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      Pep Guardiola wanted me to be the new Pique, but now I don’t even say I played for Barcelona

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      DMYTRO CHYGRYNSKYI was once set to become Gerard Pique’s partner at the Nou Camp but now he doesn’t even admit he played at Barcelona.Chygrynskyi joined Barca in 2009 after a stunning season with Shakhtar Donetsk as he helped the Ukrainian outfit shock Europe by winning the UEFA Cup.
      Pep Guardiola wanted Dmytro Chygrynskyi to partner up with Gerard Pique at BarcelonaCredit: AFP
      Then Blaugrana manager Pep Guardiola was so impressed with the former Ukraine international that he wanted him to be Pique’s long-term partner at centre-back.
      Chygrynskyi told Relevo: “In winter there were rumors in the press, but there was nothing.
      “Days after winning UEFA, I received a call: ‘Now it’s serious, Dmytro. They love you’. Wow! It was the first time I felt real pressure in my career.
      “But even so, the moment in which I really saw that the thing was serious was when Guardiola called me while I was in pre-season in Switzerland. That’s when I was ‘scared’.
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      “Pep told me: ‘I want you to be a couple with Pique for many years. Trust me, I like your way out of the ball, your first pass… I was in shock.”
      However, Chygrynskyi never managed to shine at Barcelona and only lasted a year before returning to Shakhtar.
      The 36-year-old, who is still active and plays in Greece for Ionikos after a successful spell at AEK Athens, admits his brief stint in Catalonia was unsuccessful.
      So much so that when asked about his time in the Catalan capital he says he “was” at Barcelona instead of stating he “played” for the Spanish giants.
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      The defender blames it on his poor mentality at the time but insists current Manchester City boss Guardiola always had faith in him.
      But after a sudden change in the club’s hierarchy, which saw Sandro Rosell replacing Joan Laporta at the top, the Ukrainian was let go in 2010.
      Chygrynskyi added: “I never say that I played for Barca. I say: ‘I was at Barca’. And that’s different, because to say that you played there you need to have been an important part of the team.
      “It was something more symbolic, something that shows that you can achieve your greatest dreams. I wanted to learn as quickly as possible. It was different football, a different country…
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      Chyhrynskyi now won’t admit he played for Barcelona after his brief stintCredit: AFP
      “Now I know that the main problem I had was my psychology. I was in too much of a hurry. I pushed myself too much.
      “Pep told me: ‘Just do what I ask you, don’t think too much’. But I knew I wasn’t the best in training, so the sessions ended and I stayed working. I was obsessed with progressing quickly. With the language, doing double sessions in the gym…
      “I put constant pressure on me to turn the situation around. And Pep saw it, because in several conversations he asked me to calm down. It’s Barca. You’re not going to have two, three or four chances. If you’re not good enough, a year is a lot. It’s not like in England.
      “On a general level I don’t think it would fail, but if we talk about some specific games, yes , I failed. And that is the price you pay at Barca.
      “I say it without qualms: In the Cup match against Sevilla I failed. And against Cadiz in the League I also failed, despite the fact that we won. I had mistakes that at Barca are not acceptable, because the bar is very high.
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      “It also did not help me that the following year Joan Laporta left and Sandro Rosell came in, since I had not played much and nobody could guarantee me anything.
      “Despite everything, Guardiola told me: ‘Don’t read anything, get ready. You didn’t have a pre-season, but this year will be different’. But what happened, happened and that’s how my story at Barca ended.” More

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      Man Utd transfer target Frenkie de Jong told to reduce salary AGAIN as Barcelona try to free up funds for Messi

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      MANCHESTER UNITED transfer target Frenkie de Jong is set for a meeting to discuss his Barcelona future, according to reports.De Jong was one of United’s main transfer priorities last summer and the club even had a £72million bid accepted by Barcelona.
      Barcelona want Frenkie de Jong to accept a wage reductionCredit: Getty
      Barcelona are keen on re-signing Lionel MessiCredit: PA
      But the midfielder refused to make the move and Erik ten Hag instead signed Casemiro from Real Madrid.
      However, the Red Devils boss is still said to be keen on De Jong, who is facing an uncertain future at the Nou Camp.
      Barcelona want the 26-year-old to agree to a salary reduction amid their financial problems, according to Mundo Deportivo.
      De Jong could extend his contract, which expires in 2026, for another two or three years.
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      But Barca want to cut his wage – something De Jong may reject given he is owed £14.5m by the club after deferring his wages during the coronavirus pandemic.
      Barcelona also asked De Jong to accept a wage reduction last summer and they could be tempted to sell once again if he refuses.
      The LaLiga leaders are desperate to re-sign Lionel Messi, whose time at Paris Saint-Germain appears to be approaching an end.
      The 35-year-old was suspended by the club after an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia which saw him miss training on Monday.
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      PSG are reportedly set to allow his contract to expire, with Barca chiefs ready to pounce.
      On Messi potentially returning, vice president Rafa Yuste said: “We’ve been in contact with Leo Messi’s camp.
      “Leo knows how much we appreciate him and I’d love for him to come back.
      “For sure Messi loves Barca and the city, so we hope to find the right conditions to continue his history here.” More

