..::Football II::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Piazon comfortable with Kaka comparisons

Lucas Piazon says he is comfortable with being compared to fellow Brazilian Kaka.

The 18-year-old previously played for Sao Paulo, the same side at which the Real Madrid midfielder began his sparkling career and it is this similarity the Chelsea prospect believes is behind the comparison.



“It's normal that they compare me with him because I played in the city of Sao Paulo and Kaka did too. The press say that I am the new Kaka or the new Robinho and for me that's fine,” he told reporters at a press conference.

The young forward recently completed a loan move to Malaga in a bid to gain first team experience and revealed how compatriot Julio Baptista has already helped him adapt to his new surroundings.

“Malaga are enjoying a good period, they are a great club and they promised me that it would be beneficial for me and that I would be happy here,” he added.
“Julio [Baptista] spoke very well of Malaga in the Brazilian press. In training, he has helped me understand what this club is.”

 

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Valdes tells Barcelona he will not renew his contract

Victor Valdes has informed Barcelona he will not renew his contract when it expires in 2014, according to the player's representatives.

Camp Nou chiefs held talks with agents of the Spain international on Thursday and the Catalan club had hoped to persuade the goalkeeper to extend his lifelong association with the club.

However, it now appears certain the 31-year-old will leave at the end of next season following the release of a statement on Thursday evening.

"Victor Valdes' agents have told Barcelona, in the meeting held this afternoon, of the irrevocable decision from the player not to renew his contract, thus avoiding discussing future wage issues," his representatives told Spanish news agency EFE.

Valdes' contract expires on June 30, 2014, and he could well make a move away from La Liga after recently expressing his desire to experience "other cultures".

The Blaugrana are yet to comment on the news, with a pre-match press conference due to be held on Friday ahead of their clash with Real Sociedad on Saturday.

 

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Kaka return to AC Milan will be difficult, says Galliani

Adriano Galliani believes it will be "very difficult" for AC Milan to secure the return of Kaka.



The 68-year-old has confirmed the club is in talks with Real Madrid about a possible loan deal for the former Rossoneri hero, but is maintaining a cautious approach to negotiations.

“Will it be possible to sign Kaka? It will be difficult, very difficult. How hard will I try? We’ll see...,” he CEO told Sky Sport Italia.

The Brazil international spent six years in Italy before making the switch to the Spanish capital in 2009.

But he has struggled to replicate the form he enjoyed at San Siro in Spain and recently hinted he would be willing to take a pay cut to make the move happen, much to the delight of Galliani.

“It’s true, I was very, very pleased with Kaka’s words. There is contact with Real Madrid, but at the moment I haven’t got any news for you,” he added.

The CEO then played down renewed speculation about a move for Mario Balotelli, following the appearance of his agent, Mino Raiola, at the club’s offices.
“[It is] a normal thing that agents come by to visit.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Thiago Alcantara: I will not follow Guardiola

Barcelona's Thiago Alcantara insists he will not be following his former coach Pep Guardiola to Bayern Munich.


The Bavarians announced the recruitment of the ex-Camp Nou boss on Wednesday, with the 41-year-old set to replace Jupp Heynckes at the end of the season, leading to rumors of potential new additions to his playing squad.

“I am here in Barçelona, playing for the best club in the world, so I don't plan to leave for Bayern,” Alcantara told reporters at a press conference.

Guardiola left the Catalans at the end of last season and embarked on a self-imposed 12-month sabbatical from the game and the midfielder admits he is glad to see him make his return.

"It is really good news that Pep Guardiola has come back to football," he continued.

"He made history at this club and he gave too many things to football. Now, he can do the best for Bayern."And after coming through the ranks of La Masia along with a host of other young prospects, the 21-year-old expects Guardiola to opt for a similar policy of nurturing youth at the Allianz Arena.

“He will focus on young players and, although each club has its own style, they can do it, because Bayern has many very skilled players.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester United midfielder Fletcher to miss rest of the season

Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher is set to miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery in an attempt to resolve his bowel condition.

