Barcelona legend Rivaldo has said that his former club have yet to improve under the guidance of Quique Setien. The Blaugrana have won their last four La Liga games under their head coach but they were far from impressive against Napoli in the Champions League where they settled for a 1-1 draw on the road.
Barcelona forward Antoine Griezmann has said that he is still trying to understand the style of play of some of his teammates. The Frenchman made the move to the Blaugrana from Atletico Madrid last summer but he has since struggled for consistency and managed just four goals in the Spanish top-flight.
With one-third of the season complete, Griezmann has struggled to make a similar impact from his Atleti days but the Frenchman remains optimistic that he can quickly adapt to the traits of his teammates upfront, he told: “I'm in the process of learning and understanding how my team-mates play as everything is new to me. I'm still trying to read the runs and off-the-ball movement from the likes of Luis Suarez, [Lionel] Messi and Ousmane Dembele along with the midfielders. It's my intention to get to grips with this as soon as possible so I can offer my all to the team, but at times, it's tricky.”
Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen has said that Luis Suarez has silenced his doubters after his man of the match performance against Inter Milan in the Champions League. The Blaugrana made the worst possible start to their Nerazzurri clash as they were 1-0 down within the second minute but they made a strong second half comeback with Suarez bagging a brace.
Barcelona midfielder Arthur has said that the team and fans are open to the prospect of Neymar returning to the Camp Nou this summer. The Brazil international made the shock move to Paris Saint-Germain in a world-record £200m deal during the summer of 2017, but there have been numerous occasions where he has been linked with a potential return to the Blaugrana.
Former Ghana international Kevin-Prince Boateng has confirmed that he won’t be joining Barcelona on a permanent basis this summer. The veteran forward made the shock loan move to the Blaugrana from Sassuolo during the 2019 January transfer window but he was not much of an influence with just three appearances in the Spanish La Liga.
Despite this, there had been a lingering doubt whether the Blaugrana may sign him permanently but Boateng has cleared the same by thanking the club for the massive opportunity last term, he wrote on Instagram: “Today ends one of the most exciting experiences of my career. I thank every person who made this possible.
Whilst he was once considered the heir to Andres Iniesta's dynasty at Barcelona, it now looks like Ivan Rakitic is going to be n the move - perhaps with Coutinho finally being given the chance to impress in the advanced midfielder role that Iniesta made his own.
The Croatian attacker has been linked to both Manchester United and Bayern Munich in the past few weeks with different speculation about the transfer coming from his homeland too.
ESPN pundit Craig Burley has said that Eden Hazard has been a very good player at Chelsea but he does not have the credentials to achieve the 40-goal target like Lionel Messi at Barcelona. The Belgium international is currently enjoying his best-ever season with the Blues and he has contributed 19 goals and 13 assists across all competitions.
Speaking on ESPN FC, the former Chelsea midfielder indicated that the Blues have been overly dependent on Hazard to produce the goods in difficult situations. He added that the Belgian can never become a Messi to deliver 40 goals through a campaign and that has hampered the team which has witnessed inconsistent performances from several players.
Malcom’s agent Leonardo Cornacini has acknowledged that his client is attracting interest from some of Europe’s elite clubs ahead of the summer transfer window. The Brazilian has barely featured for Barcelona since making the switch from Bordeaux last year but Cornacini has suggested that the attacker could stay put with the club next term.
Speaking to Calciomercato.it, Malcom’s representative confirmed that there is plenty of interest in his client, who has been previously linked with the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Inter Milan. However, he added that his client has been adapting well to the demands of the Spanish game and he could yet stay put with the La Liga holders, he quipped: “Malcom is certainly an interesting player for any European club. But he a long contract, until 2023, with Barcelona. “He is adapting well and we believe that next year he will do much better than this.”
Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta has heaped praise on Ousmane Dembele’s showing this season and believes the Frenchman can become a very important player for Barcelona in the future. The France international endured a difficult first season with the Blaugrana last term where hamstring concerns reduced his gametime from the starting lineup.
However, he has enjoyed a much better season this time around with 13 goals and seven assists across all competitions and his progress has caught the eye of Iniesta. Speaking to Goal.com, the former Spain international hailed the qualities of the World Cup winner and stated that the forward can become a hugely influential figure with the Catalans in years to come.
Former Barcelona forward David Villa has expressed his utmost delight at the opportunity of reuniting with one of his former teammates Andres Iniesta following his most recent transfer move.
The Spanish international completed a move from Major League Soccer outfit New York City FC to Japan to represent top flight club Vissel Kobe. The Japanese club is being managed by a fellow Spaniard, Juan Manuel Lillo.
Vissel Kobe have shown their determination to go for major honors this season, completing the signing of a host of former European league legends including Podolski, Iniesta and most recently, David Villa.