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      Lionel Messi ‘on verge of agreeing incredible Barcelona transfer return with PSG ace to join next July’

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      LIONEL Messi could make a stunning return to Barcelona next summer – at 36.Rumours of a move back to Catalonia for the South American star have grown in recent weeks with Messi already in the final year of his two-season deal at PSG.
      Paris Saint-Germain superstar Lionel Messi is set to rejoin BarcelonaCredit: AFP
      Lionel Messi left Barcelona last year for Paris Saint-Germain after 17 seasonsCredit: Getty
      Messi is understood to be committed until the end of this campaign, with PSG’s Qatari owners determined to keep him until after the World Cup and for the second half of the season.
      Barca coach and former team-mate Xavi fuelled the speculation as he refused to dismiss the concept, only stating: “Let’s see how it goes but this is not the time to talk about Leo.
      “We love him very much but we wouldn’t be doing him any favours to talk about it. We have to let him enjoy Paris now.”
      And now Argentine journalist Veronica Brunati, known to be close to the Messi family, has declared the superstar has decided to go back to the Nou Camp.
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      She posted on Twitter: “On July 1, 2023, Lionel Messi will be a Barcelona player.”
      It would be a spectacular move for Messi, who won four Champions Leagues and 10 LaLiga crowns at the club before his move to France after Barca announced they could no longer afford his salary.
      Messi broke down in tears but agreed to move on a salary believed to be in the order of £700,000 per week with the French side.
      The Argentina international spent 17 scintillating years at Barcelona and won seven Ballon d’Or awards.
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      The star forward amassed a staggering total of 672 goals and 303 assists in 778 appearances.
      This season, Messi has already registered seven goals and eight assists in 12 appearances across all competitions for PSG. More

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      Arsenal star William Saliba was ‘lined up for Barcelona transfer in summer before club opted for Jules Kounde’

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      ARSENAL star William Saliba was lined up by Barcelona for a transfer over the summer. Saliba, 21, has hit the ground running since breaking into the Arsenal first team this season.
      William Saliba has been an integral part of Arsenal’s rise up the tableCredit: Getty
      However, speculation over the summer suggested the Frenchman may be allowed to leave due to Mikel Arteta previously snubbing him for involvement at Arsenal.
      Consequently, rumours suggested he may leave the Emirates in favour of a transfer back to previous loan club Marseille or even Barcelona.
      The latter were looking at Saliba as one option to bolster their defensive ranks, as reported by Fabrizio Romano.
      But upon beating Chelsea to Jules Kounde, the Spanish giants cooled their interest in the Arsenal man.
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      And as it has turned out, both clubs currently sit top of their respective divisions.
      Barca are level on points with reigning La Liga and Champions League holders Real Madrid, while Arsenal have a one-point gap to Man City after beating North London rivals Tottenham in the derby.
      More recently Saliba has been earmarked to sign a new contract at Arsenal.
      When asked if a contractual agreement could be struck, he said: “Yeah, we will see. They talk a little bit. We will see.”
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      Saliba first arrived at Arsenal from Saint Etienne in 2019 for £27million.
      After his arrival he was shipped out on loan on three occasions to allow him to develop, capping it off by becoming the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year last season.
      Cesc Fabregas – who is a co-owner of Serie B side Como – also levelled high praise at Saliba, declaring he could be an Arsenal defender for the next 20 years. More

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      Barcelona’s unrecognisable XI from last visit to Inter Milan three years ago, with NO players remaining in Xavi’s squad

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      BARCELONA travel to Inter Milan in a blockbuster Champions League clash on Tuesday night.The Catalan giants have kicked off their European campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich and a 5-1 win over Viktoria Plzen.
      Griezmann is still contracted to Barcelona but on loan at Atletico MadridCredit: AFP
      How Barcelona lined up the last time they faced Inter Milan at the San Siro
      Rakitic left Barcelona for Sevilla at the end of the 2019/20 campaignCredit: Reuters
      Inter have also lost to Bayern and beaten Plzen, so the clash at the San Siro promises to be a pivotal one when it comes to both sides’ Champions League hopes.
      It is three years since these two European giants faced off, with Barcelona going through a huge squad rejuvenation in that time.
      Despite their financial crisis, players have continued to move in and out of the Nou Camp at a frightening pace.
      And SunSport have identified that ALL 11 players who started away at Inter Milan in December 2019 are no longer at the club.
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      In goal was Brazilian keeper Neto – who is now plying his trade at Bournemouth.
      The back three consisted of Clement Lenglet, Samuel Umtiti and Jean-Clair Todibo.
      Todibo joined Nice last year, while Umtiti and Lenglet are out on loan at Lecce and Tottenham respectively.
      Left wingback Junior Firpo is now at Leeds, while right wingback Moussa Wague joined Croatian side Gorica in the summer.
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      Ivan Rakitic is now at Sevilla after leaving Barcelona in 2020.
      Arturo Vidal and Carles Alena are also no longer with the Spanish giants following transfers to Flamengo and Getafe.
      Then up front, Barcelona played the pair of Antoine Griezmann and Carles Perez.
      Griezmann has since gone back to Atletico Madrid on loan, while Perez joined Celta Vigo, before being loaned to Jose Mourinho’s Roma.
      That Barcelona team did get the job done in 2019 as they beat Inter Milan 2-1 at the San Siro.
      In fact, Inter have not beaten Barca in any of their previous five meetings – a run which stretches back to the 2009/10 Champions League semi-finals.
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      On that occasion, Inter won the first leg 3-1 before losing the return fixture 1-0 – a result which was enough to see them progress through to the final.
      The Italian giants then went on to beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in the final and lift the trophy for a third time. More