The 28-year-old has made 10 appearances this season, after a 10-month absence from competitive action, scoring one goal. However, the club revealed that a planned procedure has taken place in a bid to rid him of ulcerative colitis permanently.

A Manchester United statement reads: "Darren Fletcher will be unavailable for the remainder of this season having undergone surgery to resolve his ulcerative colitis condition.

"We wish to stress this was a planned procedure undertaken at the optimal time having achieved a period of sustained good general health, as illustrated by the fact that Darren has trained with the team regularly this season and been available for selection right up to the operation.

"Whilst it is frustrating for both Darren and the club that he won't be able to contribute further during this campaign, this decision has been taken with our full support in the best interests of his long-term health and we look forward to him returning next season with this problem firmly behind him.

 

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Pellegrini: Malaga surpassed Barcelona

Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini insists his side should have come away with a victory against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey quarterfinal first-leg clash.

The visitors went ahead after a mistake by Thiago let in Manuel Iturra but the Blaugrana restored parity and then went ahead before halftime.

Ignacio Camacho got 10-man Malaga's second precious away goal to tie the match at 2-2 in the final minutes, but Pellegrini feels on the evidence of the second-half performance his team deserved much more.

"In the second half we surpassed Barcelona in all respects, even in chances created because they barely reached their goal," Pellegrini told reporters. "In the first half we did not play well and gave away a goal to Barcelona. They had been better then.

"The tie is now open. If we play like we have in the second half here in the Champions League last 16, we may be able to progress in that competition."

Malaga faces Barcelona in the second leg of the quarterfinal with the encounter with Porto in the knockout stage of the Champions League on the horizon.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Frank Lampard to LA Galaxy a 'done deal'

Less than two months after David Beckham's departure, the LA Galaxy have found their star replacement.

Frank Lampard has agreed to join the LA Galaxy, a source close to the Chelsea midfielder told Goal.com.

"It's all but done," the source said.

A team spokesman would not confirm or deny the rumor, only telling Goal.com that head coach Bruce Arena publicly acknowledged interest in Lampard on Thursday.

Lampard will likely join Los Angeles on a free transfer after Chelsea's season finishes in June.

Though Kaka was originally Los Angeles' top target, as reported by SI.com in December, the club switched directions once that became unfeasible. With Lampard considering offers from multiple suitors, including teams from the Premier League, Los Angeles decided to aggressively recruit its next star. Lampard might not be the celebrity that Beckham or Kaka is, but he marries significant popularity with plenty of industry.

Despite aging 34-year-old legs, Lampard has been one of Chelsea's leading scorers this season with seven goals in 14 appearances. In fact, Lampard is arguably the greatest scoring central midfielder in Premier League history, notching 194 goals in 584 appearances in England.

During Chelsea's tour in North America last summer, Lampard expressed an interest in playing in MLS but admitted that he would wait to see if Chelsea would extend his contract first.

"I am not sure [about a future in MLS]," Lampard said. "I have another year on my contract at Chelsea and we have a big season ahead of us with the Super Cup and the Club World Cup in December. It's up to Chelsea to speak with me about my future and, at that time, I'll speak with them.

"I wouldn't rule anything out at the moment."

Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena acknowledged after the MLS SuperDraft on Thursday that there would be an update on the team's third Designated Player next week.

"I wouldn't be surprised if over the next week or so we're going to have some kind of decision we're going to make with a Designated Player," Arena told reporters in Indianapolis. "We wouldn't rule that out. It's always a possibility."

 

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Paris Saint-Germain does not need Ronaldo, says Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti says Paris Saint-Germain does not need Cristiano Ronaldo and will not be making a move for the Real Madrid player.



The Italian stated it is not difficult to manage top-class players such as the Portugal international and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but insists he is not looking to pair the two together.

“Can Zlatan and Ronaldo can play together? All quality players can play together. You know, it’s not hard to manage a guy like Ibrahimovic. Ronaldo is a fantastic player, but today, I do not think of him,” he told RMC.

