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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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      Cash-strapped Barcelona have only paid Man City £2.6MILLION of the £48.4m transfer deal they agreed for Ferran Torres

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      BARCELONA have paid Manchester City just £2.6million of the £48.4m fee they agreed for forward Ferran Torres, it has been revealed.The Spaniard, 22, left the Etihad to join the Catalan giants back in January.
      Torres joined Barcelona from Man City back in JanuaryCredit: Reuters
      A deal was struck despite Barcelona’s well-documented financial crisis.
      And they then went on to sign Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Robert Lewandowski, Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Hector Bellerin and Marcos Alonso in the summer window.
      Yet the Torres transfer payment is still far from complete.
      According to CCMA, less than £3m of the £48.4m fee has been given to Man City.
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      And the deal for Torres is just one of several fees which have not yet been paid by Barca.
      They owe Ajax £28m for Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong – who they signed back in 2019.
      Juventus are waiting on more than £31m for Miralem Pjanic’s move to the Nou Camp two years ago.
      And Barca also still need to pay Liverpool £12m for the 2018 signing of Philippe Coutinho.
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      However, they are waiting for nearly £9m from Aston Villa after they signed Coutinho permanently earlier this year.
      Torres has scored eight goals and provided seven assists in 33 appearances for Barcelona.
      But he has started just two of six LaLiga matches so far this season, with the likes of Lewandowski, Raphinha and Ousmane Dembele preferred to the ex-Man City man. More

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      Cicinho apologised to Sir Alex Ferguson for snubbing Man Utd transfer in 2005 to join Real Madrid’s Galacticos

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      FORMER Manchester United target Cicinho said sorry to Sir Alex Ferguson for once turning down a move to Old Trafford. The retired Brazilian right-back revealed last year he was close to signing for Manchester United in 2005 before Roberto Carlos’ intervention.
      Cicinho has apologised to Ferguson for snubbing the chance to join Man UtdCredit: AFP
      Cicinho opted to sign for Real Madrid, while Ferguson led United to trophy-after-trophy in a glittering era for Man UtdCredit: PA:Press Association
      Legendary left-back Carlos put in a call to Cicinho and convinced him to join Real Madrid at the eleventh hour.
      Recalling the saga on Instagram, Cicinho, 42, jokingly apologised to Ferguson, but admitted he couldn’t turn down the chance to be a part of Madrid’s star-studded line up.
      He wrote last December: “Today marks the 16th anniversary of my introduction to @realmadrid.
      “Sorry, Sir Alex Ferguson, but in 2005 @officialrc3 (Roberto Carlos) called Cicinho and in the moment I had to answer.
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      “He asked me if I wanted to come and play with him for the Galacticos.
      “It was almost all right for me to go to Manchester United, but how could I say no to the chance to be friends with Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, (Zinedine) Zidane, (Luis) Figo, (David) Beckham, Robinho, Raul, Julio Baptista, (Iker) Casillas, Sergio Ramos and so on?”
      Cicinho ultimately chose Madrid over Manchester, signing for a reported £3.5million from Brazilian outfit Sao Paulo.
      But it was Ferguson who had the last laugh, as Cicinho was shipped off to Roma after just 18 months and 32 appearances for the club.
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      He won a LaLiga title playing alongside the famous Galacticos, but failed to really establish himself in a side packed full of legends of the game.
      Earlier this year Cicinho revealed he “drank 10 beers a day” and turned up to training drunk while at the Bernabeu.
      He was capped 15 times by Brazil, but a promising career faded into mediocrity after his troubled time in Madrid.
      At Roma he had spells on loan with Villarreal and former club Sao Paulo, before joining Turkish side Sivasspor to once again link-up with old pal Carlos.
      But the former defender must be left thinking what could have been had he signed on the dotted line with Manchester United. More

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      Arsenal and Man Utd in transfer blow as Barcelona make Ruben Neves top target to replace Sergio Busquets

