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      Antoine Griezmann ‘wasn’t told Barcelona were negotiating transfer with Atletico Madrid’ making swap deal ‘complicated’

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      BARCELONA didn’t inform Antoine Griezmann that they were negotiating a potential swap deal for Saul Niguez, which would see the Frenchman return to Atletico Madrid. The Catalan giants need to trim their wage bill in order to register their new signings AND keep Lionel Messi.
      Griezmann was involved in 20 goals in 36 league appearances last seasonCredit: GETTY IMAGES
      Saul helped Atletico win LaLiga last seasonCredit: GETTY IMAGES
      And Griezmann could be one of Barca’s stars sacrificed, knocking his reported £345,000-a-week wage off the books.
      Messi came close to leaving the Nou Camp this summer, but has recently agreed to take a whopping 50 per cent wage cut to stay at the club.
      As news broke of Messi’s new five-year deal, news surfaced of swap-deal negotiations which would see Saul move to Barca and Griezmann back to Atletico.
      And a deal looked likely to be wrapped up rather quickly.
      However, according to RMC journalist Loic Tanzi, Griezmann wasn’t informed of these negotiations – further complicating the deal.
      Tanzi said on Twitter: “The situation is now a little more complicated.
      “The negotiations between the two clubs took place without Griezmann knowing.
      “And the salary difference is significant. Negotiations are continuing but Barcelona must find a solution.”
      Saul isn’t best pleased with Atletico and feels as if he’s being pushed out of the club where he has spent all of his career.
      The fan favourite made his debut in 2012 and went on to make 337 appearances for the side winning the league title, Copa del Rey and Europa League twice.

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      Supporters are also desperate to see Saul stay at the club, chanting ‘Saul, stay’ as he stepped off the team bus during their pre-season preparations.
      As he went over to offer his signature to waiting fans, fans pleaded for him to stay with one man saying ‘this is your home, stay.’
      And according to El Desmarque, the player responded: “They’re kicking me out of here, man.”
      Messi ‘agrees to slash pay in HALF to finally sign Barcelona deal… but will still earn £1.2m-a-week’ More

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      Ex-Man City wonderkid Brahim Diaz leaving Real Madrid after just two-years as AC Milan seal £21.5m deal

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      BRAHIM DIAZ looks set to swap the Bernabeu for the San Siro in a £21.5million move to AC Milan from Real Madrid.The midfielder, who was a Manchester City starlet, will join the Serie A giants on a two-year loan, according to reports. 
      Brahim Diaz is set to join AC Milan from Real Madrid on a two-year loan dealCredit: Getty
      Football expert Fabrizio Romano claims the Italian side will have an option to buy the player for £18.7m (22m euros) as part of the temporary deal which runs until 2023.
      It is thought Madrid will have a buy-back clause worth £23.6m (27m euros) as part of the agreement. 
      Diaz, 21, who joined Real Madrid from Manchester City in January 2019, has struggled to cement a place in the LaLiga giants’ starting eleven.
      However, the versatile attacking midfielder has impressed on loan in Italy following a move to Milan in September 2020. 
      The player, who was a star for Spain in the Under-17 European Championships in 2016, racked up seven goals and four assists in 39 Milan appearances last term. 
      And the Malaga-born starlet helped Stefani Pioli’s side to finish second in Italy’s top-flight, twelve points behind champions Inter. 
      Diaz, who has returned to Spain to take part in Madrid’s pre-season, has a permanent contract with the Spanish outfit which runs until June 2025. 
      Goal claims the player will be given Milan’s famous number 10 shirt previously worn by former icons including Ruud Gullit and Clarence Seedorf.
      And it is reported the Rossoneri will cover the midfielder’s wages up to the end of 2022-23 season. 

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      Real Madrid’s wages for the 2020-21 season

      Diaz started his footballing career at Malaga before moving to Man City at 16 in 2015
      The player made his senior professional debut for the reigning Prem champs in an EFL Cup clash with Swansea City in September 2016.
      The Spain starlet went on to make 15 appearances for the Etihad giants before sealing a six-year £15.5million switch to Madrid in January 2019.
      Diaz is reportedly due to be given Milan’s number 10 shirtCredit: Getty
      Chelsea star Olivier Giroud in Milan to seal £2m AC Milan transfer after agreeing two-year deal More

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      Man Utd close in on Raphael Varane AND Kieran Trippier transfers in £68m double swoop to bolster defence