Following the departures of forwards Nene and Guillaume Hoarau, there has been speculation les Parisiens will look to bolster their attack with big-money signings.
However, the former Chelsea coach believes he does not need to make any additions to his team in the transfer window and made it clear no deals will be done.

“Nenê and Hoarau are gone, they won’t be replaced because the team is good. We don’t have to buy. The transfer window is closed for us,” he added.The 53-year-old also added his belief that PSG is on course to lift the Ligue 1 title, providing he guides his side in the correct manner, but stated the difficulty of doing the same thing in the Champions League.

“We have to be champions. We clearly have the qualities to win. It all depends on the coach. If the manager does his job, then PSG is going to win," Anceliotti said. "If we do not win it? Yes, it will clearly be a failure. The Champions league is harder.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Gerrard is my role model, reveals Wilshe

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has revealed has set himself a target of emulating Liverpool star Steven Gerrard.



A day after being labeled a "complete midfielder" by Arsene Wenger, the 21-year-old claims he is still learning from his role model, despite already being an Arsenal and England regular.

"Steven is a great role model," he told reporters. "He has been the heartbeat of Liverpool for years.

"He has also been the stand-out performer for England as well. He is a great role model for me. If I can get anywhere near as good as him and drive the team forward like he does, then I will be happy.

"He was someone I looked up to when I was younger. He has 100 caps for England. For any young midfielder he is someone to base your game on and try to be like him."

Wilshere's late goal against Swansea spared the Gunners extra-time in the FA Cup, and he compared his winner to Gerrard's in the FA Cup final in 2006 against West Ham.

"He is a great player, I think I'm a bit different," he added of Gerrard. "His long passing is better than mine. But I do remember him scoring a similar goal to mine in the FA Cup Final against West Ham and the Champions League game against Olympiacos.

"We want to win the FA Cup. We've won it in the past and it is the last trophy we won. So we know what it means to the fans."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Atletico Madrid 2-0 Betis: Falcao and Filipe Luis help hosts edge Copa clash

Two first-half goals helped Atletico Madrid beat Betis 2-0 in the home leg of their Copa del Rey quarterfinal.

Radamel Falcao opened the scoring early on before Filipe Luis doubled the lead midway through the first 45 minutes, and a fine performance from on-loan goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois ensured that the score remained that way for the rest of the match.

The hosts named a very strong side for what might be their best chance at attaining silverware this season. Star striker Falcao propelled Atletico to a perfect start, too, as Raul Garcia's whipped cross is thumped into the back of the net by the former Porto forward.

On 23 minutes, after a quiet spell at the Vicente Calderon, Filipe Luis sparked the stadium back into life with a powerful finish, punishing the visitors for failing to clear a Mario Suarez free kick.

Courtois, on loan from Chelsea for the second season running, was on hand to deny the visitors any sniff of a comeback. On 30 minutes he pulled off a wonderful double-save to deny Betis a route back into the clash.

And, after an impressive first half, the goalkeeper blocked superbly five minutes into the second half from a dangerous Jorge Molina shot inside the penalty area.

Betis had the majority of possession in latter 45 minutes but were unable to convert their chances, and Atletico's tight defence deserves acknowledgement for securing the cup win and keeping a clean sheet in the process.

The victor of the two-legged cup clash will face either Sevilla or Real Zaragoza in the semifinals, and los Colchoneros will be favourites to make it into the penultimate round of the competition after this result.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Liverpool boss Rodgers slams 'unacceptable' Suarez diving comments

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has slammed Luis Suarez's "unacceptable" diving comments and says the club will deal with the matter internally.

The striker admitted that he had "invented a foul" against Stoke with the scores level at 1-1 in a game the team went on to lose 3-1, but added that the media makes things up about him to sell papers.


However, Rodgers has deemed these comments inappropriate, stating that the diving is not in line with the club's ethics, and that Suarez has apologized.

"[Diving] is not something we advocate. Our ethics are correct," he told reporters. "There's no doubt Luis is topical and probably will continue to be. He's knocked on my door a few times and apologized."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lennon: Barcelona have raised the bar

Celtic boss Neil Lennon has lavished praise on Barcelona and believes it has set the "template" in world football.

