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      Man Utd transfer target Frenkie de Jong slams ‘lies’ about Barcelona wages and explains why salary ‘looks bigger’

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      BARCELONA midfielder Frenkie de Jong has hit back at critics who claim he is refusing a wage cut.The 25-year-old Dutchman agreed a £400,000-a-week salary when he joined the Catalan giants back in 2019.
      De Jong has hit back at those accusing him of refusing a wage reductionCredit: AP
      He then penned a lucrative two-year extension during ex-president Josep Maria Bartomeu’s spell in charge of the club.
      But Barcelona’s crippling financial crisis resulted in De Jong being forced to take a wage reduction in each of his first three seasons.
      It means they are now required to pay those deferred wages to the player on top of his existing salary.
      As a result, De Jong, who was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United in the summer, will earn £16.8million net this season, followed by up to £21m in the following campaign – figures which include £17m worth of deferred payments.
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      And the midfielder has now set the records straight on the controversy surrounding his salary packet.
      Speaking to TV NOS, via Mundo Deportivo, De Jong said: “There have been many lies and falsehoods spread about my salary.
      “In each of the first three years I played here, I cut my salary. Eventually the money comes back, and it comes on top of my normal salary, so it looks bigger.
      “I think a lot of people don’t understand this, but the figures the media are spreading are false.”
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      Barcelona wanted to sell De Jong in the summer to alleviate their economic strain and enable them to register their host of new signings.
      But the former Ajax man made it clear his desire to stay at the Nou Camp, despite strong interest from Man Utd and Chelsea.
      And he recently revealed he felt during the transfer window that the club were trying to force him out the door.
      Last week, De Jong told Ziggo Sport: “I was calm. I decided in May that I wanted to stay. My opinion has never changed during this entire period.
      “I stayed calm. But then you know the pressure would start to come.
      “Yes, from the newspapers, from the president, exactly. From everywhere actually. But I wanted to stay at Barca so it never baffled me.”
      De Jong has started four of Barca’s eight LaLiga matches so far this season – including their 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in El Clasico on Sunday.
      Read More on The Sun
      But it has been reported that he remains “disgusted” by his role in Xavi’s side, with competition rife alongside the likes of Sergio Busquets, Gavi, and Pedri.
      And that discontent in Spain could finally see him depart in the coming months. More

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      Real Madrid 3 Barcelona 1: Late Rodrygo penalty seals dramatic win after Karim Benzema opener in El Clasico stunner

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      REAL MADRID earned the bragging rights while also going top of LaLiga with victory over Barcelona in El Clasico.Goals from Karim Benzema, Federico Valverde and Rodrygo sealed a 3-1 win over the Catalans on Sunday.
      Karim Benzema was on target as Real Madrid beat Barcelona 3-1Credit: Getty
      Robert Lewandowski fired a blank as he tasted defeat in his first El ClasicoCredit: Getty
      Barca’s only goal came late on through sub Ferran Torres.
      And the result means unbeaten Real are now top of the table as Barcelona suffered their first defeat of the league campaign.
      Both teams named strong line-ups, with superstar strikers Robert Lewandowski and Benzema both starting.
      But it was the latter who made an immediate impact when he opened the scoring for Real in the 12th minute.
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      Benzema pounced after Marc-Andre ter Stegen spilled Vinicius Jr’s shot, firing it into the back of the net.
      Real then doubled their lead 10 minutes before the break when Valverde struck from 20 yards out.
      Barcelona were left stunned as boss Xavi Hernandez made wholesale changes throughout the second half.
      And it looked to have paid off when Torres pulled one back with seven minutes to go.
      Federico Valverde netted Real’s second to put them in control by half timeCredit: Getty
      Ferran Torres pulled one back for Barcelona with seven minutes leftCredit: AP
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      Rodrygo netted a 91st minute penalty to wrap up Real’s winCredit: Reuters
      The result saw Real move top of the table as Barca suffered their first league defeatCredit: Reuters
      Ansu Fati narrowly missed the chance to level, but Barca’s hopes ended when Real won a 91st minute penalty which was put away by Rodrygo.
      The result will be hard to take for Barcelona, who had over twice as many shots as Real and 57 per cent of the ball.
      The Catalans are already on the brink of exit in the Champions League.
      And their next run of games sees them face Villarreal, Athletic Bilbao, Bayern Munich and Valencia.
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      As for Real, the defending champs have already booked their place in the last 16 of Europe.
      They have a kinder run of fixtures coming up, playing Elche and struggling Sevilla before a continental tie at RB Leipzig. More

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      Real Madrid 2 Barcelona 1 LIVE SCORE: Ferran Torres’ last-gasp strike hands visitors lifeline at the Bernabeu – updates

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      REAL MADRID welcome Barcelona to the Bernabeu for the 284th edition of El Clasico – and the winner will go top.Madrid will be hoping to take advantage of a vulnerable Barcelona who is on the verge of crashing out of the Champions League.
      And Los Blancos will be in high spirits after Antonio Rudiger’s bravery saw Madrid snatch a last-gasp point against Shakhtar.

