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      Lionel Messi is close to signing shock new Barcelona deal after talks with new board, claims club legend Rivaldo

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      LIONEL MESSI is close to signing a new Barcelona contract, according to Barca legend Rivaldo.The Argentine superstar’s Nou Camp future has been in doubt since he handed in a transfer request last summer.
      Lionel Messi is ‘about to sign a new Barcelona contract’Credit: Rex
      That is according to Barca icon Rivaldo
      Messi came close to leaving Barcelona last season before backing down and agreeing to see out his contract.
      But he becomes a free agent at the end of this campaign having initially thought he was ‘free to leave’ last year.
      The Argentine great claimed the club went back on their word and said the only way he could leave is if the £600million release fee was met.
      Messi said he didn’t want a legal battle with the club and his potential move to Manchester City collapsed.
      However, he is still being linked with a Barca exit at the end of this season with Paris Saint-Germain, City and several MLS clubs – including Inter Miami – said to be keen.
      But iconic Brazilian Rivaldo, 48 – who played for Barca between 1997 and 2002 – says the 33-year-old is staying put after talks with new president Joan Laporta.
      The Catalan club’s new chief held his inauguration ceremony at the Nou Camp which Messi and his team-mates attended.
      Laporta, 58, elected as Barca’s new president for a second spell, used his speech to try and convince Messi to sign a new deal.
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      And Rivaldo told Betfair: “Barcelona are massively improving in the last few weeks capitalising on Messi’s superb form and the election of a new president.
      “Messi looks much more connected and happier since Laporta’s arrival – a president he knows well.
      “For that reason, I’m starting to believe more and more that Messi might reach an agreement with the new board and sign a new contract to stay at the club for a few more years.
      “Messi had a confidence boost with the new president election – someone he has a good connection with – raising the chances of him considering to stay for a bit longer.”
      Earlier this month, Sergio Ramos cheekily offered to let Messi stay in his house if he transfers to Real Madrid.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
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      Arsenal transfer blow with Real Madrid ‘not contemplating letting Martin Odegaard leave on permanent deal this summer’

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      REAL MADRID reportedly expect Martin Odegaard to return to Spain in the summer following his loan spell at Arsenal.The Gunners signed the midfielder in January for a fee of £1.8million and he has produced some stellar performances for the club.
      Martin Odegaard is enjoying his stint at Arsenal but is set to return to SpainCredit: Getty
      Goals against Tottenham and Olympiacos, as well as a starring role in the comeback draw with West Ham, have made him an integral part of Mikel Arteta’s plans.
      It is said that the Premier League side are very open to the idea of keeping Odegaard past the summer.
      But, according to Madrid publication Marca, Real are not contemplating a sale.
      Zinedine Zidane gave the Norwegian his first run in the team at the start of the campaign but a knee issue and a lack of match action hindered his form.
      With the coach unable to guarantee a regular role post-January, he was allowed to leave but no purchase option was agreed as part of his loan.
      Madrid reportedly want to provide Odegaard with a fresh crack at proving himself at the Bernabeu.
      The 22-year-old, who was signed as a teen prodigy in 2015 and excelled at Real Sociedad last term, accepted a pandemic pay cut before heading for North London.
      And he is thought to be determined to prove himself at the Bernabeu, even if he is thoroughly enjoying his time with Arsenal.
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      Martin Odegaard sits top on the list of Arsenal’s top chance creators in all competitions this season

      Upon his return, Odegaard will reportedly seek assurances over his playing time under Zidane.
      Arsenal have been urged to seal a £50m deal for the player, if possible, by club legend Ian Wright.
      But the club are sweating over his injury status after limping out of Norway action on Wednesday night with an ankle knock.
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      Ex-Chelsea forward Diego Costa ‘set to sign for Benfica after being offered £2.6m two-year deal after Atletico release’

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      DIEGO COSTA has reportedly agreed a two-year deal with Portuguese club Benfica.The striker left Atletico Madrid in December and has fielded numerous offers to return to action.
      Diego Costa is set to return to action with Benfica next seasonCredit: Getty
      Premier League club Wolves, Sao Paulo and even Manchester City were discussed as potential destinations for the 32-year-old.
      But Benfica emerged as frontrunners earlier this month with a reported contract offer worth £50,000-a-week.
      According to Mundo Deportivo, Costa has agreed in principle to sign for the Lisbon side.
      The switch will go through in June and see the forward earn a £2.6million signing-on fee.
      Costa’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has reportedly been hard at work finding a new club that can offer top-level football to the player.
      Benfica currently sit third in the Primeira Liga, 13 points behind leaders Sporting CP, and were knocked out of this year’s Europa League by Arsenal.
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      LaLiga title challengers Atletico let Costa go at the end of last year to get his £270,000-a-week wages off their books.
      He asked to depart Diego Simeone’s side for ‘personal reasons’ and returned to Brazil, the country of his birth, to mull over his future.
      Atleti paid £57m to sign their former star in late 2017 but he struggled to show the form he had enjoyed with Chelsea and on his previous stints in Madrid.
      In the three years since he rejoined, Costa notched just 12 league goals.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
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      Ex-Real Madrid chief Ramon Calderon issues warning to Gareth Bale about returning to Spain after Tottenham loan