Under new boss Tito Vilanova, the Blaugrana have been in record-breaking form this season and have dropped just two points so far in Spain's Primera Division.

The side did, however, lose to Lennon's Celtic in the Champions League back in November, but regardless of that result the 41-year-old says Barca is arguably the greatest side of all time.

“I think Barcelona set the template. It's a dangerous template because I think a lot of managers strive to play like that,” Lennon told reporters. “I think you have to understand the culture that you're playing in.“I think what we're seeing now in terms of the current Barcelona team and the current Spanish team, are probably the best footballing teams I've seen, ever, with Messi arguably the greatest player ever.

“So, that's what we all strive to be now. We can't all be that way, we have to cultivate our own styles.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Xabi Prieto: Barcelona is a machine

Real Sociedad midfielder Xabi Prieto has hailed Barcelona as "the best team in the world" and has likened the club to "a machine".

The Basque outfit will welcome Tito Vilanova's side to Anoeta on Saturday and the 29-year-old was quick to lavish praise on the current Liga leader.

“They are a machine and the figures speak for themselves. They are verging on perfection, I take my hat off to them,” Prieto told Barca TV. “We are excited to be welcoming Barça, they’re the best team in the world and play the best football.
“Messi is the best player in the world. I hope he doesn’t play on Saturday because 91 goals is a number from another galaxy.

However, the goalscoring midfielder is still retaining some hope that his team may get something from the game.“Anoeta is a place where we have got a lot of points and where we have some very passionate fans. In the last two years we have always made things very difficult for Barça, with one win and a draw," he added.

“We will stay faithful to our own style, but we’ll probably see less of the ball, because it’s impossible to get it off them.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mancini: Kompany must 'pay more attention' to his tackling

Roberto Mancini has warned Vincent Kompany that he must change his approach to tackling in order to avoid being sent off in future.

The Belgian skipper was dismissed for a heavy tackle on Jack Wilshere in Manchester City's 2-0 win at Arsenal last week, but saw his three-match ban overturned on appeal.

Kompany was shown two red cards last season, including one in a Manchester derby FA Cup defeat, and the Italian has warned his skipper that he must "pay more attention" to his tackling.

“Vinnie’s a defender and sometimes when a defender is under pressure he can do a bad tackle," Mancini told reporters. “I think he needs to pay more attention, because this has happened two times.

“We can have a problem if we have another situation like this. I spoke with Vinny and told him to have more attention when he tackles. I told him to pay attention and that it’s better that you don’t go in sometimes. Sometimes, if you wait and don’t do a tackle, it’s better.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Frank Isola: Roman Ambramovich's dictatorial style cost him Pep Guardiola

LONDON – The final whistle was accompanied by a loud chorus of boos at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, a sound all too familiar to Rafael Benitez, who could use a friend and a victory in the worst way.

Chelsea blew a two goal halftime lead at home to Southampton and came away with a disappointing 2-2 draw just hours after the news broke that Pep Guardiola, Roman Abramovich’s first choice to manage his club, elected to take less money and fewer headaches and signed a three year contract with Bayern Munich.


Guardiola is the big winner of course since the former Barcelona manager had his pick of jobs with Chelsea and perhaps Manchester City at the top of the list. A day earlier, the Premier League was buzzing after Guardiola was quoted as saying that his goal is to one day manage in Europe’s top league which only fueled speculation that Abramovich, Chelsea’s free spending and desperately impatient Russian owner, was about to get his man.

Money -- and Abramovich has plenty of it -- can certainly buy you yachts and allow you to overpay for a floundering striker like Fernando Torres. But money, especially Abramovich’s money, couldn’t buy Guardiola because money doesn’t buy trust. Abramovich the billionaire goes through managers the way spoiled children discard toys and Guardiola wasn’t about to become Chelsea’s 10th manager in 10 years.

Since leaving Barca, Guardiola has been living in New York and seems to enjoy anonymity on American soil. I’ve run into him at Red Bulls games and recently at a Knicks-Spurs game at Madison Square Garden. He looks well and sounds great. Why allow Abramovich to spoil a good thing.

