Barcelona news LIVE updates and gossip from the Nou Camp
Monday, March 30
- The Catalan side are ready to offload defender Junior Firpo
- Barcelona are struggling to meet Martinez’s asking price
- Antonio Conte’s Italian side want £71million in cash
- Antoine Griezmann has hinted he doesn’t want to leave Barcelona
Junior Firpo sale
Barcelona are ready to offload Junior Firpo.
That’s according to Spanish newspaper Sport, who claim Nou Camp chiefs are ready to sell the left-back just seven months after his arrival.
Firpo, 23, joined Barcelona from Real Betis for an initial £16million plus an additional £10m in performance-related add-ons but he’s failed to dislodge Jordi Alba from the starting XI.
Now, Sport claim the Spanish champions are planning for his departure and could even use him as a makeweight in any potential deal for Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez.
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Barcelona star Griezmann drops transfer hint amid Man Utd links
The asking price
Barcelona are struggling to meet Inter Milan’s asking price for striker Lautaro Martinez.
Martinez, 22, is viewed as the ideal long-term replacement for Luis Suarez and far more affordable than PSG superstar Neymar.
But there’s a problem.
Italian publication Calciomercato claim Antonio Conte’s side want £71million in cash and aren’t interested in Barcelona’s attempts to send players in exchange.
Martinez has a £102million release clause in his contract that Barcelona are unable to trigger because of Financial Fair Play restrictions.
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- Man Utd handed Jadon Sancho breakthrough, Liverpool, Chelsea latest
Antoine Griezmann latest
Antoine Griezmann has hinted he doesn’t want to leave Barcelona.
The French international has been linked with Manchester United and Arsenal in recent months having struggled to justify his £108million price tag.
But Griezmann has set his sights on the No 7 shirt at Barcelona – which is currently vacant following Philippe Coutinho’s loan move to Bayern Munich.
“I would like to recover the seven,” he said on Twitch when asked what he hopes for the future.
70% pay cut
Lionel Messi and his Barcelona colleagues will take a 70% pay cut during the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement, Barca skipper Messi said: “Before going any further, we want to make it clear that we were always willing to reduce our salaries because we understand perfectly that we are in an exceptional situation. We, as players, are always here to help the the club when they ask.
“It does not cease to surprise us that from within the club there were those who tried to put us under the magnifying glass and tried to add pressure to do something that we always knew we would do.
“If we didn’t speak until now, it’s because the priority was to to find solutions to help the club and to see who the most affected were during this situation.
“For our party, the moment has arrived that, the cut will be 70% of our wage during the state of alarm. We will also help out the club in order for the workers to be paid 100% of their wages.”
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