      Start time: 3:15pm UK
      Live stream: Premier Sports
      TV channel: Premier Sports 1
      Real Madrid XI: Lunin; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Modric, Tchouameni, Kroos; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius
      Barca XI: Ter Stegen; Roberto, Kounde, Garcia, Balde; de Jong, Busquets, Pedri; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Dembele

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      Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…
      Full time – Real Madrid 3-1 Barcelona 
      Real Madrid 3-1 Barcelona 
      90+1. Rodrygo makes no mistake from the spot, and Real Madrid will claim El Clasico!

      VAR Review – Penalty to Real Madrid
      Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona 
      90. On the break, Eric Garcia brings down Rodrygo in the box but Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez says no penalty.
      However, VAR have taken another look, and now advise the referee to consult his original decision on the pitchside monitor.
      Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona – Real Madrid substitution
      88. A double change for the hosts.
      Marcos Asensio and Antonio Rudiger are on for Karim Benzema and Dani Carvajal.
      Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona 
      87. Almost! Almost an equaliser!
      De Jong’s chipped cross into the box is missed by Roberto, but Mendy’s slack clearance falls for Fati.
      The sub makes a connection as he falls, but it’s not perfect and rolls agonisingly wide with Lunin beaten.
      Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona 
      85. Barca are suddenly like a new team.
      They believe they can rescue something from this Clasico.
      Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona
      83. It’s not over yet!
      With seven minutes remaining, Barcelona have renewed hope – and it’s a goal made and scored by one of Xavi’s substitutes.
      Ansu Fati does brilliantly to beat two opponents and speed down the left before whipping a low cross into the danger area.
      Robert Lewandowski gets a slight touch on the delivery that takes it away from those in white, and towards Ferran Torres at the far post, who converts from close range.
      Game on at the Bernabeu! 

      Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona – Gavi yellow card
      81. There we go!
      Barcelona’s talented but overly physical teenager goes into the book for a completely unnecessary slide on Vinicius Junior.
      Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona
      80. Ten minutes to go.
      Have Real Madrid done enough to take themselves back to the top of LaLiga?
      Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona
      78. Fati takes aim from long range! Just wide!
      The 19-year-old sub almost pulls one back in spectacular fashion but his low curler – similar to Valverde’s strike in the first half – flies a yard past the post.
      Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona – Modric yellow card
      75. Modric goes into the book for tripping Gavi.
      Come on, ref, it’s just an old boy keeping a teenager in check.
      Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona
      74. Lewandowski goes does in the box…no penalty!!
      The Barca striker appeared to be sandwiched by Carvajal and Alaba as he moved inside from the left, but referee Jose María Sanchez Martinez was on the scene to wave appeals away.
      On the touchline, Xavi is furious. He may have a point, but Lewandowski didn’t help himself by going down very easily.
      Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona – Barcelona substitution
      73. Xavi makes another change, introducing Ansu Fati for Ousmane Dembele.
      Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona
      72. Lewandowski takes charge and curls a shot straight into the wall.
      The hosts quickly break, and it’s only a cynical pull back from Alba that denies Kroos a run up the touchline.
      The left-back somehow escapes a yellow card.
      Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona
      71. Tchouameni sticks out a needless foot, and brings Dembele down 20 yards from goal.
      It’s a free-kick to the Catalans in a very dangerous position.
      They haven’t scored a direct free-kick since Lionel Messi was at the club. Could this be when that record comes to an end?
      Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona
      69. Lewandowski gets his head on to a cross, but the effort loops softly up for Lunin to claim.
      Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona
      67. A couple of half chances in quick succession for Real.
      First, a Vinicius Junior curler is blocked, and then Garcia does extremely well to see off Benzema’s run following a typically clever through pass from Modric.
      Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona
      65. The home side are managing this game incredibly well, and have hardly allowed Barcelona a chance to threaten in the second half despite the visitors’ attempts to push higher up the field.
      Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona
      63. Benzema slips Vinicius Junior in, but Ter Stegen rushes off his line to claim.
      In fact, the German goalkeeper was clattered for his troubles in sliding out on to the ball ahead.
      Vinicius Junior is already on a yellow card, and looks a little nervous but the Barca goalkeeper is up quickly to give him the benefit of the doubt.
      Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona
      61. Gavi straight into the action by conceding a foul.
      It’s arguably the thing that the 18-year-old does most, if not best.
      Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona – Barcelona substitutions
      60. With half hour remaining, Xavi makes his first changes with a triple substitution.
      On come Ferran Torres, Gavi and Jordi Alba in place of Raphinha, Sergio Busquets and Alejandro Balde.
      Inspired changes or desperation?
      Real Madrid 2-0 Barcelona
      58. The Bernabeu lets out a roar of appreciation as Rudiger begins to warm-up for the first time.
      The German required 20 stitches in a head wound sustained in their Champions League match with Shakhtar in midweek.
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      Under-fire Barcelona boss Xavi reveals he will walk out on club if he is not the ‘solution’ ahead of crunch El Clasico