That Guardiola picked Bayern Munich, the team Chelsea defeated last May to capture its first European title, probably burns Abramovich just a bit. So yes, that makes Pep the winner in all this.

The loser, of course, is Rafa who is about as unpopular at Stamford Bridge as an Arsenal supporter would be. Fans here have never embraced the idea of the team sacking Roberto Di Matteo and hiring the former Liverpool boss on an interim basis. There was a sign of “Rafa Out” on display on Wednesday and Benitez further infuriated fans when he replaced Frank Lampard with Torres in the 79th minute.

Torres lost possession on two occasions and wasted a good scoring chance when he missed the target from 16 yards out. Chelsea now sits 13 points behind leaders Manchester United and just two points ahead of fourth place Tottenham.

On Sunday, Chelsea’s crosstown rival Arsenal comes calling and things could get worse before they can improve. Benitez is not sure if defender John Terry will be available for the London derby. Lampard struggled at times against Southampton with a move to the Los Angeles Galaxy all but complete. A source close to the club has called it “all but done.”

Terry and Lampard are a huge part of the club’s rich and deep history. They’ve experienced the lows and highs together but now one is injured and the other’s mind seems to be elsewhere. Change is coming at Stamford Bridge. The fans sense it and they are uneasy about.

The club has the resources to stay near the top of the table for some time. But that same money that overpaid for Torres and bought Demba Ba from Newcastle United, couldn’t buy Pep Guardiola’s trust.

Every man has a price. And it’s good to know that Guardiola stands for something. In the end, this is Rafa’s mess to fix until Abramovich eventually finds someone else to take his cash. Anybody know what Jose Mourinho’s asking price is these days?

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Thierry Henry to play on for 'another two years'

New York Red Bulls striker Thierry Henry has said he will play for "another two years" before retiring from the game.

The 35-year-old has had a glittering career and was runner-up in the MLS’s Most Valuable Player award after 15 goals and 12 assists in 27 games for New York.

The Frenchman is currently in training with former club Arsenal over the winter and had been linked with a temporary move to the Emirates Stadium, which failed to materialise.

"I'm giving myself another two years,” he told BeIn Sport. “That'll take me to 37 years old. It'll make my career 20 years long. I recently talked about it with Robert [Pires].

"It's never easy to stop, but there comes a time when your body tells you to. The head wants to continue, but... it's certainly not desire that I'll be lacking. But, at a certain moment in time, you have to stop."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Heynckes: Guardiola made the right choice

Jupp Heynckes has revealed he is pleased a "smart man" like Pep Guardiola is going to replace him at Bayern Munich.


Guardiola, formerly of Barcelona, signed a three-year deal with the Bundesliga leaders on Wednesday which will see him takeover at the club in the summer.And Heynckes, who will be retiring at the end of the current campaign to make way for the Spaniard, believes they could not have found a more suitable candidate for the job.

"[I'm being succeeded] by a younger coach who has been very successful. I think it's good. My successor is a smart man. He has analyzed the top European teams and has recognized that Bayern will be the team with whom he can have the most success," he told reporters.

"I'll be 68 in the summer, that's already past retirement age. If everyone worked until that age they'd have a nice pension saved. It was clear to me in the summer that I basically wanted to stop."

When asked about the possibility of managing in England, the former Germany international echoed similar thoughts to that of Guardiola who snubbed the Premier League to go to Bayern."As a coach I would not go to England either if I didn't know how things would look like in four months’ time or if I don't know how the owner will react,"Heynckes said.

Heynckes' side is currently top of the Bundesliga, nine points ahead of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen and faces Arsenal in the last 16 of the Champions League.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Benitez: Arsenal a different kind of opponent for Chelsea

Rafa Benitez believes Arsenal's attacking intentions will work in Chelsea's favour when the two sides meet at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Southampton means the Blues are still winless at home in 2013, but have won seven of their eight matches on the road under the Spaniard.

Benitez admits the negative tactics of opposition teams have frustrated his side in recent weeks, but believes there will be no such problems against the expansive Gunners.

