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    Barcelona ‘to sign Bayern Munich wonderkid Kenan Yildiz, 16, in summer transfer as Xavi continues youthful revolution’

    BARCELONA are reportedly set to sign Bayern Munich wonderkid Kenan Yildiz as Xavi continues his youthful revolution at the Nou Camp.The 16-year-old attacking midfielder has attracted plenty of attention in the Bayern youth ranks.
    Barcelona are said to be in transfer talks with Turkish teenager Kenan YildizCredit: Getty
    He has racked up six goals and eight assists in 14 youth Bundesliga appearances across the Under-17s and U19s this term.
    The Turkey U17 international is making rapid progress for club and country with Bayern understandably desperate to keep hold of a special talent.
    Transfermarkt state his current contract with the Bavarians expires this summer.
    But according to Sky in Germany, negotiations are well underway between the teenager’s agents and Barca over a summer transfer.
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    It is thought Yildiz’s representatives also look after La Masia graduate Pedri and new signing Ferran Torres.
    Yildiz would initially be signed to link up with the Barcelona B team.
    But manager Xavi is thought to be keen on preparing him for the senior side as he puts an extra emphasis on young players.
    The club are in a transition phase following the exit of legend Lionel Messi and further ageing stalwarts coming towards the end of their careers.
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    President Joan Laporta reiterated the club’s stance to prioritise rising talent.
    Asked about Lionel Messi’s potential return, he said: “It’s not something we are considering at the moment.
    “We’re building a new team, with young players.”
    Ansu Fati and Golden Boy-winner Pedri are the two standout names with the 19-year-olds regular first-team starters when fit.
    Gavi, 17, has also made his mark with the likes of Ferran Torres, Sergino Dest, Eric Garcia, Nico Gonzalez, Ronald Arauko and Riqui Puig all 23 or younger. More

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    Top 10 highest paid LaLiga stars revealed with Real Madrid dominating list and outcast Gareth Bale raking in fortune

    GARETH BALE is set to quit Real Madrid in the summer – and possibly even retire.The Welsh golf-enthusiast, 32, has won it all for Los Blancos since his 2013 transfer from Tottenham.

    Bale has won four Champions League and two LaLiga crowns, scoring over 100 times in the process.
    Despite that, his relationship with Real Madrid fans has soured in recent years due to his constant injuries and controversial “Wales. Golf. Real Madrid. In that order” banner stunt.
    Not only that, Bale earns a whopping £550,000 A WEEK to mostly sit on the bench.. or physio’s table.
    That staggering figure – which equates to just shy of £30million per year – is comfortably the highest in LaLiga, despite his lack of action in recent seasons.
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    Bale’s contract expires this summer, with the ex-Spurs winger admitting he could even retire, depending on how Wales fare in their World Cup qualifying play-off final.
    And Real Madrid will be happy to get his pay off their books – with SIX of the top ten best-paid players in LaLiga at the club.
    Another former Premier League star turned LaLiga flop, Eden Hazard, sits second on the rich-list, level with Antoine Griezmann.
    The ex-Chelsea man and the Atletico Madrid star both pocket £490,000 per week from their respective clubs.
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    Karim Benzema is another Los Blancos star near the top of the pile, taking home £390,000 a week from the Bernabeu payroll department.
    Barcelona stalwart Sergio Busquets earns £370,000 per week, with Real veteran Toni Kroos on £360,000 weekly.
    Two more Real Madrid stars, Luka Modric and David Alaba, sit in the top ten – both earning £325,000 per week.
    They’re joined by Barca’s Jordi Alba and Atleti’s Jan Oblak in joint-seventh.
    But how do the LaLiga top earners compare to their colleagues in the Premier League, Bundesliga and Ligue 1? More

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    Rudiger’s agent spotted in transfer talks with Barcelona as Chelsea fear losing hat-trick of stars to Spanish giants

    BARCELONA are planning a stunning hat-trick of transfer raids on Chelsea as they plot their way back to greatness.The Spanish giants have now entered the race as shock contenders to sign Blues’ defender Antonio Rudiger.

    Rudiger’s agent is claimed to have held talks with BarcelonaCredit: AP
    Rudiger’s agent Sahr Senesie, the player’s brother, held talks with Barcelona representatives on Wednesday.
    The two parties had a three hour meeting at a posh hotel in Barcelona’s centre less than 24 hours after Rudiger played for Germany in a friendly against Holland.
    Barcelona have been struggling with major cash flow problems in recent months.
    Yet the shock move for Rudiger also comes just two days after the club’s president Joan Laporta boasted that his side have already completed the signings of two big name players for the summer.
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    One is believed to be Rudiger’s team-mate Andreas Christensen.
    And Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta is also edging closer to a move to Spain despite having a contract extension automatically triggered.
    Rudiger and Christensen will be allowed to leave for free at the end of this season under the Bosman ruling.
    And insiders close to talks between Azpilicueta and Chelsea hinted that he may be released as a gesture of goodwill if he can find a better offer elsewhere.
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    Real Madrid and Juventus have been trying for months to lure Rudiger with huge money on offer and promises of building their futures around one of the most sought-after defenders in the world.
    Losing all three players to one club seems unthinkable but Chelsea are in a precarious position.
    Talks with Christensen over a new deal broke down weeks ago and now appears to be beyond repair.
    Rudiger and the club failed to agree terms for a contract extension and are at an impasse.
    Azpilicueta, 32, loves Chelsea and life in London but wants a long-term contract but the club will only offer 12 months.
    And sanctions imposed on Chelsea’s outgoing owner Roman Abramovich even mean they cannot negotiate new contracts with existing players as well as buy and sell others.
    Boss Thomas Tuchel does have rookies Malang Sarr and Trevoh Chalobah coming through with more and more first team experience to help combat any loss of stars like Rudiger, Azpilicueta and Christensen. More

