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Barcelona, aiming for Javi Martinez, will most likely have to raise the white flag and significantly lower their ambitions in the summer transfer market.
The Athletic Bilbao team is asking for at least 40 million euros for the 23-year-old player who can play in defense and midfield positions, and it seems they are not willing to make any discounts.
This amount does not satisfy the Catalan club, whose scouts continue to search for a replacement for the departed Seydou Keita and to acquire a versatile player who can play both in midfield and in defense.
Recently, the Spanish media have been mentioning Portugal's Porto midfielder Joao Moutinho as a possible candidate to reinforce Barcelona. However, reports also suggest that he is being considered by Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Rumors about 27-year-old Liverpool and Danish national team defender Daniel Agger have also been circulating on the front pages of websites. It is said that the English team would want at least 15 million euros for the player, as well as additional bonuses based on the defender's personal achievements on the field and the team's results.
On Thursday, the Catalan newspaper "Sport.es" presented two more options. According to various sources, Barcelona is considering the possibility of attracting Jeremy Toulalan, who represented Malaga last season, to the team. The 28-year-old Frenchman, like many players from the Andalusian team, has not received the promised salary due to serious financial difficulties faced by Malaga. It is said that J. Toulalan has already expressed his desire to terminate the contract with Malaga, which was valid for three more years, meaning that the player could move to Barcelona for free.
The same newspaper "Sport.es" mentioned the 24-year-old Cameroonian Alex Song on Thursday. The player, who represents London's Arsenal team, is said to have a contract with his current team until 2015. According to unreliable sources, Barcelona is offering 15 million euros for the player, while Arsenal would want at least 20 million euros.
According to the newspaper "El Mundo Deportivo," Barcelona scouts are also carefully watching the 23-year-old Croatian defender Dejan Lovren, who plays for Lyon in France.
