Adebayor Still Wanted By Barca

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Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor is still a transfer target for La Liga giants Barcelona next summer, with David Villa at Valencia and Lyon’s Karim Benzema also on the Catalan clubs potential list of recruits for the Nou Camp next season, according to Sport.

24-year-old Adebayor had been on the verge of joining Barca during the summer in a £30million deal, with Serie A side AC Milan also interested in the Togolese International. However, a move to either the Blaugrana or the Rossoneri failed to materialise and the former Monaco striker agreed to sign a new deal at the Emirates Stadium, which is believed to be worth around £80,000-a-week to Adebayor.

Adebayor has struggled with niggling injuries this season for the Gunners, but has still scored 8 goals in 20 appearances in all competitions for the Premier League side, 7 of which have come in the Premiership.

A move for Adebayor by Barcelona could be easier and probably cheaper than any attempt to land Villa or Benzema, but the Togolese hit-man would still cost in excess of £25million, with it unknown if Gunners boss Arsene Wenger would be willing to let the forward leave the North London club.

Another factor, which could affect any move by the Spanish side for Adebayor is Togo’s involvement in the African Cup of Nations next year, with Togo on course to qualify for the tournament. Barca, are already going to lose Cameroon International Samuel Eto’o for a month to the tournament next year and are unlikely to want to have two key players in the same position missing for so long.

Arsenal To Swoop For Barca Outcast?

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Arsenal are ready to reignite their interest in Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure, younger brother of Gunners defender Kolo, with a £6million offer for the Ivory Coast International being mooted in January, according to The Sun.



Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had been heavily linked with a move for 25-year-old Toure in the summer, but were put off by the £15million price tag put on the combative midfielder by the Catalan club.

However, Toure has fallen out of favour at the Nou Camp under new Barca coach Pep Guardiola and has not featured for Guardiola at all in La Liga this season after a successful debut season for Barcelona in 2007/2008. Where Toure made 26 league appearances for the Spanish club following his transfer from AS Monaco.

Toure has had a trial at the Premier League club, but failed to earn a contract with Wenger’s North London side and was signed by the Blaugrana, where the midfielder has impressed. Toure did also reveal recently the interest by the Gunners in the summer and that he had chose to stay at Barcelona, but with the midfielder not able to break into the Barca first-team this season Toure could see a reunion with brother Kolo at the Emirates Stadium as the perfect solution in January.

Spurs Weigh Up January Bid For Barca Prodigy?

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Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly weighing up a bid for Barcelona prodigy Gai Assulin when the transfer window reopens in January after reports in Spain have suggested that the Israeli International is ready to quit the Nou Camp.

17-year-old Assulin is believed to be frustrated at his progression at Barca, with passport problems preventing the Israeli from following Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola from the B Team at the Catalan club into the senior side at the Nou Camp.

Assulin has a £15million buyout clause inserted in the three-year deal he signed this summer with the Blaugrana, but signed the deal on the presumption that he would be part of the Barca senior set-up this season and should be allowed to leave the La Liga giants for considerably less in January.

The attacking-midfielder’s situation at Barcelona has alerted new Spurs boss Harry Redknapp, who is understood to be considering a January move to bring Assulin to White Hart Lane.

Assulin has been at the La Liga side since 2003, with the young starlet coming through the Barca youth set-up to score 10 goals in 28 appearances for Barcelona Atletic last season in helping them win the league title. With his performances attracting the interest of Arsenal, Man United and AC Milan this summer, who could decide to reignite their interest in the midfielder. Assulin has played once for the Barca first-team when he came on a a substitute in the semi-final of the Copa Catalunya against Girona in September 2007.

However, despite the interest of several of Europe’s top sides, Spurs could hold the key, with Assulin sharing the same agent as former team-mate and friend Giovanni Dos Santos, Pini Zahavi, who was behind the transfer of Giovanni to the North London club this summer from Barca.

United To Beat Arsenal, Chelsea & Liverpool To £20million Xavi?

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Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson looks set to beat off competition from Premier League rivals Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea to the signature of EURO 2008 star Xavi from La Liga giants Barcelona, according to reports.

28-year-old Xavi is a product of the Barca youth set-up and has been at the Catalan club since 1991, but has not been able to agree a new deal at the Nou Camp, with the Spanish International’s current contract due to run out in 2010.

Contract negotiations at the Nou Camp have stalled between Barca and Xavi, with the midfielder, who was voted player of the tournament at EURO 2008 feeling that the deal on offer at Barcelona does not reflect his importance to the Spanish side or his performances on the pitch.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola declared recently that Xavi would not be sold while he remained in charge at the Nou Camp, but Xavi’s agent Ivan Corretja has revealed that Xavi has not been able to resolve the situation at Barca and that the midfielder is wanted by a host of European clubs, especially in the Premiership.

Corretja, told The Daily Star: “We have not been able to solve the situation at Barcelona, despite some months of negotiations. We feel he should be offered a deal which reflects his performances on the pitch.

“Everybody at Barcelona knows that there are some big European clubs interested in Xavi, particularly in England at the moment, and we will not allow this to go on forever.”

Ferguson is monitoring the situation at the Nou Camp, with an offer in the region of £20million being mooted in the January transfer window to bring Xavi to Old Trafford. However, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is also keen to pair Xavi with countryman Cesc Fabregas at the Emirates Stadium, with Liverpool and Chelsea also reportedly interested in the central-midfielder.