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    Barcelona invite Lionel Messi to opening of new stadium but admit communication with legend is ‘no longer fluid’

    BARCELONA president Joan Laporta has invited ex-player and legend Lionel Messi to the inauguration of the revamped Nou Camp.However, the former Spanish politician admitted that his relationship with his former employee “isn’t as fluid as it once was”, but did say that the Argentine would “always be welcome back at the club, as it’s his home”.
    Joan Laporta has been talking about Barcelona’s revamped stadiumCredit: EPA
    Messi has been told he is welcome back at the Nou Camp – but not to playCredit: AFP
    Speaking to publication Esports RAC1, Laporta said: “My communication with Messi is no longer fluid but I’d love to have Leo here present with us during the inauguration of the new stadium.”
    The club recently approved plans for a £1.3billion revamp of their decaying ground that they hope to have completed in 2025.
    Messi left Barcelona last summer to join French side Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer.
    Speaking on the transfer, Laporta said the club had to act due to Barca’s money problems.
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Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-i1acvs:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}BOSS-ELONA .css-8h3gc3{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,37,38,1);-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The Sun;font-size:18px;line-height:1.333;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0%;font-stretch:normal;display:inline;}.css-8h3gc3:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}How Barcelona could line up next season with Kessie and Christensen ‘sealed’
    He said: “Camp Nou will always be his home. His departure to PSG? We did what we had to do [last summer].”
    Messi has struggled to replicate his electric form for Mauricio Pochettino’s side and has only scored two goals in Ligue 1 since arriving in the French capital.
    When asked about a possible permanent move back to the five-time Champions League winners, Laporta rebuffed any talk of a sensational reunion between the pair.
    He said: “There’s no conversation with Leo Messi over his potential comeback to Barça. The reality is that we’re not considering this possibility. Leo is Leo, he’s the best – but this kind of deal is not part of our plans.”
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    According to Spanish journalist Gerard Romero Messi’s father Jorge Messi phoned up his old club to see if a move back to the Nou Camp was a possibility.
    Messi scored 672 times in 778 appearances at Barcelona and picked up a remarkable 34 trophies.
    It seems that now being a guest for the stadium opening will be the closest Messi comes to a return. More

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    Barcelona star Putellas says El Clasico at Nou Camp could be a ‘before and after moment’ for women’s game

    ALEXIA PUTELLAS reckons Barcelona’s historic battle with Real Madrid on home turf could be a watershed moment for women’s football.More than 90,000 tickets are reported to have been sold with punters set to pack out the Nou Camp for the Champions League quarters clash.
    Barcelona’s duel with Real Madrid at the Nou Camp could see the game set a new record for crowd attendance at a women’s football matchCredit: Getty
    And Forbes reports that very few tickets are currently on sale for the match which kicks off at 5:45pm this evening.
    It is thought the game at the ground, which has a 99,534 capacity, could break the record for the highest number of spectators at a women’s football match.
    That record was set back in 1999 at the Rose Bowl in the United States, when a 90,185-strong crowd turned out to watch the USA defeat China in the Women’s World Cup.
    For Putellas, 28, playing in front of tens of thousands of fans at a stadium she often visited as a child, is a dream come true.
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.nk-headline-heading{color:rgba(71,30,121,1);}.css-1uyse24:before{content:”;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;left:0;overflow:hidden;position:absolute;z-index:1;}.css-n392go{border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-1p5s3t0{padding:0;border-width:0 1px 1px 1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgba(155,201,183,1);padding:12px;max-height:104px;min-height:98px;}.css-124tga5{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-5jzxpx{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:3;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1;}.css-i1acvs{margin:0;padding:0;color:rgba(34,99,73,1);text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;font-family:The 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    On Monday the Barca midfielder, a lifelong supporter of the club, told reporters: “This match will inspire many people.
    “They will see women play at Camp Nou and I’m sure that in the future the fruits of that will be reaped. 
    “Many girls will dream of being able to play on such a special stage.
    “It could be a before-and-after moment in women’s football.”
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    Barcelona, who defeated Madrid 3-2 in the first leg of the contest’s quarter-final tie, have been on a storming run on the domestic front.
    The LaLiga Women’s side won Spain’s top-flight title for the third season in a row after crushing Madrid in a 5-0 rout on March 23rd.
    And they did so after a league run that saw them win all 25 games they have played so far this term, scoring a whopping 138 goals.
    It comes almost nine months after they claimed their first Champions League crown after a 4-0 defeat of Chelsea.
    Their efforts saw Putellas win last year’s Ballon d’Or award as well being named Fifa’s Women’s Player of the Year.
    Putellas and her team-mates are targeting a second successive Champions League trophy winCredit: Getty
    The Barca captain added: “I didn’t picture myself playing in the Nou Camp as a girl as I only saw men playing there.
    “The game can open so many doors for so many girls and I feel proud Barca makes it possible.”
    Barcelona vs Real Madrid can be watched live from 5:45pm tonight on DAZN’s YouTube channel More