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      BARCELONA want to sign Ruben Neves as a replacement for Sergio Busquets next summer, according to reports.The Barca stalwart, 34, is set to leave Catalonia for Inter Miami next summer after 15 years in his boyhood club’s first-team.
      Ruben Neves is among Barcelona’s key targetsCredit: EPA
      Sergio Busquets is set to finally leave Barcelona after 15 yearsCredit: Getty
      Barca chiefs see midfield as an area of weakness and are eager to find a suitable replacement for such an important player.
      According to Catalan paper Sport, Wolves star Neves, 25, has emerged as a key target for Xavi and Co.
      Manchester United and Arsenal were both linked with the Portuguese ace over the summer, although neither got close to agreeing a deal.
      And now they may be gazumped by Barcelona.
      READ MORE TRANSFER NEWS
      Despite keeping Frenkie de Jong and recruiting Franck Kessie last summer, the LaLiga giants still feel the need for more options alongside Pedri and Co.
      With Neves’ contract at Molineux running until 2024, Barca feel that a deal should be simple enough to do.
      The two clubs have recent history in negotiating together, with Wolves having loaned Adama Traore back to his boyhood club in January.
      Barcelona also want to take advantage of their strong relationship with Neves’ agent Jorge Mendes.
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      Should they fail to agree a deal, however, they are claimed to like Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, 23, as an alternate option.
      Zubimendi’s release clause currently stands at around £54m, but could soon rise to £80m if not met within a certain time frame.
      A previous report linked Barcelona with Jorginho, Rodri and Joshua Kimmich.
      The former is likely to be easier to get, with his Chelsea contract set to expire at the end of the season.
      But deals for Rodri and Kimmich would be much more complicated.
      Barca like Real Sociedad ace Martin ZubimendiCredit: Rex More

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      Watch as Eden Hazard dances with group of women at nightclub while on international duty with Belgium

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      EDEN HAZARD went clubbing to unwind while on international duty with Belgium.The Real Madrid star captained the Red Devils in Nation League matches against Wales and the Netherlands.

      Eden Hazard danced in a club with women
      The winger partied after playing twice for Belgium over the international break
      Hazard is hoping to go to the World CupCredit: Getty
      He also used his time away from his home in Madrid and his wife Natacha and four children to go partying.
      The winger was spotted in a nightclub dancing with girls while wearing a black t-shirt and baseball cap.
      He also shook hands with someone he knew and appeared to be loving life as he danced the night away.
      Hazard has struggled for game time at the Bernabeu this season but started both of Belgium’s matches and completed more than an hour in both games.
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      But he admitted he is in a “delicate situation” at Real Madrid ahead of the World Cup.
      He said: “There have been difficult times because I want to play and I don’t play.
      “I feel good at Real Madrid, I just play less. And when I play, I play well. It’s a delicate situation because I want to play more.”
      He then went on to add: “I know what I can do when I play.
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      “I want to play the maximum number of minutes and get to the World Cup in shape.”
      But some fans feel Hazard’s best days are behind him after a “worrying” training video emerged online.
      The former Chelsea star lacked the agility and dynamism he possessed at his peak and that means he may struggle to make Roberto Martinez’s side for the World Cup. More

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      Barcelona chief drops huge Lionel Messi free transfer hint with Argentina captain to decide future after World Cup

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      LIONEL MESSI’S future could see a return to Barcelona after the club’s vice president dropped a huge hint about his potential return. Barcelona and Messi parted ways in the summer of 2021 due to the Spanish giants’ crippling financial state.
      Lionel Messi’s future is up in the airCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Barcelona’s vice president Romeu has dropped a major hint about Messi’s returnCredit: Getty
      Messi then signed a two-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain, but with that contract expiring next summer speculation has been mounting on his future.
      SunSport exclusively revealed yesterday the 35-year-old has no concrete options currently on the table.
      But he is not worried about this as his focus is on trying to claim World Cup glory in Qatar with Argentina.
      However, Barcelona’s vice president has dropped a massive hint that they will make a move to re-sign La Pulga.
      READ MORE ON LIONEL MESSI
      In an interview with El Matí de Catalunya Ràdio, Barca vice president Eduard Romeu revealed the return of Messi would be economically viable.
      He said: “If I came back, it would come for free, so I’m sure it would be viable. In any case, it’s a technical and player decision.”
      It is understood PSG want to retain the star forward by offering him a one-year extension, but they are yet to officially make the offer.
      Romeu later elaborated on how the structure of the club has changed both on and off the pitch and how this will accommodate Messi’s return.
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      He said: “We have completely changed the structure.
      “From having players with salary levels outside the market and an already large squad at the average age level, we have gone on to have players with projection and market levels, which will surely be important.
      “Without sounding presumptuous, we have saved Barca but we are not financially healthy and a lot of austerity and rigour are needed and there is a lot of work to do.
      “Barça will be healthy in five years. In the 2024-25 season we will be at the level that belongs to us.”
      He went on to reveal the club have cut £135million from their salary bill. More

