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Maxi Lopez will not play in this season
Argentinian striker Maxi Lopez from the Spanish superclub "Barcelona" will not play the remaining part of the season. This was revealed after the player, who joined "Barca" for 6 million euros during the winter transfer window, broke a bone in his right foot. It is said that the Argentinian will be out for about three months, meaning that until the end of the Spanish championship, the Catalonia superclub is left with only one nominal striker - Samuel Eto'o. Another Barcelona striker, Henrik Larsson, is recovering from a knee ligament injury he suffered last November.
Xavi will be offered a contract extension by "Barca"
President Joan Laporta stated that one of the team leaders, midfielder Xavi, will be offered a new, financially better contract. This was Laporta's reaction to recent rumors that "Barca's" star player had attracted interest from London strategist Jose Mourinho. In an interview, the Barcelona president named Xavi as one of the most important Barcelona players. By the way, when asked which English Premier League player he would like to see in Barcelona, Laporta mentioned Arsenal star Thierry Henry, but immediately added that due to the Frenchman's age, he would like T. Henry to join the team in the near future.
J. Laporta: Barcelona reached an agreement with Mark van Bommel
PSV star Mark van Bommel has promised to play for "Barcelona" next year, according to President Joan Laporta. The Dutch national team midfielder was actively sought after by Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and Tottenham, but it seems that the race for the PSV star, whose contract with the Dutch club ends in June, was won by Barcelona.
Over the weekend - a new role for D. Beckham in Real's lineup
In this weekend's match against Real Sociedad in San Sebastian, Madrid star David Beckham played in an unusual position as a right back. The usual right back, Michel Salgado, was replaced by the Englishman at the request of Real coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo due to Salgado's suspension. Beckham himself stated that this was not the first time he played in defense - he had done so twice with Man Utd. By the way, in the weekend match, Real will also be without two suspended players: defender Walter Samuel and midfielder Zinedine Zidane.
Julio Baptista has various offers
Sevilla star Julio Baptista has received numerous offers from various European clubs but stated he intends to wait until the end of the season before considering them. This season, the Brazilian striker has scored 17 goals in the Spanish championship, attracting interest from Man Utd, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia. It is said that Baptista's contract includes a release clause of 25 million pounds sterling, but it does not seem that this amount would deter European football giants.
Man Utd is watching Ibanez's performance
Reports in the Spanish press suggest that Manchester United has been monitoring the performance of Madrid defender Pablo Ibanez for some time. The former Spanish youth national team defender was acquired by the Madrid club from Albacete for 3.6 million pounds sterling in the summer of 2004. The impressive performance of the defender this season has caught the attention of Man Utd scouts. It is also said that Man Utd is interested in Espanyol star Ivan de la Pena, Villarreal goalkeeper Jose Manuel Reina, and young Sevilla defender Sergio Ramos.
Deportivo may strengthen with a goalkeeper in the summer
As the main goalkeeper Jose Molina from La Coruna is likely to leave the club in the summer, the Galician team has started looking for possible replacements. It is said that Deportivo is interested in Valladolid goalkeeper Albano Bizarri, whose contract with the Spanish second division club ends in two months.