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      Wolves close in on astonishing Ansu Fati transfer with Barcelona to give swap deal ‘the ok’ after Mendes talks

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      WOLVES are closing in on a deal to sign Barcelona winger Ansu Fati, according to reports.Fati, 20, has fallen down the pecking order at the Nou Camp this season.
      Wolves are close to sealing a deal for FatiCredit: AP
      And Xavi is understood to be looking to offload him when the upcoming transfer window opens.
      Wolves have already expressed an interest in signing the winger, with officials proposing a swap deal including Ruben Neves and £26million.
      And according to Spanish outlet Sport, Barcelona are satisfied with the offer.
      Club officials are now waiting on a final decision from Fati regarding his future.
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      However, he is understood to be eager to stay.
      Several European clubs are understood to be interested in signing the winger, including Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester United.
      But Fati’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has many clients on the books at Wolves so he has already begun the process of trying to convince him that a move to Molineux could be a good idea.
      Meanwhile, Barcelona are keen to welcome Neves to the club.
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      Although there was an initial doubt that the midfielder would fit into Xavi’s plans, the club see him as a positive addition going forward.
      Neves has scored six goals in 31 Premier League appearances for Wolves so far this season. More

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      Chelsea and Arsenal ‘send transfer offers for Barcelona star Raphinha’… but an ex-Blues ace could have final say

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      RAPHINHA could leave Barcelona at the end of the season, according to reports.The winger, 26, joined the La Liga giants in a £55million transfer from Leeds in July.
      Raphinha could leave Barcelona at the end of the seasonCredit: Getty
      However, according to Spanish outlet Sport, he is already considering leaving.
      Raphinha fears that he will have to accept playing fewer minutes at the Nou Camp next season, with Ousmane Dembele understood to be Xavi’s preferred option on the right.
      The potential return of club legend Lionel Messi is also factoring into his decision.
      Several teams are understood to be interested in signing Raphinha, including Arsenal and Chelsea.
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      His agent, former Chelsea midfielder Deco, has so far received three formal offers.
      Both Arsenal and Chelsea attempted to sign the Brazilian last summer, but Barcelona won the transfer race.
      Arsenal kicked off the bidding war for Raphinha, but Chelsea swooped in with a £55m offer which was accepted by Leeds.
      The winger then refused to agree personal terms with the Blues in a bid to force a move to Barcelona.
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      Raphinha has registered 10 goals and 11 assists in 45 appearances for Barcelona this season.
      Newcastle are also understood to be interested in signing him.
      The club’s owners are set to abandon their cautious approach to the transfer market and splash out on some marquee signings. More

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      Tottenham ‘make Franck Kessie enquiry’ with Barcelona expected to demand £22m fee for midfielder transfer

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      TOTTENHAM have allegedly approached Barcelona to “give them a price” to sign midfielder Franck Kessie.The 26-year-old only joined Barca on a free transfer after his deal expired at AC Milan last summer.
      Tottenham have been linked with a swoop for Barcelona’s Franck KessieCredit: Getty
      He penned a four-year contract at the Nou Camp but the Ivory Coast ace has struggled to cement himself in the starting XI.
      Kessie has made 39 appearances for the LaLiga side but only five of them have been starts in the Spanish top-flight.
      Rumours first started that he could be leaving Barcelona back in October – but his agent quickly slammed them as “fake news”.
      However, Spurs are known to be long-term admirers of Kessie and allegedly had a £13m bid for him rejected ahead of the January transfer window opening.
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      Now, despite still looking for a new permanent manager to replace Antonio Conte, a new report from Spain has claimed that they are making a renewed approach to try and sign him.
      SPORT claim that the North London club have once again inquired about Kessie and that the ace “is one of the players chosen to leave Barca as of June 30”.
      Cash-strapped Barcelona are desperate to balance the books in order to firstly hold on to their key stars and to ensure they can bolster their squad with new additions.
      Kessie is also believed to have been one of a number of players that has refused to take a pay-cut to help Barcelona try and finance the return of Lionel Messi and is said to be valued at around £22m.
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      Now his potential exit could help them ease the squeeze with the publication starting: “The club’s [Barcelona’s] goal is to close a direct sale and Tottenham has asked for a price in recent days.”
      As we revealed this week, another player that could be heading out the Nou Camp exit door is Raphinha.
      Newcastle are believed to be plotting a £70m swoop for the Brazilian attack. More