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      MANCHESTER UNITED are close to completing a double defensive swoop for Raphael Varane and Kieran Trippier.Both deals are all but done with announcements expected towards the end of next week.
      Manchester United are closing in on a £50m deal for Raphael Varane from Real MadridCredit: Getty
      And Kieran Trippier is also set to move to Old Trafford from Atletico MadridCredit: Getty
      United look set to hand Real Madrid a £50million fee for Varane, 28, despite the French international centre-back having just one year left on his Bernabeu contract.
      England full-back Trippier, 30, wants the move to Old Trafford after two successful years at Atletico Madrid — and a transfer worth £18m is in the final stages.
      The two deals will take United’s spending to more than £140m this summer with the arrival of winger Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund for £73m.
      Spanish giants Real initially wanted £60m for Varane but have to sell now to get a fee having lost Sergio Ramos to Paris Saint-Germain on a free.
      Varane’s representatives are understood to have negotiated terms over a five-year deal.
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      Concerns over Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s distribution going forward and his defending of crosses led to boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s pursuit of Trippier.
      He also believes he could move Wan-Bissaka inside as part of a three-man backline.
      Trippier can play right-back, left-back or wing-back and was monitored by United all last season as the ex-Tottenham player won LaLiga with Atletico.
      Man Utd release new 2021-22 home kit with old school design More

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      Raphael Varane ‘gives Man Utd green light to start transfer negotiations’ after more than a decade at Real Madrid

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      RAPHAEL VARANE has reportedly agreed to start talks with Manchester United but only if Real Madrid give him permission.The Frenchman has been heavily linked with the Red Devils for some time but does not want to leave the Bernabeu on bad terms having spent more than a decade there.
      Raphael Varane has given the green light to talks with Man Utd if Real Madrid are ok with itCredit: Getty
      Los Blancos’ wage bill is reportedly set to be slashed by more than a third which has thrown massive doubt over the Frenchman’s future at the club.
      The financial impact of Covid-19 has hit the Spanish giants hard.
      That and a huge stadium rebuild have left Real with mounting debt – and they have not paid a fee for a player for almost two years.
      And as a result their LaLiga wage cap will be reduced from £403million to £255m next season, according to the Athletic.
      That has seen Varane, Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale all have their futures thrown up in the air.
      Some reports suggest United have already started talks with the France international.
      But Mercato say that is not the case and the 28-year-old will not start until Madrid say he can.
      Real are reluctant to sell their French stalwart, but refuse to lose him for nothing when his contract expires next year.
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      He is currently still on his summer break, having played for France at Euro 2020. His side were eliminated by Switzerland.
      United’s interest in Varane has been long standing – they were even contenders to sign him before he went to Madrid as a teenager in 2011.
      The Red Devils were also keen to sign him in 2018, but couldn’t get a deal done. Madrid were initially thought to want £80million this summer.
      But due to his contract situation, they are resigned to losing him for a lot less. United are believed to be working on a package worth around £50m.
      And they hope to get the deal concluded ‘in the next few weeks’.
      Varane could be United’s second addition of the summer, after they finally agreed a deal with Dortmund for Jadon Sancho.
      They have also been linked with the likes of Pau Torres, as well as Varane’s compatriots Jules Kounde and Eduardo Camavinga.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Man Utd release new 2021-22 home kit with old school design More

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      Lionel Messi works out with stunning wife Antonela in gym as he prepares to sign new five-year Barcelona contract

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      LIONEL MESSI might be a free agent, but he’s keeping in shape with a little help from his wife Antonela Roccuzzo.The Argentine superstar is on the verge of signing a new five-year deal with the Catalan giants despite rumours he would leave.
      Lionel Messi has been working out with his wife ahead of signing a new Barca contract
      Antonela Roccuzzo uploaded pictures of the pair in the gym on InstagramCredit: Instagram @antonelaroccuzzo
      And he is not letting his personal standards slip as he worked out with his stunning missus.
      Antonela uploaded a video of her dancing in the gym surrounded by weights and equipment.
      And the next shot showed her snuggling up to her long-term beau as they posed for a selfie in the mirror.
      Messi has reached an agreement in principle to extend his Barcelona contract with a 50 per cent pay cut, according to reports.
      The LaLiga giants were unable to get Messi, 34, to sign on the dotted line before his deal expired at the end of last month.
      But reports across the Spanish media now indicate that a breakthrough has been reached.
      The deal will see the Argentine icon slash his pay by half, to around £1.2million-a-week after the details of his previous contract were leaked earlier this year.
      Barcelona will also hold a release clause of just over £300m on the player. The contract is said to last for five years, despite talk of Messi wanting to see out his career with a stint in MLS.

