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      Barcelona offer 18-year-old wonderkid Ansu Fati new contract with club desperate to keep hold of star youngster

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      BARCELONA are battling to keep hold of the heir to Lionel Messi’s No10 shirt amid reports they have offered him a contract extension.Ansu Fati inherited the iconic jersey when Messi headed to Paris this summer and has told his agent Jorge Mendes that he wants to stay at Barca.
      Ansu Fati scored on his return from injury at the weekendCredit: Getty
      The 18-year-old’s deal at the Nou Camp runs until the end of the season and reports in Spain say Barca have already offered an extension.
      Football director Mateu Alemany is set to meet Mendes to finalise the deal once the agent returns from holiday in Qatar.
      But there are fears the proposal could unravel due to the shocking state of the Catalan giants’ finances.
      They are saddled with a crippling debt of around £1 billion and have reportedly been set a salary cap of just £85m – £553m less than rivals Real Madrid.
      That could leave Barca unable to afford any long-term deal for the highly-rated Fati.
      Mendes is understood to be talking to club officials about a short-term extension with potential for a review later when money flows once again.

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      The Blaugrana lost talisman Messi in the summer transfer window after they were unable to offer him a new deal within salary cap limits.
      The former skipper was believed to have been close to agreeing an extension before financial restrictions saw him move to cash-rich Paris Saint-Germain.
      Fati has claimed he feels ‘no pressure’ stepping into the void left by Messi.
      The Spain forward scored just nine minutes into his return after ten months out injured as the fitful Catalans beat Levante 3-0 on Sunday.
      Barcelona talent Ansu Fati celebrates with medical team after ten months out through injury More

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      Spain wonderkid Pedri ‘agrees new Barcelona contract’ in massive boost to club with deal to be finalised next month

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      BARCELONA have received a much-needed boost with reports suggesting Pedri is on the verge of signing a new contract.The club has suffered on and off-pitch crises recently but the promise of a new generation of stars creates genuine cause for hope.
      Teenage wonderkid Pedri, 18, is set to earn a new Barcelona contractCredit: Reuters
      Central to that is Pedri, who has already registered 55 appearances despite only being 18 years of age.
      The Spain international impressed at Euro 2020 but has struggled with injury so far this season.
      Ronald Koeman should have him back for Wednesday’s clash with Benfica after he recovered from a muscle issue to return to training.
      And Pedri is reportedly willing to sign a new contract, according to Sky Sport Italia.
      It is said that all parties have agreed on the majority of the deal’s terms and a final agreement is expected by the middle of next month.
      Barcelona have Pedri under contract until June, plus a two-year extension clause they are able to enact automatically.

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      But Mundo Deportivo report on the Catalans having no plan of doing so, given the salary boost that they want to award the midfielder.
      The player arrived from Las Palmas after an initial £4.3million deal was struck in 2019, although clauses have since taken that up to £13m.
      It is said that the Canary Islanders may eventually bank £30m if all add-ons are met, with a 15 per cent sell-on fee also part of the sale.
      Koeman sung Pedri’s praises earlier this month, stating: “He is a young player who listens and works hard and a great future awaits him.
      “Mentally, he is very tough because if he was not, then he would not have survived this very demanding last 12 months.”
      Barcelona talent Ansu Fati celebrates with medical team after ten months out through injury More

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      Ex-Real Madrid ace Fernando Gago ‘splits from tennis star wife after being caught cheating with her best friend’

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      FORMER Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago has reportedly split from his tennis star wife after allegedly cheating on her with her best friend.Gisela Dulko, 36, is said to have red-carded the retired footballer after catching him in bed with dance school owner Veronica Laffitte.
      Ex-Real Madrid and Argentina footballer Fernando Gago has reportedly split from his wife after allegations of cheating with her best friendCredit: Instagram giseladulko
      Gago quit from his role as Club Atletico Aldosivi managerCredit: Getty
      Argentinian journalist Cinthia Fernandez claimed on Argentine TV: “Gisela apparently found them in her own home, in her own bed.
      “She opened the door and there was Fernando Gago with this other woman.”
      She added: “They got married ten years ago and have three children. They always kept a low profile.
      “They separated because of his unfaithfulness. He cheated on her with her best friend.
      “That group of friends were mums at their kids’ school. Gisela has changed them to a different school.”
      The astonishing claims come as Gago, who announced his retirement from football last November following a string of injuries, resigned as manager of Club Atletico Aldosivi after six straight defeats.

