Transfer Rumors

Alves rumors have to be 100% crap. We just went out of our way to secure him last year, would be so stupid

http://www.sport.es/es/noticias/barca/iborra-sucesor-puyol-1712181

Barca linked with Levante's Iborra

Must say I am not crazy about getting Iborra

0 goals and 1 assist? I've seen him play and he is ok but not Barca level. Id rather just promote JDS and sell Keita. If we are too spend on midfield it shouldn't be for a player thats not much better than what we have in la Masia

Centre forward Danyr? Villa and Sanchez all can play in that position. Villa prefers that position than on the wing... Most mportant to get a back. Alves is just making us ore weaker as Montoya is still not fully ready (the guy hasn't played a full season with us yet...). Alaba would be great Though a possible tranfer is unlikely. I guess Rosell is desperate with Pep and allowing us to go into more fininacial debt...

If I wanted to define what a CF is to a bunch of kids I wouldn't use Villa and Sánchez as examples. None of these players have aerial capabilities, Sánchez's finishing is sub-par compared to a decent CF and Villa lacks physical presence a classic CF would posses.

Whether Barcelona need a CF is entire different argument though.

Villa is not a CF so?

Well he has played in that role for most of his Valenica and Spanish career

If you ask me Llorente and Soldado are more CF than Villa. Maybe your definition of CF differs from mine. Villa is a ST not CF.

"The centre forward is often a tall player, typically known as a target man, whose main function is to score the majority of goals for his team. He may also be used to win long balls or receive passes and "hold up" the ball as team-mates advance, to help teammates score by providing a pass ('through ball' into the box); the latter variation usually requiring quicker pace. Some forwards operate on the wings of the field and work their way goalward. A centre forward usually must be strong, to win key headers and 'outmuscle' defenders. His classic number is 9."

Definition of Centre forward: A forward that plays in the centre.

A CF can be tall as Nikola Zigic or short as Romario. Strong as Llorente or weak as Raúl. Fast as Eto'o or slow as Jan Koller. Mobile like Villa or static like Ibrahimovic. Good header like Oliver Bierhoff or lame header like Ibrahimovic. Can hold up the ball as Kluivert or run forward dribling as Messi.

Centre forward IMO is a position, not a type of player.

Obviously our definitions of the term CF differ drastically hence the emergence of the argument itself.

But now you know what I meant when I said Barcelona don't have a CF. I meant the tall, strong guy who holds up the play and wins headers (watch Llorente against Sporting). Which is why I added in my comment whether Barça necessarily need a player like that or not because you got a player in the calibre of Messi who likes playing in the middle in the 4-3-3 and succeeds in that 'false number 9' position.

One might suggest playing 4-2-3-1 with Messi playing as a second striker right behind the CF. Kind of where Özil plays for Madrid.

Milan have intensified the contacts with Seydou Keita (32), whose contract expires in 2014, in the past weeks. A deal could be close. With Barcelona being interested in Milan centre back Thiago Silva (27), the Brazilian and Keita could be part of player-plus-cash deal. [as]

Market Value according to transfermarkt.de

Thiago Silva (32) = Kieta (8M) + Afellay (10M) + 14M?

Deal

Galliani has said plenty of times that Thiago Silva is not for sale and the player himself has insisted he wants to end his career in the rossoneri shirt. Only a very lucrative deal will have him leave Milan in my opinion.

Keita worth 8m...lol...yeah right.

well with this market why not? Keita is usually stable player and do not see why any coach would not want to have him. If Coentrao was worth 30 mil, i think 8 mil for Keita is reasonable price. I really think he should not leave under 6 mil.

If Andy Carroll was worth £35 million...no wait he wasn't. Neither did Coentrão.

Personally don't see anyone paying €8 million for a 32 year old and definitely not a cheap team like Milan.

Oh, he is 32, i thought he is 30! In that case I agree.

- Chelsea forward Didier Drogba (34), whose contract expires, has been offered to Barcelona by his agent. He would accept a 1+1 contract. [md]

- With offers from teams like Man City and Anzhi, Barcelona could decide to sell Brazilian right back Dani Alves (28) this summer. [md]

Khaled wrote:- Chelsea forward Didier Drogba (34), whose contract expires, has been offered to Barcelona by his agent. He would accept a 1+1 contract. [md]

- With offers from teams like Man City and Anzhi, Barcelona could decide to sell Brazilian right back Dani Alves (28) this summer. [md]

1) Hmm... considering he'd be free, he could be considered useful by Tito, like Larsson was before. Never really liked the Drog, but I've always been a fan of bargains.

2) I really, really hope this is untrue and he waits at least a year, but I've always seen Alves as someone who wouldn't stay here forever. He's one of those players who seems like he'd like another challenge at big clubs. I just hope he waits one more season at least.

The technical team's priorities for the transfer window are 1 forward, 1 centre-back and 1 left-back. [Sport]

Keita is considered the ideal replacement in midfield for Van Bommel at Milan, who will leave the Italians at the end of the season. [Sport]

Fernando Llorente is the forward at the top of the list of Barca's technical team.[Sport]

Robin Van Persie of Arsenal is considered the second option if the bid for Llorente fails. [Sport]

Thiago Silva is still considered the best option for centre-back at Barca. [Sport]

Fernando Torres and Robin Van Persie are interested in joining Vilanova's new Barca project [MD]

Torres would fail miserably in Barcelona. Thankfully for Barcelona fans, I don't see Chelsea selling them. I don't see the Thiago Silva deal happening either. Unless Barcelona are willing to offer plenty of cash.

Van Persie is one of the best players in the world and his signature will be relatively cheap considering he likes Barça and has one year left on his Arsenal contract, but Llorente gives something new to Barcelona, an extra dimension. I would personally go for Llorente if I were the sporting director.

Van Persie..no thanks. Not very quick, not very fast, likes to take up similar spaces as Messi or this season, goal poach in the box.

Torres lol

Drobga for free would be intresting, but his inconsistent first touch would annoy me. But then again...FREE lol

RVP Maybe he wasn't JUST visiting Afellay when he came to the hotel Barca were staying at in London.

Llorente? Not the right player for us imo, he would flop like Ibra.

Albiceleste wrote:RVP Maybe he wasn't JUST visiting Afellay when he came to the hotel Barca were staying at in London.

Llorente? Not the right player for us imo, he would flop like Ibra.

Disagree with that, he has proven at Bilbao he can excel in a passing/pressing game and not slow down the build up at all....

Llorente would be an excellent signing IMO, imagine if Llorente played where Sanchez was playing against Chelsea.

They would have struggled to prevent Barca from knocking thier bus down ALOT more..... also he's not the ego-maniac Ibra is and will fall in line to support the team and not kick up a fuss like Ibra did.

He's also more physical than Ibra and a bigger menace in the air and lighter on his feet IMO.

I do question if Bilbao would let him go tho.

You raise good points Mole, certainly seeing as how successful Llorente is under Bilbao's pressing, I can see him adopting better to our style than Ibra.

RVP could also be another Ibra too. I have my doubts that Messi and RVP could work together.

RVP would'nt work at all lol, he takes up similar positions and moves in similar ways to Messi.

And he cant play outwide because he will have to press, make runs in behind and be quick.....

He will/cant do any of those things..... RVP makes no sense at all to me.

Llorente does make sense tho for the reason's i explained plus the added bonus he can provide a Plan B.

I know people said the same with Ibra, but Ibra despite his size is'nt that great in the air and is'nt that physical where as Llorente is.

Added to all the things i already mentioned.