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      Aston Villa line up ambitious transfer move for Premier League title winner with £880m release clause

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      FERRAN TORRES is being lined-up for a summer transfer by Aston Villa, according to reports.The attacker won the Premier League with Manchester City before sealing a move to Barcelona in December 2021.
      Aston Villa are reportedly interested in Ferran TorresCredit: Getty
      He has a massive £880m release clause in his Barcelona contractCredit: Getty
      Upon joining the LaLiga giants the club inserted a €1BILLION (£880m) release clause into his contract.
      However, talkSPORT has reported that Barcelona may put him up for sale this summer for much less than his release clause.
      This is due to the club wanting to bring Lionel Messi back to the club once his contract expires at PSG at the end of the season.
      It would be a blow for Torres as he had been a regular at the club this season. grabbing four goals and one assist in 29 league games.
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      He did impress at the World Cup in Qatar as he netted twice in four appearances in the tournament.
      His availability has been suggested to have alerted the likes of Aston Villa and Arsenal.
      The Villan’s interest could be strengthened with the arrival of Barcelona director of football Matau Alemany.
      While Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been a long-term fan of the former Manchester City and Valencia star.
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      At Villa Park, Torres could compete with Ollie Watkins for the striker role as well as provide an option out wide.
      The club are also trying to get the English forward’s future committed to the club with a new contract after his fine form this season. More

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      Man Utd target Ansu Fati lined up for shock transfer to rival Premier League club as Barcelona ‘offer huge swap deal’

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      ANSU FATI is being lined up for a shock Wolves transfer, according to reports.The Barcelona wonderkid is set to be on the market this summer, having fallen out of favour under Xavi.
      Ansu Fati could make a shock move to Wolves this summerCredit: Rex
      Fati, 20, has started just 11 LaLiga matches this term, with his agent Jorge Mendes now keen to bring him to the Premier League.
      According to Catalan paper Sport, Wolves are willing to offer £26million plus midfield talisman Ruben Neves for Fati’s services.
      The winger himself is yet to be convinced by a move to Molineux, and would like to transfer to a bigger club, should he leave Barca.
      It’s claimed that Mendes, who has many clients on the books at Wolves, has begun the process of trying to convince Fati that a move to Molineux could be a good idea.
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      Mendes reportedly believes that the Spanish international could use Julen Lopetegui’s side as a stepping stone, in order to settle in the Premier League before moving on to a bigger club.
      Fati is yet to be convinced, however, and could yet opt to stay at Barcelona.
      But Xavi is believed to have indicated that Fati’s game time will be severely limited should he not depart.
      While the Barca boss would be keen to get Fati off the books, he is claimed to not be a huge fan of Neves.
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      Xavi would rather pursue other midfielders, but understands Barcelona’s financial situation and would make it work, should they bring in Neves.
      Fati has also drawn concrete interest from Manchester United.
      But so far the Red Devils have been unwilling to meet Barcelona’s demands.
      Fati emerged as a 16-year-old starlet at Barca, before injuries stunted his progress.
      He penned a six-year contract in October 2021, with a £1billion release clause.
      The wing wizard has made 104 appearances in total for Barca, scoring 26 goals and laying on nine assists.
      Ruben Neves could be included in a deal for FatiCredit: Reuters More

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      Man Utd ‘targeting shock summer transfer for ex-Chelsea star just one year after he quit the Blues’

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      MANCHESTER UNITED are targeting a move to bring Andreas Christensen back to the Premier League, according to reports.The defender only joined Barcelona last summer on a free transfer following his contract expiry from Chelsea.
      Man United are reportedly interested in Andreas ChristensenCredit: Alamy
      He has impressed for the LaLiga giants in his 27 appearances but could be sold to relieve some of the club’s financial issues.
      It would be a blow for Barcelona as he has formed a solid defensive relationship with Ronald Araújo.
      This has helped the club win the Spanish Super Cup and be on the verge of winning the LaLiga title with a historic defensive record.
      This form has led to United being willing to offer up to £61million for the defender, as reported by Fichajes.
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      This fee could tempt the Catalonian side to cash in on the former Chelsea star.
      Doing so could aid the club in their ambition to re-sign Lionel Messi.
      Christensen would be able to strengthen Erik ten Hag’s defensive options at Old Trafford.
      The report suggests that the Dutchman would be willing “to throw the house out the window” to sign him.
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      The Dutch manager is on the lookout for a new defender that can challenge Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez for a starting spot in the team.
      Other options Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof, are believed to be up for sale to fund moves for incoming players. More