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      BARCELONA boss Xavi has vowed to walk out on the club if he believes he is not the man to take them forward.The Catalan giants slumped to a dramatic 3-3 draw with Inter Milan in mid-week – leaving their Champions League hopes hanging by a thread.
      Xavi chats with reporters ahead of today’s El ClasicoCredit: EPA
      Xavi, 42, has faced criticism for Barca’s disappointing European campaign to date.
      But the former midfielder, who succeeded Ronaldo Koeman as boss in November last year, has bullishly defended himself going into today’s crunch El Clasico clash with Real Madrid.
      He said: “I think it’s my way of being, I’m an optimist from birth and I believe in work and evolution.”
      Xavi then added: “In LaLiga we are doing very well, we are tied and leaders in the standings. I can continue to be optimistic.
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      “I’m very cute and stubborn. And I’d like this to turn out well and I won’t stop working and insisting on what I do.
      “The day I don’t see it clearly, I’m going home. The day I don’t think I’m a solution, I’ll go.
      “I won’t be a problem. But now I’m fine.”
      Barca go into today’s crunch match at the Bernabeu top of LaLiga on goal difference.
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      Xavi, a veteran of many El Clasico clashes, reckons that form goes out of the window when these two teams cross the white line.
      He said: “This is unpredictable. It’s the game that gives less importance to the previous one.
      “You’re so focused on this one that you forget about the previous one. It already happened last year.
      “We can’t predict anything. We’ll try to win the three points.”
      Xavi’s old pal Andres Iniesta revealed that he dreams of returning to Barca as manager one day.
      The 38-year-old, who plays in Japan for Vissel Kobe, told Gazzetta dello Sport: “I’ll continue at Vissel Kobe for another year… and then we’ll see. I would love to return to Barca.
      “It’s my home, but I still don’t know in what way: head coach, sports director or something like that.”
      Andres Iniesta, 38, still plays in JapanCredit: Getty More

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      Atletico Madrid striker Joao Felix ‘has lost patience with boss Diego Simeone and wants transfer out of club’

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      ATLETICO MADRID striker Joao Felix is reportedly seeking a transfer exit.That’s after “losing patience” with Diego Simeone after playing less than 30 minutes in the last four games.
      Joao Felix wants to leave Atletico Madrid after being benched by Diego SimeoneCredit: Getty
      A Bola claims Felix, 22, has become frustrated with his role at Atletico, three-and-a-half years after his £114million move from Benfica.
      The Portugal star is yet to find his best form at the Wanda Metropolitano.
      But Felix has particularly struggled this term, failing to score one single goal.
      As a result, Simeone has mainly kept the forward on his bench for the last four matches, giving him just 29 minutes of action.
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      Felix believes he is being treated harshly by his boss, especially after he reportedly played INJURED for six months in 2021.
      And the LaLiga title winner is now looking for a way out in January.
      However, with just 29 goals in 122 games, Felix may not have many options available.
      The striker’s contract also runs until 2026, and Atleti have no intention of letting him go on the cheap – with the attacker said to have a £300m release clause.
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      Should Felix depart, it would seem Simeone already has a replacement lined up.
      Reports claim Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino is top of Atletico’s shopping list.
      The Brazilian’s contract is up at the end of the season.
      And Firmino is ready to quit Anfield on a free transfer for a switch to the Spanish capital. More

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      Frenkie de Jong says he knew Barcelona would ‘pressure’ him to leave amid Man Utd transfer interest

