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      How Barcelona could line up in January with Paulo Dybala and Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger after transfer overhaul

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      BARCELONA need to make some signings in January to save their season.
      Ronald Koeman’s side – who lost 3-0 to Juventus on Tuesday – are ninth in the LaLiga table.

      Here’s how Barcelona could look in January if they land their top targets

      Barcelona have only managed to rack up 14 points from ten games in the Spanish top-flight.
      But with the club in crisis, Koeman knows he needs to shop sensibly next month.
      Antonio Rudiger has been heavily linked with a move to the Nou Camp.
      The 27-year-old is one of two defenders that Chelsea plan to offload in January.

      It is understood that the Blues are prepared to send him out on loan with the option of a permanent £16 million switch next summer.
      Barcelona are interested, but they face competition from Juventus and AC Milan.
      Paulo Dybala from Juventus is another name that is believed to be on the club’s wish list.
      According to Sportsmedia, Barcelona could offer Philippe Coutinho to Juve in a swap deal for Dybala.

      Antonio Rudiger has also attracted interest from Juventus Credit: Rex Features

      But Dybala could have ended up in Koeman’s bad books last night after he appeared to taunt the manager.
      As well as considering moves for Rudiger and Dybala, Koeman’s side are set to reignite their interest in Eric Garcia.
      Barcelona were heavily linked to the Manchester City defender during the summer transfer window.
      Garcia’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season and a renewal at the Etihad looks unlikely.
      He kicked off his career with Barcelona and he is expected to return to his boyhood club eventually.
      Memphis Depay is another option for the LaLiga giants.
      The Dutchman, 26, was a key target in the summer and Barca are expected to try again in January,
      As reported by Marca, Koeman said: “That [a move for Depay] is certainly a possibility. I will try, because I would love to have him here.”

      Paulo Dybala has played for Juventus since 2015Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      Barcelona could also look to lure Georginio Wijnaldum away from Liverpool next month.
      The 30-year-old has been linked to the Spanish side – but Jurgen Klopp wants him to stay at Anfield.
      Wijnaldum is in the final year of his contract with Liverpool and talks over a renewal have been so far been unsuccessful.

      Frenkie de Jong shows off his shooting skills in Barcelona training More

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      Lionel Messi pays emotional tribute to ex-Argentina coach and Leeds star Alejandro Sabella after he died in hospital

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      LIONEL Messi has paid a moving tribute to former Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella after he died in hospital on Tuesday.
      Former Sheffield United and Leeds star Sabella made Messi his captain after he took charge of the national team in August 2011.

      Lionel Messi has paid tribute to the late Alejandro SabellaCredit: EPA

      The Barcelona captain reached the 2014 World Cup final when Sabella was Argentina manager

      He coached Argentina to the 2014 World Cup final against Germany where they lost 1-0 in extra time.
      It was the first time the country had advanced beyond the quarter-finals since 1990 when they also made the final and lost to West Germany.
      Messi, who saw Cristiano Ronaldo score twice last night as Juventus thrashed Barcelona at the Nou Camp, wrote on social media alongside a photo of him hugging his former coach: “It was a pleasure to share so much with you.
      “Alejandro was a great person, as well as being a brilliant professional who left his mark on my career and whom I learnt a lot from.

      “We shared some of my best footballing memories during the World Cup qualifying phase and at the World Cup.
      “My condolences to his family and friends.”
      Sabella, who managed his home nation until July 2014, was rushed to a specialist hospital nearly a fortnight ago after suffering fluid retention in his legs linked to heart problems.
      The 66-year-old Argentinian was admitted to intensive care after his health worsened when he picked up a virus in hospital.

      Alejandro was a great person, as well as being a brilliant professional who left his mark on my career and whom I learnt a lot from
      Lionel Messi

      He was being cared for at the Buenos Aires Cardiovascular Institute.
      Hospital bosses at the Buenos Aires Cardiovascular Institute confirmed yesterday the 66-year-old had passed away at 6.30pm.
      The player-turned manager began his career with River Plate before moving to England in 1978 to play for Sheffield United and then Leeds.
      He was known in England as Alex.
      Sheffield United turned to Sabella after deciding original target Diego Maradona was too expensive.

      Sabella joined Sheffield United for £160,000 in 1978

      He was sold to Leeds for £400,000
      They signed him for £160,000 on July 19, 1978 and he made his debut for the Blades a month later, going on to score eight league goals in 76 appearances.
      He was sold to Leeds for £400,000 after turning down a move to Sunderland following Sheffield’s relegation. He scored two goals from 23 appearances with his new team.
      He played for several sides including Estudiantes and Gremio after returning to South America.
      Sabella underwent surgery for heart problems in 2015 and was hospitalised the following year because of health problems.
      He was admitted to hospital on November 25 after falling ill at home.