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      The happy couple on their wedding dayCredit: Alamy Live News

      Some outlets claim there is still a possibility for him to venture Stateside during the contract, which will see him operate as a Blaugrana ambassador.
      According to Sport, the striker is willing to accept a pay cut due to the Catalan club’s financial trouble.
      Barcelona have been told to severely reduce their wage bill to abide by LaLiga wage limit rules.
      An agreement was, however, reportedly delayed as both parties were at pains to ensure the contract’s tax situation was in order.
      MESSI’S MARRIAGE TO ANTONELA
      Messi married his childhood sweetheart Antonela in July 2017.
      She was born Argentina’s third largest city of Rosario, just like her hubby.
      Antonela has known the Barcelona star since she was five as her cousin, Lucas Scaglia, was a childhood friend of his.
      If Messi has a reputation of being shy, this was certainly not the case in his pursuit of Antonela, as he regularly visited her home from a young age, just to see her.
      It is not known how long the pair have been together behind closed doors, but they went public with their relationship in 2008.
      The bond between the couple was believed to have strengthened in 2007, when Messi flew back to Rosario to comfort Antonela after the death of her friend.
      Antonela initially trained to be a dentist at university. But she ultimately switched to social communication.
      In November 2016, she posted on Instagram stating that she had signed a modelling contract with Argentine fashion label Ricky Sarkany.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      The pair are childhood sweetheartsCredit: https://www.instagram.com/antonelaroccuzzo/
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      Lionel Messi ‘must agree even BIGGER pay cut than 50 per cent with Barcelona not allowed to add one cent to wage bill’

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      LIONEL MESSI must agree an even bigger pay cut to return to Barcelona, according to reports.The Argentine has agreed to halve his enormous wages in order to pen a five-year deal.
      Lionel Messi is currently a free agentCredit: Reuters
      But no announcement has yet been made, as Barca still can’t afford it.
      According to The Athletic, the Catalan club have a spending limit of around £136million imposed by LaLiga – due to £1.3bn worth of liabilities accrued during Josep Maria Bartomeu’s ill-fated tenure as club president.
      Barca could spend around four times that figure three years ago, but their financial landscape has changed completely.
      Consequently, new signings Memphis Depay, Eric Garcia and Sergio Aguero are currently unable to be registered.
      And with Messi now a free agent, Barcelona would not be allowed to register him either.
      The Argentine, having tried to leave last August, is happier now at Barcelona since Joan Laporta returned as club president in March.
      But they still require a huge fire sale in order to keep the 34-year-old on the books.
      Matheus Fernandes had his contract terminated, while Jean-Clair Todibo, Carles Alena and Junior Firpo have been sold.
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      Samuel Umtiti, Miralem Pjanic, Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho are all available for transfer.
      And they are also in negotiations with Atletico Madrid over swapping £345,000-a-week star Antoine Griezmann for the cheaper Saul Niguez.
      Barca have pleaded with LaLiga chiefs to grant them an exemption regarding their economic rules.
      But they have been turned down, with league boss Javier Tebas saying: “The decision for Messi to stay is not up to me.
      We would be delighted if Barca do that, and Messi stays with us, but it is not something we can resolve for themJavier Tebas
      “It is up to Barca to resolve their financial situation so they can sign Messi.
      “We would be delighted if Barca do that, and Messi stays with us, but it is not something we can resolve for them.”
      Barcelona could try and get around the rules by offering their No10 a lower salary in the first season of his deal, which would then rise for the 2022-23 campaign, by which time they hope to have their finances in order.
      Free agent Messi is currently on holiday with his family after winning the Copa America with Argentina last weekend.
      Meanwhile, Barca’s club website continue to sell shirts with ‘Messi 10’ printed on the back – despite him technically not playing for the club anymore.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Junior Firpo has been sold to Leeds UnitedCredit: Getty
      Antoine Griezmann could return to AtleticoCredit: AFP
      Sergio Aguero currently can’t be registeredCredit: Reuters
      Lionel Messi works out with stunning wife Antonela in gym More