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      GARETH Bale has been warned about a potential ‘volatile’ reaction from Real Madrid fans if he returns to Spain.Former Real president Ramon Calderon says Los Blancos supporters will only back him if he recreates his early Bernabeu form.
      Gareth Bale has been warned about fan reaction if he returns to Real MadridCredit: Reuters
      Former Real president Ramon Calderon spoke of ‘volatile’ fans when asked about Bale’s plan to return to the BernabeuCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Earlier this week, Bale confirmed he will return to Real at the end of this season when his loan deal at Tottenham expires.
      Asked about his future plans when on international duty with Wales, the winger said: “It’s no distraction for me coming into the Euros.
      “The main reason I came to Spurs this year was I wanted to play football first and foremost. But coming into the Euros I wanted to be match fit.
      “The original plan was only to do a season at Spurs, then after the Euros, I’ll still have a year left at Real Madrid and my plan is to go back.
      “That’s as far as I’ve planned to be honest.”
      But Calderon, 69 – Real president between 2006 and 2009 – is wary about how Los Blancos fans will react.
      He told TalkSPORT: “Fans are very volatile, it depends on his performances.
      “If he’s going to play well and score goals like he did when he first came then fans will back him. But if he’s not then problems will come again.
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      “This club is very demanding, I remember with [Zinedine] Zidane they were booing him for the first five months because they thought we’ve paid a lot of money for a player that wasn’t playing as they expected.
      “I’m sure fans will be backing him if he does things well.”
      Asked why the Welshman is looking to return to the Spanish giants, Calderon said: “He’s not happy about his time at Tottenham and Jose Mourinho doesn’t seem to be very happy either.
      “He’s not counting on him in many matches and Bale is disappointed and maybe that’s the reason he would like to return.”
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      Man Utd set to make Pau Torres transfer move for £52m with Villarreal defender ‘interested in summer switch’

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      MANCHESTER UNITED could be ready to launch a bid for Pau Torres with the defender reportedly interested in a move to England.The Spaniard is said to be available for around £52million in the summer due to a buyout clause in his Villarreal contract.

      According to MEN, the 24-year-old is open to leaving LaLiga having come through the ranks at Estadio Ceramica.
      However, United may be made to wait on Torres if he is called up to Spain’s Euro 2020 squad.
      He reportedly wants to focus on a strong end to the season with Villarreal and a good tournament in the summer before deciding on his future.
      The Yellow Submarine’s form could play a big role with the club sat seventh in its pursuit of European football.
      It has previously been said that missing out on a Europa League spot could see Torres become available for less than his release clause.
      Furthermore, new reports suggest a player-plus-cash offer could also tempt Villarreal into a deal.
      The left-footed centre-back had played every minute of the league campaign until a muscle injury struck at the start of the month, ruling him out of Spain’s World Cup qualifiers.
      Manchester City are tipped to compete for his signature if he desires a move to the Premier League, with Real Madrid and Barcelona also keen.
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      Pau Torres is reportedly keen on a summer move to the Premier LeagueCredit: Getty
      Man Utd’s biggest transfers ever, both in and out, including Ronaldo

      But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is understood to have earmarked a defender as his number one priority in the next window.
      Raphael Varane and Jules Kounde are two other LaLiga stars rumoured to be interesting United.
      And a big-money move for Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland continues to be on Solskjaer’s mind, it has been claimed.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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      Barcelona ‘looking to offload FOUR first-team stars in summer transfer window including Griezmann and Coutinho’