      Reports at the time said he had been badly affected by the death of Diego Maradona the same day.
      In 2018 during an official act in recognition of his career at the University of La Plata, he said: “When I was fighting to see if I remained here or went over to the other side, I would recall telling my players they couldn’t give less than 100 per cent.
      “If I asked that of them, I had to battle to stay alive.”

      Dominant Juventus beat Barcelona 3-0 as Ronaldo betters Messi by scoring twice More

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      Man Utd line up £14m January transfer bid for Real Madrid’s Lucas Vazquez with versatile star’s contract up in summer

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      MANCHESTER UNITED are reportedly looking to prise away Real Madrid’s versatile star Lucas Vazquez in January.
      The 29-year-old – who has featured in 12 games in all competitions this season – could be available on the cheap with his contract set to expire next summer.

      Real Madrid ace Lucas Vazquez is reportedly attracting attention from Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      And with the player free to negotiate with clubs in the New Year, Los Blancos are keen to avoid losing him on a free.
      According to Fichajes.net, the Red Devils are lining up an offer of around £14million for the Spain international.
      They state that the right winger – who has often been deployed as a right-back this term – could be brought in to provide competition for Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
      However they state that Zinedine Zidane may be reluctant to part ways with the three-time Champions League winner due to his fondness of him.

      Real fan Vazquez has never played outside his native country having come through the club’s academy.
      Since making his debut in the 2015-16 season, he has chipped in with 24 goals in 218 games, winning 11 major honours.
      Vazquez isn’t the only player United are said to be looking to bring to Old Trafford from Madrid.
      It has also been claimed that Atletico ace Kieran Trippier is a possible target for the club.

      The former Tottenham defender has 18 months on his contract at the Wanda Metropolitano, with United believed to be monitoring his situation.
      Just like with Vazquez, Trippier would be signed to initially provide cover for Wan-Bissaka.
      Trippier has featured in all of Atletico’s ten LaLiga games this term, with Diego Simeone’s men sitting top of the table having conceded just two goals.
      ⚽ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news from Old Trafford

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      Eden Hazard has cost Real Madrid £65,000 PER MINUTE since £143million move from Chelsea in 2019

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      EDEN HAZARD has reportedly cost Real Madrid £65,000 per minute since his £143million move from Chelsea in 2019.
      Spanish newspaper AS revealed the staggering sum after it emerged the Blues will end up banking £143m from Real over three years after Hazard completed his switch 18 months ago.

      Eden Hazard has cost Real Madrid £65,000 a MINUTE since his move from ChelseaCredit: Reuters

      The Belgium international, 29, has played just 26 times for Real since then, scoring only three goals.
      And the LaLiga champions are sure to be wondering whether the £65k per minute they’ve spent is looking value for money.
      Indeed, Hazard is currently out injured for the rest of 2020 with a hamstring problem.
      He has now been sidelined for a staggering 41 games during his Bernabeu stint.

      And there are still six games to be played between now and the new year, including a make-or-break Champions League tie with Gladbach on Wednesday.
      Hazard’s latest injury is the NINTH separate problem he’s picked up in the Spanish capital.
      The winger suffered a muscle injury at the start of October, causing him to miss six games.
      While Hazard also missed the latest international break after contracting coronavirus.

      By comparison, Hazard missed just 20 games through injury during seven years at Chelsea.
      And Real will be desperately hoping to see some sort of bang for their buck in the near future.
      Hazard scored 110 goals for the Blues while winning five major trophies, and could yet rediscover his old form.
      ⚽ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge

      Eden Hazard suffers yet ANOTHER injury setback as Real Madrid confirm star faces a month out and could miss El Clasico More

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      Lionel Messi ‘desperate’ to face Cristiano Ronaldo for first time in two years as Barcelona prepare for Juventus clash

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      LIONEL MESSI will be granted his wish to play Cristiano Ronaldo in Barcelona’s Champions League clash against Juventus.
      The two footballing superstars have enjoyed one of the greatest rivalries in history.

      Lionel Messi will be granted his wish to play Cristiano Ronaldo in Barcelona’s Champions League clash against JuventusCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Ronaldo and Messi have enjoyed one of he greatest footballing rivalries Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      They have come against each other 35 times, with Messi winning six more, scoring 22 times, three greater than Ronaldo.
      And according to The Mail, the Argentine is ‘desperate’ to line up against his competition once more.
      Messi has been rested for Barca’s last two Champions League matches, where they beat Dynamo Kiev 4-0 and Ferencvaros 3-0.
      But the forward is expected to be recalled for the mammoth match against Juve.