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      The senior squad, based in the Atlantic city of Mar del Plata, currently plays in the top division in Argentina.
      Unconfirmed local reports say Gago’s infidelity is thought to have speeded up his decision to quit.
      There has been no official comment so far to the cheat claims by Gago, who made 61 appearances for Argentina and also played for Boca Juniors, Roma, Valencia and Velez Sarsfield.
      His wife, who reached a career-high tennis ranking of world No26 and won four WTA titles as a singles player but specialised in doubles where she achieved the world No1 ranking, has also stayed silent.
      Neither Dulko or Gago have updated their Instagram for several weeks.
      The former footballer’s last post on Instagram, where he still describes himself as Aldosivi’s manager, was 41 weeks ago.
      BROKEN TO LOVE
      Gago, 35, married his former tennis star wife in the upmarket Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Palermo in July 2011 when the ex-footballer was still at Real Madrid.
      They are said to have started dating after Gago asked a tennis player friend for her number.
      Many tennis players and footballers were at the star-studded party celebrating their marriage.
      They have three young children aged eight, six, and three.
      Gisela Dulko enjoyed a successful tennis career and is now mum to three kidsCredit: Instagram giseladulko
      Gago made 121 appearances for Real Madrid between 2007 and 2011, scoring onceCredit: AP:Associated Press More

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      Arsenal told they ‘must pay £38.5m to sign hotshot striker Youssef En-Nesyri, 24, from Sevilla in transfer window’

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      SEVILLA will reportedly demand £38.5million for Arsenal target Youssef En-Nesyri at the next transfer window.The Gunners have been linked with the player, along with West Ham and Manchester United, since he began firing for the LaLiga side.
      Youssef En-Nesyri has caught the eye of Arsenal ahead of the January marketCredit: Getty
      The Moroccan striker hit his third goal of the season on the weekend, in a 2-0 win over Espanyol.
      And he caught the eye with a 24-goal tally last campaign to put Sevilla on the defensive when it comes to his future.
      According to the Express, via Mundo Deportivo, Arsenal are plotting a January bid for En-Nesyri.
      The offer could include Alexandre Lacazette in a player-plus-cash deal, ahead of the Frenchman’s contract expiring in the summer.
      But Sevilla want to ensure any deal matches their £38.5m valuation of the star forward.
      The Spanish side paid £17m to sign 24-year-old En-Nesyri from Leganes 18 months ago, and he has been a big contributor in league and Europe.

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      Saturday’s outing saw him register again, sending Sevilla third in the process.
      However, he did come off injured in the second-half and was already out of Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Wolfsburg due to suspension.
      Sevilla are said to be calm over their man’s transfer future but Arsenal may be ready to continue their heavy spending after the turn of the year.
      After splashing more cash than any other Premier League team in the summer, Mikel Arteta’s side are linked with more incomings in January.

      Philippe Coutinho is said to be a target for a potential loan move from Barcelona.
      A less-familiar signing could arrive in the form of Noa Lang, the Club Brugge winger talked up for a £25.6m move to the Emirates.
      Funding the deals could be Bernd Leno’s exit, with the goalkeeper reportedly wanted by Inter Milan.

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      Arsenal fans ask ‘did we win League?’ as they light flares and party outside Emirates after derby day win over Tottenham More

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      Barcelona make better start than last season even without Lionel Messi and Ronaldo Koeman being under huge pressure

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      BARCELONA have made a better start to this season than last – despite having no Lionel Messi and the pressure mounting on Ronald Koeman.The LaLiga giants strolled to a comfortable 3-0 win over Levante at the Nou Camp yesterday.
      Barcelona remain unbeaten after six games this seasonCredit: Getty
      Memphis Depay scored an early penalty, Luuk de Jong grabbed the second on 14 minutes before the returning Ansu Fati rounded off the scoring in injury time.
      That win moved Barcelona on to 12 points from six games – three victories and three draws.
      As well as remaining unbeaten, Barca have scored 11 and conceded five to have a goal difference of +6.
      The shock back-to-back stalemates against Granada and then away at Cadiz within four days last week meant Koeman was feeling the heat and talk of the sack escalated.
      They now sit sixth but could climb to third within two points of leaders Real Madrid by winning their game in hand.
      But compared to last season, it is actually an improvement – despite losing talisman Messi on a free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain this summer.

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      At the same stage of 2020-21, with six league matches played in the new Koeman era, Barcelona had just eight points.
      They made a good start with wins over Villarreal and Celta Vigo by an aggregate scoreline of 7-0.
      But then a mini-collapse saw a 1-1 draw with Sevilla, a 1-0 loss at Granada, a 3-1 home defeat in El Clasico to Real Madrid and then another 1-1, this time at Alaves.
      That meant they had scored ten and conceded six – with Messi grabbing one goal in the 4-0 Villarreal thumping. Ironically, he is yet to score for PSG.
      A strong start to the New Year saw Barca go on a run of 13 wins and a draw in 14 matches to move up the table.
      But an end-of-season downturn in form meant they could not catch champions Atletico Madrid, who pipped Real by two points.
      Barca made a rough start to the 2020-21 campaign despite having Lionel MessiCredit: Reuters
      Koeman is still feeling the heat this year as he battles to keep his jobCredit: Reuters
      Ronald Koeman reads statement at press-conference then leaves as pressure mounts on Barcelona manager More

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      Atletico Madrid star Renan Lodi ‘turns invisible’ as Brazil ace disappears into sponsor boards during LaLiga clash