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      Barcelona among clubs looking at Ilkay Gundogan transfer with Man City star yet to decide on future

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      BARCELONA are continuing their pursuit of Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan, according to reports.Gundogan is yet to decide his future at City beyond next summer as his contract nears its expiry date.
      Ilkay Gundogan is wanted by a number of clubs including BarcelonaCredit: Getty
      Gundogan was in action during the Manchester derbyCredit: Getty
      And Barcelona are hoping to take full advantage of this by landing the German on a free transfer, as reported by Spanish publication Sport.
      However, Barca will not be alone in their efforts to sign him with a number of clubs lined up to make a move for the 31-year-old.
      Ex-Barcelona manager and current Man City boss Pep Guardiola has expressed his desire for Gundogan to stay at the Etihad.
      City are planning to open discussions with him following the World Cup.
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      Gundogan is also a part of the City squad’s leadership group after Fernandinho left the club last season.
      But he is not the only man who Barcelona want from Man City.
      The Spanish giants are desperate to land Bernardo Silva, having failed in that endeavour during the last window.
      Reports have indicated City will offer him a new deal in order to ward off an £80million transfer.
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      Both stars where in action during the Manchester derby, where team-mates Erling Haaland and Phil Foden both hit hat-tricks.
      The result sees City close the gap to league leaders Arsenal. More

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      Barcelona set to offload three top earners including Busquets in bid to slash massive £546m wage bill by £150m

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      SERGIO BUSQUETS will be among the casualties when Barcelona offload three of their highest earners.It comes as Barcelona move to re-establish financial stability within the club after a summer of turmoil.
      Sergio Busquets is set to leave Barcelona when his contract expiresCredit: Getty
      Gerard Pique, left, Busquets and Jordi Alba, right, are all set to leave the Camp Nou next summerCredit: Rex
      The midfield general is set to be joined on the chopping board by defenders Jordi Alba and Gerard Pique.
      According to Spanish publication Sport, Barcelona chiefs want to reduce the clubs wage bill by a further £150million.
      The current bill stands at a whopping £546m, with the target figure between £376m and £402m.
      The trio of Barca captains all have bumper deals at the club, but while Busquets remains an integral figure Alba and Pique have been pushed to the side.
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      The trio have over 1,700 appearances between them, and a massive haul of trophies to boot.
      However, with the new direction the club are pressing towards under Xavi’s tutelage, their days are now numbered.
      A summer spend of £145m was partially funded by the restructuring of the clubs debt and the sale of the clubs TV rights going forward.
      This movement of capital allowed the club to raise the funds to bring in a host of new stars, including Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde and Raphinha.
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      While the loss of three popular veterans will be a big blow to the club and its fanbase, they could be appeased via the return of Lionel Messi.
      Barcelona’s economic vice-president revealed the Argentine’s return was economically viable, amid speculation surrounding the forwards future.
      SunSport exclusively revealed earlier this week Messi had no concrete offers currently on the table. More

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      ‘The leaks make me laugh’ – Suarez confirms Messi did demand VIP box for both their families in Barcelona contract talks

