career goal, and his 105th for Los Blancos. Although he struggled at the beginning of the season, his performances later on were impressive. His efforts helped Real Madrid win La Liga for the 1st time in a while, and brought back the Champions League trophy to the Santiago Bernabeu for the 2nd time in a row. Now he is the #1 nominee to win Ballon d'Or.

   Messi also admitted to Tencent Sports, while on international duty, that he was overwhelmed by Ronaldo's recent performances.

"He is a phenomenal player who has many qualities that  he improves year after year  and that is why he is one of the best in the world,"

  And about their rivalry he added:

 "That thing about our rivalry is something more invented by the press than by us.What we want is to do our best every year, to do the best for our teams and what is spoken from outside is not something I give importance to."

   Meanwhile the 5-time-Ballon d'Or-winner revealed his desire to stay at the Camp Nou, to assure reports claiming the Argentine is ready to sign a 5-year-deal with Barcelona.

  "Today, I only think of my day today, in Barcelona, where I am at," Messi said.

  "To strive to achieve and get the most titles that we can, because in football, we don't know what could happen in the year to come. So I like to take it calm and little by little."

  "Staying with Barca is what I have always wanted, what I have always dreamt of. I said that I would like to end my career in Barcelona, and we will see if it ends that way."

   And by this declaration, Messi played down all speculations about his future. The 29-year-old was linked with a move to Manchester City where he can rejoin his ex-mentor Josep Pep Guardiola, who was keen on the debatably best player in the world. Moreover there has been talks about him jheading to China when Football Espana reported the Chinese were willing to offer unbelievable £500 million per year, tax free, for the ace."