"The main thing is to keep calm, keep pushing and trying to go forward in the right way, and then we won't give any help to the other teams," he told reporters.

"Arsenal are a top team, but they won't be 11 men behind the ball on the edge of the box waiting. It's a different kind of game." Benitez concedes Chelsea lost control of its match against the Saints, and admits it is still looking to find the right balance between defense and attack.

"We could have killed the game if we'd scored a third," he added. "It's a question of the tactics of other teams, if they're deep or not. At the end of the game, we were attacking, attacking and gave them two or three chances to counter. That's something you have to manage.

"If you play at home or away and want to win, you'll have the same approach: press high and attack, but you have to keep a balance. We didn't. That was the problem at the end."

At the final whistle Benitez was once again booed by a large number of Chelsea supporters, but he insists taking the scalp of a major London rival will help quell the disquiet.

"The main thing is we have to do our best from the beginning," he continued. "If we score they will enjoy it.

"We have to do our job and they will follow the team. We have to win together. Hopefully we can start against Arsenal."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Walcott signs new long-term Arsenal contract

Arsenal forward Theo Walcott has signed a new long-term contract, the club has confirmed.

Goal.com understands Walcott has signed a new three-and-a-half-year deal with the option of a 12-month extension.

Under the new agreement that runs at least until the summer of 2016, the England international's salary will climb to around 90,000 pounds a week, which will be bolstered by top-up bonuses and a multi-million pound signing-on fee.

Last week, it was revealed Walcott had held a final round of talks with boss Arsene Wenger and chief executive Ivan Gazidis at the club's London Colney training base, during which the main details were agreed.

Now it appears the 23-year-old has put pen to paper on a deal which will see his wages rise by at least 30,000 pounds-a-week, putting him on par with Arsenal's top earners.

Speaking to the club's official website, Wenger said: "We are all delighted that Theo has signed a new contract.

"He joined us as a 16-year-old and since then has developed very well to become an extremely important player for both Arsenal Football Club and England.

He added, "Theo is a strong player and also a great person, and the combination of his ability and pace always make him such a valuable asset either from the flanks or down the middle.

"Theo's contract extension now gives us a strong nucleus of ambitious young players who have committed to the club and want to be successful with us as a group."

Walcott himself added: "I am very happy to have signed a new contract here at Arsenal. Thanks to everyone for their continued support, especially the manager, everyone at the club and most importantly the fans."

He added, "I have made it clear from the start that I wanted to stay at Arsenal so I am pleased we have agreed a deal that everyone is happy with. What’s important now is for the team to realise its potential and win trophies."

Walcott has publicly indicated his desire to remain with the Gunners on numerous occasions, where he is popular with fans, staff and his team-mates.

A major stumbling block in talks had been the player's desire to be given the chance to ply his trade as a central striker in the wake of Robin van Persie's departure, but Wenger has granted his wish in recent weeks.

The Frenchman can now concentrate on improving his squad. Atletico Madrid striker Adrian and Wilfried Zaha are both likely targets, but Wenger has also this week admitted his interest in Napoli striker Edinson Cavani.

Securing Walcott's future will be a huge boost to Arsenal after tying fellow Brits Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs, Aaron Ramsey and Carl Jenkinson to new five-year deals shortly before Christmas.

 

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Neymar reaffirms Santos commitment

Neymar has pledged to stay at Santos following the latest round of rumors regarding his future in Brazil.

Following the news that Pep Guardiola will take charge of Bayern Munich from next season, a report in Friday's edition of AS suggested the young forward could join the former Barcelona boss in Bavaria.





However, although he has the utmost respect for the 41-year-old, Neymar insists he is not in a rush to realize his European ambitions and wants to continue his development with the Peixe.

"He [Guardiola] is a great coach, one of the best in the world, and yes, I have a desire to one day work with him, as with the other great coaches [in world football]," he told reporters.


"But I will say it again: I want to carry on playing for Santos. I'm happy here."
The 20-year-old, who recently denied that he had agreed a deal to join Barca either in the summer or next year, has a release clause of70 million euros.