      They need just a point to top the group, having beaten the Serie A champions earlier in the campaign, with Messi on the scoresheet.
      But Ronaldo, 35, missed out in the tie due to coronavirus, meaning he has not played against Messi, 33, since 2018.
      The debate will long rage on between who is the superior talent between the iconic duo.
      And Barca boss Ronald Koeman was in no mood to settle the argument either – instead opting to admire the pair equally.

      How Ronaldo and Messi compare statistically in their careers

      He said: “It’s fantastic that these two players have been so long at this top level in the world.
      “They are the best players, in my opinion, in the last 10-15 years. Being successful all this time is incredible.
      “It’s a great compliment to those players.
      “They are different, but they have incredible stats about scoring goals, hat-tricks, about winning prizes.
      “It’s not nice to say who is better because both are incredible, I admire both players because they gave us so many nice evenings with great goals, with great titles.”

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      Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi: Barcelona star wins in head-to-head battles ahead of Champions League showdown

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      IT IS the question that divides football fans across the globe –  who is better: Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?
      They gave El Clasicos a bit of extra spice for nine years and now, as they prepare to face off in the Champions League, SunSport looks at how they compare in matches against each other.

      How Messi and Ronaldo compare in head-to-head battles

      How Ronaldo and Messi compare statistically in their careers

      The greatest managers of the modern era have had their say, fans have had their say and even former team-mates have waded in on the never-ending GOAT debate.
      So we thought we’d look past the trophies and accolades to see how they fared when they were in direct competition.
      The pair know each other well, of course, having gone toe to toe in dozens of El Clasico contests down the years.
      Not only would the rivals share the same pitch whenever Real Madrid played against Barcelona, but they would tussle for LaLiga supremacy season after season.

      El Clasico has always been more that just a football match to the clubs’ fans and having the two best players in the world took it to a different dimension.
      Ronaldo has gone up against Messi 35 times in total during his spells at Manchester United and Real Madrid as well as on the international stage – but has not done so at Juventus yet.
      The Portuguese legend was ruled out of the first group stage game between Juve and Barcelona due to coronavirus – but hopes to make it out onto the pitch for Tuesday’s night clash.
      Messi – Barca’s all time leading goal-scorer – pipped the former Los Blancos ace by three goals in all of their meetings, finding the back of the net 22 times.

      Ronaldo and Messi have enjoyed a career-long rivalry

      While Ronaldo may have three goals fewer, he holds the record for the scoring in the most consecutive El Clasicos – in six consecutive games in 2012.
      Messi poetically netted his 500th goal for the Catalan giants against Real in a thriller in 2017, which also put Barca top of LaLiga.
      The Argentina ace famously celebrated by whipping off his No10 shirt and holding it aloft to the away support to prove why he is considered to be the greatest footballer of all time.
      Ronaldo later had to have his say too, of course.
      The next time he visited the Nou Camp and scored in the Supercopa de Espana final first leg in August 2017, he mimicked his great frenemy’s celebration by showing his No7 shirt to the crowd.
      In that same clash, Ronaldo’s night hit a sour note when he was shown a second yellow card for diving, which resulted in the forward PUSHING the referee.
      He had already been booked for taking his shirt off after mimicking Messi’s celebration.
      That has been the only red card shown to either hero in the duo’s 35 stand offs with Messi managing to keep his cool and escape with three fewer yellows than his arch-rival.

      Lionel Messi scored a last-minute winner to give Barcelona a 3-2 victory over Real Madrid in April 2017

      Cristiano Ronaldo showed the Nou Camp who was boss in his celebration
      Football is a results business so when it comes to score lines, the Argentine maestro leads the way.
      In the 35 matches, Messi has 16 wins, Ronaldo has ten and there have been nine draws.
      Ronaldo’s United got the better of Barcelona in the 2008 Champions League semi-finals with a 0-0 draw at the Nou Camp and 1-0 win at Old Trafford.
      Messi and Co got their revenge a year later, winning the 2009 final 2-0 as Messi scored a header.
      That started a run of five consecutive wins for Messi over Ronaldo including a 5-0 Barca win and a 2-1 victory for Argentina over Portugal in an international friendly as both players found the net.
      Arguably their greatest contest came in the 2012-13 LaLiga campaign as both players scored twice in a 2-2 draw in Barcelona.
      The Portugal icon left Los Blancos for a new challenge at Juventus two years ago meaning their last meeting was way back in May 2018, another 2-2 draw.
      Messi has played his entire career so far for Barcelona but is set to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season after a blazing row with club chiefs – with Manchester City a potential landing spot.
      And with Man Utd linked with making a move to bring Ronaldo back to Old Trafford, there head-to-heads could go on for years to come in the Premier League…