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      LUIS SUAREZ has confirmed that Lionel Messi demanded a VIP box in his Barcelona contract. Prior to his 2021 move to Paris Saint-Germain, Messi remained locked in contract negotiations with Barcelona.
      Lionel Messi and his wife alongside Luis Suarez and his wifeCredit: Instagram / @leomessi
      The two became best friends while at BarcelonaCredit: Instagram / @antonelaroccuzzo
      Reports had suggested the Argentine had requested a VIP box for both his own and Suarez’s families at the Camp Nou during the talks in 2020.
      And now Suarez appears to have confirmed these rumours.
      When asked about the demands, he said: “These are normal wishes for any elite player.
      “I had my own box in Atletico, and here in Uruguay too. All the leaks make me laugh.”
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      As well as these executive boxes, the 35-year-old wanted a signing-on bonus of £8.7million paired with a three-year deal with an optional extension.
      He also asked for a private jet to be laid on to allow he and his family to fly back to Argentina over Christmas.
      This was on top of the £65m in wages he wanted which would rise by 10 per cent every season – on top of a further annual interest worth three per cent.
      The package as a whole ended up being worth a whopping £492m.
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      Not that this deterred the Blaugrana, who had accepted all the terms except for the signing-on bonus and a release clause which would be set at just £8,700 – which would have given Messi freewill to terminate his deal whenever he pleased.
      With Barcelona struggling during Messi’s latter years, he was becoming unhappy.
      And then with the club selling Suarez to Atletico Madrid the situation only became worse.
      The irony in the present day becomes apparent however, considering Messi wanted to stay in 2021 but was forced out due to the club being over La Liga wage caps.
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      However, with his contract at the French champions up next summer it remains to be seen where he will end up.
      SunSport exclusively revealed earlier this week that Messi had no concrete offers on the table, with Messi set to decide on his future after the World Cup. More

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      Man Utd want Jude Bellingham AND Frenkie de Jong in sensational double transfer swoop to transform team

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      MANCHESTER UNITED want to sign Jude Bellingham AND Frenkie de Jong in the summer, according to reports.The Red Devils are not planning a major overhaul of their squad in January, with Erik ten Hag set to wait until the end of the season.
      Bellingham has attracted interest from a host of Europe’s biggest clubsCredit: Alamy
      De Jong was linked with a move to Man Utd all summerCredit: Getty
      But he will then look to bring in exciting talent – and ESPN claim De Jong and Bellingham are at the top of his wishlist.
      Man Utd were linked with De Jong all summer, with Ten Hag keen to reunite with the Dutch international he brought through at Ajax.
      But a deal never materialised and he ended up staying at Barcelona.
      Meanwhile, Bellingham committed to Borussia Dortmund for one more season but is set to leave in the summer.
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      The 19-year-old is one of the most highly-rated teenagers in world football.
      As a result, he has attracted interest from Europe’s biggest clubs, with Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid all keen to acquire his services.
      However, Man Utd are hopeful they can beat off all the competition and bring him to Old Trafford.
      Bellingham has been superb since joining Dortmund and showed that world-class talent on the international stage for England in their 3-3 draw with Germany on Monday.
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      United boss Ten Hag will believe De Jong and Bellingham can help bring the team closer to his desired style of play.
      The Red Devils boss lost his first two games in charge against Brighton and Brentford.
      He then switched to a more pragmatic approach and has enjoyed a four-match winning streak in the Premier League.
      But the Dutchman will still be keen to move towards a possession-based style in the future, with Bellingham and De Jong the type of midfielders which can thrive in that type of system. More

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      Ruben Neves ‘snubbed Man Utd and Liverpool in summer to hold out on dream Barcelona transfer’

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      RUBEN NEVES rejected approaches from Manchester United and Liverpool in the summer to wait for a “dream” move to Barcelona, according to reports.The Portuguese midfielder, 25, was heavily linked with a move away from Wolves at the end of last season.
      Neves has been a vitally important player for Wolves in recent seasonsCredit: Getty
      But he ended up staying put as Bruno Lage’s men clung onto their man despite widespread interest.
      According to Sport, two clubs who were hoping to negotiate with Neves were Man Utd and Liverpool.
      Both sides were in search of options in central midfield over the summer.
      Erik ten Hag was looking to replace the departures of Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic, while Jurgen Klopp began searching towards the end of the window following injury concerns and poor form.
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      However, it is reported that Neves showed very little desire to negotiate with either club.
      This was because he had caught wind of Barcelona’s interest in him.
      The Catalan giants’ financial situation meant they would not be able to sign him in the summer window, but Neves is willing to wait until 2023.
      It is said to be his “dream” move, with Barca seeing the Portuguese international as a suitable replacement to Sergio Busquets – who is set to join Inter Miami at the end of the season.
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      Neves joined Wolves from Porto in 2017 for £15.8million – a then-record fee for a second tier English club.
      He helped the Midlands side secure promotion in his first season, playing every game in their Championship-winning campaign.
      And he has gone on to thrive in the Premier League during his four years in the top flight.
      Since joining Wolves, he has scored 25 goals and provided 12 assists in 220 appearances. More