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      BARCELONA are reportedly looking to offload FOUR first-team flops including Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho.El Confidencial claims the Catalans have a ‘short-term debt’ of £630million.
      Antoine Griezmann is one of four players up for sale at Barcelona this summerCredit: Rex
      And they desperately need to offload some big earners if they want to bring in any new faces this summer.
      The first player on Ronald Koeman’s hit list is World Cup winner Griezmann, 30.
      He has managed just 29 goals in 88 games after a £103million move from rivals Atletico Madrid two years ago.
      Griezmann is also Barca’s second-top earner after Lionel Messi, reportedly pocketing a staggering £600,000 each week.
      And Nou Camp chiefs are currently ‘testing’ the market for potential buyers.
      Meanwhile, ex-Liverpool man Coutinho has done little to pay back the £142m spent on him in January 2018.
      The 28-year-old Brazilian, said to be on £250k-a-week wages, has 24 goals in 90 appearances and even spent a year on loan at Bayern Munich after failing to settle.
      But it remains to be seen if there are any takers for the declining Coutinho, once considered to be the Premier League’s top midfield playmaker.
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      Philippe Coutinho is also not wanted as Barca look to reduce their short-term debtCredit: Getty

      In defence, Samuel Umtiti is no longer needed after some lengthy injury spells.
      The centre-back, 27, looks set to be replaced by incoming free agent Eric Garcia from Manchester City.
      But Umtiti, who played with Griezmann in France’s 2018 World Cup triumph, is still regarded as a top defender and may not find it hard to land a new club.
      The fourth and final player facing the chop is young Portuguese winger Francisco Trincao.
      The ex-Braga man, 21, is still in his first season at the Nou Camp after a £27m switch.
      But Trincao has failed to convince Barcelona he has the quality to succeed, scoring just three times in 36 outings.
      Samuel Umtiti has been plagued by injuries during his time in CataloniaCredit: The Mega Agency
      Francisco Trincao has had an underwhelming start to his Barcelona careerCredit: AFP
      And it is believed Wolves are ready to snap him up, with Trincao represented by Molineux favourite Jorge Mendes.
      The report adds that other players at Barcelona are not yet safe from Koeman’s axe as he looks to secure free transfers for Liverpool’s Georginio Wijnaldum and Lyon’s Memphis Depay, with doubts over the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Miralem Pjanic.
      But there are four stars currently said to be ‘untouchable’.
      The first is unsurprisingly Messi, who could yet leave when his contract expires at the end of the season.
      The other three are teenagers Ansu Fati, Pedri and Ilaix Moriba, who are all tipped for big things in Catalonia.
      And all four ‘untouchables’ are sure to play a big role in the final stages of Barcelona’s season, with the club just four points off LaLiga leaders Atletico Madrid with ten games to go.
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      Real Madrid considering BBC reunion with Bale heading back and Ronaldo ‘made available for transfer by Juventus’

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      REAL MADRID could once again line up with Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo in attack next season.A huge summer in the transfer market is being prepared by Los Blancos which could see Zinedine Zidane return to his old favourite ‘BBC’ attack.
      Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale terrorised Champions League defences for six years at Real MadridCredit: Getty – Contributor
      AS claim Real Madrid could go ‘back to the future’
      Between 2013 and 2019, Madrid claimed four Champions League crowns, one LaLiga title and a Copa del Rey with Bale and Ronaldo partnering Benzema in attack.
      The setup broke apart when the Portuguese forward moved to Juventus but a summer swoop is reportedly being pondered.
      According to Spanish newspaper AS, Zidane is considering giving the trio another go as he looks to revamp his attack – with their front page talking of going “back to the future”.
      Karim Benzema has arguably gone from strength to strength since Ronaldo left but no other replacement has fully made their case.
      If Real want to re-sign the 36-year-old, a fee as low as £22million has been touted.
      That price tag would ensure Juve do not make a loss in letting the winger leave a year before his contract expires, with the club’s financial turmoil reportedly leaning them towards a sale.
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      Ronaldo’s wages would be far from cheap for Madrid but such a deal may turn out to be better value than attempting a move for Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland.
      Fabio Paratici, director at the Serie A club, recently praised his star’s talents but reports suggest he will not stand in the way of a transfer.
      As for Bale, his loan return to Tottenham will end in the summer and he is destined to head back to Madrid.
      Real bosses are said to have come to terms with the Welshman’s future being in Spain some time ago.
      But Bale, whose contract runs to 2022, told reporters ahead of this month’s World Cup qualifiers that he is determined to enjoy another year at the Bernabeu.
      He said: “The main reason I came to Spurs this year was I wanted to play football first and foremost. But coming into the Euros I wanted to be match fit.
      Cristiano Ronaldo has been on fine form for Juventus but could be allowed to leaveCredit: EPA

      “The original plan was only to do a season at Spurs, then after the Euros, I’ll still have a year left at Real Madrid and my plan is to go back. That’s as far as I’ve planned to be honest.”
      The inconsistent form and injury issues that led to Bale’s falling out with Zidane have not gone away in North London.
      But a final run for the 31-year-old alongside his old BBC compadres could tempt the coach into realigning the stars.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Wales captain Gareth Bale says he will return to Real Madrid at end of season More