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      ATLETICO MADRID star Renan Lodi appeared to ‘turn invisible’ during his side’s LaLiga match on Saturday.After the defending champions’ defence seemed to disappear for the only goal in a shock defeat to Alaves, left-back Lodi sunk into an advertising board due to an unusual side-effect of technology.
      Renan Lodi appeared to ‘turn invisible’ during Atletico Madrid’s gameCredit: Reddit
      Images appeared online, via Reddit, of the Brazilian blending into a red-and-white advert for bank Santander.
      In his Atleti shirt of the same colour scheme, he briefly merged with the board behind him.
      Fans were curious as to how the freak occurrence came to be, with the answer down to a common but often unheard of piece of tech.
      LaLiga deploy CGI advertising boards which overlay different images for different audiences.
      Therefore, fans watching in the ground see a different sponsor to viewers in the UK, with other regions such as Arabia and America also receiving their own, tailored adverts.
      Lodi was, in fact, perfectly visible to all in the ground with just certain fans abroad receiving the CGI-generated glitch.

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      It is also possible for stadiums to beam out multiple different advertisements to viewers from different regions without CGI, thanks to complex technology that syncs LED boards and TV cameras without disrupting the local, ‘live’ image.
      Ultimately, the much bigger issue for Atletico on the weekend was their first defeat of the campaign at Alaves’ Estadio Mendizorroza.
      A fourth-minute Victor Laguardia goal earned the hosts all three points after five straight defeats to open the season, leaving Atleti in fourth.
      You can now buy the real life Harry Potter Invisibility Cloak and become invisible for just £60 More

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      Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold ‘wanted by Real Madrid in shock transfer as Spaniards search for new right-back’

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      REAL MADRID are reportedly lining up a shock move for Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold in next summer’s transfer window.The England defender is one of a number of options being considered by the La Liga giants, according to Spanish website El Nacional.
      Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold is reportedly a target for Real MadridCredit: Getty
      The report acknowledges Alexander-Arnold is one of Reds boss Jurgen Klopp’s ‘untouchables’ but says the move ‘cannot be ruled out’.
      It adds that right-back is a problem position for Real with Alvaro Odriozola struggling on loan in Italy with Fiorentina and Dani Carvajal still suffering numerous injuries.
      Alexander-Arnold has been a revelation since making his Liverpool debut in 2016 and was gutted to miss out on Euro 2020 due to injury.
      The 22-year-old has been in impressive form in Liverpool’s brilliant start to the season and is in contention for Saturday’s trip to Brentford following his return to training this week after injury.
      And it is those displays which are said to have convinced former Everton boss and now Real gaffer Carlo Ancelotti the Kop star can solve his weak spot in defence.
      Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi and Chelsea contract rebel Antonio Rudiger are also said to be on Real’s right-back radar.

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      Any move for Alexander-Arnold is likely to be met by stiff resistance from Klopp and the Anfield hierarchy.
      The Liverpool academy graduate signed a new long-term contract in July that keeps him at the club until 2025.
      The star was in the Premier League Team of the Year when Liverpool won the title in 2020 and Klopp has repeatedly described him as “world class”.
      Klopp says Harvey Elliott is doing ok after horrific dislocated ankle More

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      Philippe Coutinho’s Barcelona woes continue as ex-Liverpool star is snubbed for two teenagers during draw at Cadiz

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      PHILIPPE COUTINHO’S Barcelona career has hit a new low after being benched for two teenagers in Thursday’s 0-0 draw away at Cadiz.The Brazilian playmaker, 29, found himself on the substitutes’ bench at the Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla as the Blaugrana dropped more points.
      Barcelona flop Philippe Coutinho has struggled at the Nou Camp since joining from LiverpoolCredit: AFP
      Ronald Koeman opted to start Gavi, 17, and Yusuf Demir, 18, over the ex-Liverpool star as the Catalan club were held to back-to-back draws in the Spanish top-flight.
      Coutinho was then brought on for the final 22 minutes, but he failed to provide a spark in what was another uninspiring display.
      He is now yet to provide a goal or an assist from his three outings in all competitions this campaign.
      The last time the ex-Bayern Munich loanee got on the score sheet for Barca was in November 2020 during a 4-0 win against Osasuna.
      Meanwhile he hasn’t provided an assist for the Copa del Rey holders since October 2020.
      Barca finished the away clash at Cadiz with ten men after Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong was sent off for two yellow cards.

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      The result leaves the club seventh in the table and already seven points behind rivals and LaLiga leaders Real Madrid.
      Pressure is building on Koeman following Barca’s poor start to the campaign, with fans already keen for him to be sacked.
      Speaking during his pre-match press conference on Wednesday where he refused to take questions, Koeman declared that supporters must have ‘patience’.
      He said: “The club is with me as a coach in a rebuilding situation.
      “The financial situation of the club is linked to sports performances and vice versa.
      Barcelona’s debt has risen over the years, resulting in a number of players leaving
      “That means that we, as a squad, have to rebuild the football team without being able to make large financial investments. That takes time.
      “Today’s young talents can become the new world stars in a couple of years.
       “The good thing about rebuilding the team is that young players will have opportunities like Xavi and Iniesta had in their day. But patience is required.”
      Ronald Koeman reads statement at press-conference then leaves as pressure mounts on Barcelona manager More