      Arsenal legend Thierry Henry weighs in on Messi vs Ronaldo debate More

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      Ronald Koeman rips into Barcelona flops after historic loss to Cadiz leaves them three points above RELEGATION zone

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      BARCELONA boss Ronald Koeman tore into his players after they lost to Cadiz for the first time since 1991 on Saturday.
      The defeat leaves the Catalans just three points above the relegation zone and the Dutchman was furious after the game.

      Ronald Koeman blasted his Barcelona players after their 2-1 loss at CadizCredit: AP:Associated Press

      Alvaro Gimenez put the home side ahead on eight minutes before a Pedro Alcala own-goal 12 minutes into the second-half drew Barca level.
      But ex-Manchester City man Alvaro Negredo gave Cadiz all three points just 44 SECONDS after coming off the bench when he tapped home from close range on 63 minutes.
      And speaking after the game, Koeman, 57, fumed: “The defeat is difficult to explain.
      “We’ve come here after some good games, but the first half wasn’t good. We were better in the second half, but the way in which we lost was incredible.

      “We lost due to an unexpected mistake that you cannot make. It came from not being focused.
      “The attitude wasn’t good tonight, and not just from the defenders.
      “It’s very hard to explain some of the goals that we’ve conceded. I think it might be because of a lack of concentration.
      “We lack aggression without the ball. That might be why we concede. It’s not easy to explain that second goal.”

      Mundo Deportivo slammed Barca’s ‘fatal errors’

      L’Esportiu labelled the defeat a ‘fiasco’

      And Sport focused on Barca’s ‘blunders’

      The Spanish press also had a field day with Barca eighth in the table on just 14 points after ten games.
      Levante in 18th occupy the highest spot in the relegation zone on 11 points – just THREE behind the Catalan giants.
      Mundo Deportivo’s front page slammed Barca’s ‘fatal errors’ and showed a dejected Lionel Messi and Frenkie de Jong.
      Elsewhere, Sport showed Andre ter Stegen scratching his head with a headline that read: “Go blunder!”
      And L’Esportiu’s front page needed no translation as it simply said: “FIASCO.”
      The Catalans are now 12 points behind LaLiga leaders Atletico Madrid.

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      PSG chief Leonardo plays down Lionel Messi transfer rumours after Neymar revelation sparked talk of reunion in France

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      PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN sporting director Leonardo has played down talk of a move for Lionel Messi.
      Rumours about the Barcelona star’s future only intensified following comments made by Neymar after PSG’s 3-1 win over Manchester United on Wednesday.

      Messi and Neymar were team-mates at Barcelona between 2013 and 2017Credit: AFP

      Neymar told journalists he hoped to play alongside Messi again in the future, but Leonardo moved to quell the transfer talk in an interview with Canal+.
      Leonardo said: “You know, it’s normal for Neymar to say that to an Argentinian journalist. He had to talk about Messi, it’s normal.
      “We have to maintain respect for others, he’s a Barcelona player.
      “When somebody talks about our players, we are not happy.

      “So we don’t touch other people’s players. Now is not the time to think about the transfer window.
      “We are very happy with the squad we have. We are thinking of our season and the end of the first part of the season, which was very complicated.
      “We have to stay focused on our goals such as qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League.
      “And also we have to think about Ligue 1 and avoid finding ourselves in a complicated situation. Let’s keep our focus.”

      PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi would not be drawn into speculation regarding a move for Messi either last week, saying: “Messi is a Barcelona player, I can’t talk about that.”
      Messi attempted to leave Barcelona for Manchester City in the summer but was forced to stay put when the Catalan giants refused to let him leave for nothing.
      The 33-year-old’s contract at Barcelona expires at the end of the season and he will be free to talk to other clubs over a free transfer from January.
      Neymar and Messi enjoyed a trophy-laden spell as team-mates at Barcelona between 2013 and 2017, winning two La Liga titles, three Spanish Cups and the Champions League in 2015.
      The Brazilian told ESPN on Wednesday night: “What I want most of all is to play with Messi again, to be able to enjoy him once again on the pitch.
      “I’m sure that next year, we have to do it again.”

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