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      Arsenal transfer boost with Martin Odegaard available for Real Madrid exit after LaLiga demand club slash their wages

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      ARSENAL’S dream of bringing Martin Odegaard back to North London could be on once again amid reports of financial woe at Real Madrid.Los Blancos are subject to a decreased wage limit this season after suffering a collapse in revenue during the pandemic.
      Martin Odegaard has started pre-season training with Real MadridCredit: Getty
      LaLiga enforce a salary cap that has come into focus during the coronavirus crisis, with Barcelona at particular risk of exceeding their allocation.
      According to The Athletic, a number of stars have been earmarked for a potential sale after Real’s limit dropped by over £140MILLION from its pre-pandemic figure.
      First-team players Eden Hazard, Isco, Marcelo, Mariano Diaz, Gareth Bale and Raphael Varane have all been described as up for sale.
      Two players potentially joining them are 22-year-old Odegaard and fellow former Arsenal loanee Dani Ceballos.
      While Ceballos will decide his future after playing for Spain at the Tokyo Olympics, Odegaard is already in pre-season training.
      A ‘significant’ fee would be required for any club to sign either midfielder – and Arsenal are tipped to spend big this summer.
      Although, a wide range of targets are on their radar from Brighton’s £50m-rated Ben White to Italy star Manuel Locatelli.
      A central midfielder who can play the ball is well known to be a priority although SunSport revealed this week that paying £35m for Wolves’ playmaker Ruben Neves is not the club’s preference.
      Instead, Anderlecht’s Albert Sambi Lokonga is set to arrive for a more modest £17m.
      Odegaard impressed in a loan spell through the second half of last season and Mikel Arteta confirmed afterwards that Arsenal would hold talks over his future.
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      The coach said in May: “We need to respect that he’s a Real Madrid player.
      “We’ll have those communications. We’ve tried to make everything that we could to get Martin performing for the team, which I think he’s done.
      “And he has adapted really well to our way of playing and to our football club.
      “Hopefully we have given him the hope and the feeling that this could be a good place for him.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Mikel Arteta confirms Arsenal will open Martin Odegaard transfer talks with Real Madrid ‘in next few weeks’ More

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      Romantic Barcelona star Jordi Alba gets engaged to stunning girlfriend Romarey after yacht date on holiday

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      BARCELONA star Jordi Alba has got engaged to long-term girlfriend Romarey Ventura after proposing on holiday.The Spain international has been relaxing on a yacht with his new fiancee after losing the Euro 2020 semi-final to eventual winners Italy.
      Jordi Alba has got engaged to girlfriend Romarey VenturaCredit: Instagram @jordialbaoficial
      The Barcelona star is believed to have been dating his future wife for six yearsCredit: Instagram @romarey_ventura
      The couple got together around the time Alba won the Champions League at BarcelonaCredit: Instagram@romarey_ventura
      Alba, 32, announced the engagement on Instagram on Monday evening with a picture of Ventura wearing her new rock.
      The left-back posted the image to his 13.2million followers with the caption: “She said yes!”
      His future wife also shared a photo of the magical moment to her 541,000 Instagram followers.
      The couple are believed to have been together since 2015 and have two children.
      Alba captained Spain in their recent defeat, with Italy skipper Giorgio Chiellini appearing to play mind games with the Barca star shortly before the shootout.
      And there’s been romance in the Italian squad, too, with winger Federico Bernardeschi marrying his girlfriend just two days after their triumph.

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      Alba and Ventura have two children togetherCredit: Instagram@romarey_ventura
      The Spain international joined Barcelona in 2012Credit: Instagram @jordialbaoficial
      Ventura has more than half-a-million followers on InstagramCredit: Instagram@romarey_ventura

      Alba joined Barcelona from Valencia nine years ago, shortly after helping Spain win Euro 2012.
      He’s won five LaLiga titles, five Spanish Cups and the Champions League during that time to become a modern-day Barca legend.
      Alba still has three years left on his Nou Camp contract but has been linked with Serie A champions Inter Milan in recent weeks.
      Barcelona need to trim their wage bill due to a salary cap and it’s believed Inter will take advantage of this by making an offer for the left-back.
      The Spanish giants still need to agree a new deal with out-of-contract star Lionel Messi, who reportedly wants to stay at the club.
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      Italy’s captain Chiellini ‘bullies’ Spain’s Alba during penalty shootout coin toss and playfully punches rival in face More