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      BARCELONA star Frenkie de Jong has claimed he knew Barcelona were going to “pressure” him into leaving. The club wanted to sell him to Manchester United over the summer but De Jong did not want to go.
      Frenkie de Jong has hit out at Barcelona for trying to make him leaveCredit: AFP
      The central midfielder has spoken out as he has been regularly left out of the starting XI by manager Xavi in big games.
      He has admitted he saw this situation coming after being shown the exit door with Pedri and Gavi ahead of him in the pecking order.
      De Jong told Ziggo Sport: “I was calm. I decided in May that I wanted to stay. My opinion has never changed during this entire period.
      “I stayed calm. But then you know the pressure would start to come.
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      “Yes, from the newspapers, from the president, exactly. From everywhere actually. But I wanted to stay at Barca so it never baffled me.”
      De Jong has not played in crucial Champions League ties against Bayern Munich or Inter Milan.
      Meanwhile in LaLiga he was benched against Sevilla and there are doubts over his place in the side tomorrow for the El Clasico versus bitter rivals Real Madrid.
      He has played 10 times this season, scoring one goal but just four have been starts – most coming versus weaker opponents like Viktoria Plzen, Cadiz and Elche.
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      De Jong continued: “I want to be a starter again. Against Bayern, I was not a starter and I hope to be against Real Madrid.
      “Maybe he [Xavi] has already decided, but normally we don’t know until the day of the game.”
      Spanish outlet Sport claims the Dutchman is “disgusted” at his lack of minutes this season.
      This all comes amid a row over unpaid wages that De Jong is still owed after taking a deferred pay cut to help the club with their financial woes.
      Man Utd chased the signing of De Jong throughout the most recent transfer window and despite sizeable bids they could not get the deal over the line.
      Erik ten Hag appeared desperate to work with the 25-year-old again, as he did at Ajax, but he still chose Barca with United not having Champions League football this season. More

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      Real Madrid interested in Alphonso Davies transfer from Bayern Munich with contract running out in 2025

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      REAL MADRID are reportedly interested in signing Bayern Munich full-back Alphonso Davies.The 21-year-old Canadian international broke through in 2019 and has gone on to earn 127 appearances at the club.
      Davies is being linked with a move away from Bayern MunichCredit: Getty
      He has already won four Bundesliga titles with the German champions and penned a two-year extension in 2020 to keep him at the club until 2025.
      But according to Marca, Real have identified him as one of their major transfer targets.
      In response to a fan linking fellow Bayern man Joshua Kimmich to Los Blancos, journalist Jose Felix Diaz responded by insisting Davies is a more likely acquisition.
      Speaking on Twitch, he said: “From Bayern, the name they have most in mind is Davies.”
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      Jude Bellingham is still thought to be Real’s main target over the coming 12 months.
      And they are also focused on tying existing stars Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos down to new deals.
      But aside from those goings on, Davies is high up on their agenda of potential deals.
      That is despite a turbulent couple of years for the youngster – who can play as a left winger in addition to his usual left-back role.
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      Davies, who has been capped 32 times by Canada, suffered an ankle injury in 2020 which kept him out for nearly two months.
      He then contracted Covid at the beginning of this year, with Bayern subsequently discovering he had developed a heart issue – mild myocarditis.
      Then during the Bundesliga side’s 2-2 draw with Borussia Dortmund last weekend, he sustained a cranial injury which saw him substituted at half-time.
      He subsequently missed their win over Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League on Wednesday. More

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      Why are Barcelona wearing Drake’s OVO owl on their jersey against Real Madrid?

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      BARCELONA are sporting an unusual logo on their kit when they face Real Madrid in El Clasico and everyone has the same question – why?The La Liga giants announced a partnership with music streaming service Spotify earlier in the year in a long-term deal.
      Barcelona usually take to the pitch with Spotify’s logo on their chestsCredit: Rex
      Xavi’s side usually take to action donning a gold version of the Spotify logo on their kit as part of the partnership.
      However, against Real Madrid, Barca are donning an unusual logo, with an owl appearing front and centre on their jerseys and the reason for this has been revealed.
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      Why are Barcelona wearing Drake’s OVO owl on their jersey against Real Madrid?
      Barcelona’s sponsorship with Spotify has opened up endless opportunities for the La Liga side after the long-term deal was announced.
      With the Camp Nou reportedly set to be renamed, and as Spotify are looking to take naming rights, the partnership has also allowed for a unique change of jersey sponsor.
      The OVO owl is the logo of Drake’s brandCredit: Instagram @spotify
      Xavi’s team will only sport the OVO owl on their kit for one match, and a big one at that against Real Madrid.
      With music artist Drake making history, becoming the first artist to reach 50 billion streams on Spotify, Barcelona opted to wear the OVO owl on their jersey in El Clasico to celebrate his success – the owl being the symbol of Drake’s brand.
      Barcelona explained the reasoning for this, stating that they are looking to bring football and music together with the sponsorship.
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      They wrote: “One of the main ideas behind the alliance between FC Barcelona and Spotify is to bring football and music together in order to connect with new audiences around the world.
      “As both are capable of bringing people together and exciting fans, for the first time, the men’s football team will enter the pitch for Sunday’s Clásico wearing a jersey featuring the logo of an internationally acclaimed artist – rapper and singer Drake, winner of 4 Grammy awards and the first to surpass 50 billion streams on Spotify – rather than their main partner’s logo.” More