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      Tottenham line up transfer move for Atletico Madrid keeper Jan Oblak as Hugo Lloris’ long-term replacement

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      TOTTENHAM are lining upJan Oblak as a long-term replacement to Hugo Lloris, according to reports.The Atletico Madrid goalkeeper has attracted the interest of boss Antonio Conte after impressing for years in Spain.
      Hugo Lloris is an injury doubt ahead of Saturday’s huge North London DerbyCredit: Alamy
      Oblak has impressive for years as Atletico Madrid’s no.1Credit: Reuters
      Spurs are believed to be putting into place a plan to replace Lloris, who has been at the club for over a decade now.
      The reliable Frenchman has made 425 appearances for the London club but his contract runs out in 2024.
      The Evening Standard reports that the 35-year-old is not expected to sign a new one and so Spurs are putting a long-term replacement plan in place.
      Top of their list is Oblak, who has been Atletico’s goalkeeper since 2014.
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      He has regularly been ranked as among the best keepers in Europe and played a crucial role in the Atletico team who won La Liga in 2021.
      The Slovenian also starred as the Spanish side reached the 2016 Champions League final.
      Conte and managing director Fabio Paratici have spoken about landing the stopper, but could find him difficult to prise away.
      Oblak’s contract runs until 2028, which offers Diego Simeone and the club security, and he reportedly had a release clause of £107m.
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      But the Standard reports that clause is believed to have been lowered significantly.
      Tottenham may face a fight from their Premier League rivals to secure Oblak’s signature.
      Manchester United are believed to be monitoring the 29-year-old’s situation closely, and could themselves be contemplating a move to replace a long-term keeper in David De Gea.
      While Chelsea have previously made contact with Oblak via their former goalkeeper and technical advisor Petr Cech during Frank Lampard’s reign. More

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      Antoine Griezmann wins Atletico Madrid Player of the Month despite only starting ONE MATCH as Barcelona spat continues

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      ANTOINE GRIEZMANN won Atletico Madrid’s Player of the Month despite starting just ONE MATCH, with the transfer spat with Barcelona still ongoing. The Frenchman, 31, rejoined Atletico from Barca on a two-year loan deal following an unsuccessful two years at the Nou Camp.
      Griezmann won Atletico’s Player of the Month awardCredit: Rex
      Despite Barca paying over £100million for Griezmann in 2019, they inserted a cut-price fee of £35m in his Atletico loan.
      However, that will only be triggered if the World Cup winner plays a certain amount of games.
      And to avoid triggering the buy option, Atletico have only played Griezmann for less than 30 minutes per match – which is under the threshold to be counted as a game in the terms.
      A new deal could be negotiated for around £22m to end the stalemate and give Griezmann the game time he deserves ahead of France’s world title defence in Qatar later this year.
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      Barca have threatened legal action against Atletico regarding their seeming exploitation of this loophole, and unless a deal is hashed out before January to sort it Griezmann may be recalled.
      Griezmann won Atletico’s Player of the Month for September, despite starting just ONE MATCH, paying testament to his bench cameos.
      He got a goal and an assist across all competitions in the month, including a last-gasp Champions League winner over Porto.
      Whether Atletico and Barca come to an agreement is yet to be seen.
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      But other clubs are starting to sniff around Griezmann.
      Premier League giants Manchester United, as well as Serie A title-chasing Juventus are said to be keen. More