Stealthy:

Hi guys. Been a while - I still dey do hide & seek.

Eyo, I was in Lagos on your birthday, why didn't you organize something for the boys na?

Cocoa master, are you still in US? Abi you're back to wet, wet Lagos?

To Barca matters:

We have loaned Henrique to Palmeiras. I'm tired of these endless loan deals. Just sell these guys or use them as subs! I feel Henrique & Keirrison have some potential & should be sold with buy-back options. Hleb should def be sold, as should Milito & prob Maxwell (although he has been good except for some parts of last season).

We need at least one CB. I won't like us to be in the position where Busi needs to defend, in case Puyol & Abidal get injured (very possible) & Pique is suspended (he's a defender - suspensions come with the territory). Even Masch, as good as he was for us in defence last year, is not one I'll like to rely on too often as a CB, especially due to his (lack of) height. Puyol is barely taller, but he's a very strong jumper. Botia isn't the finished product yet. I'm surprised we didn't get Botia back (hopefully next summer) - for now, an old experienced defender who wont mind the bench is what we need. I don't have any names in my head yet.

If we want to splash the big cash on either Sanchez or Cesc, I'll have to resign to buying Cesc (a decision I've always opposed). Sanchez has only had one good season & Udinese are pricing him like he's Iniesta or something. For all we know, he may turn out to be a not so super signing, but Cesc should fit in quite comfortably, same way Villa fitted in easily compared to Ibra. I'll go for Mata rather than Sanchez - at least he has a lot of la Liga experience & he isn't close to the Sanchez cost.

Left to me though, I'll buy a few back-up players, rather than one or two marquee players. I'll like to have an Adriano or another Afellay in attack - players who won't mind the bench, but will deliver when called upon. Our 1st team is already the best, we just need able squad players to help rest the big boys when needed.

I would have liked to keep Nolito, Vasquez, Benja & Soriano, the experienced heads in Barca B as subs for the 1st team, but obviously the club doesn't agree with me (we only tried to keep Nolito of the 4). Even if we buy Sanchez, we still don't have enough cover upfront - for me 2 players for every position, leading to a squad of 22 players minimum is the ideal cover for a team. 19 players in the senior team last season was really a gamble you don't want to take every season.

hey Stealthy,
fully back to wet Lagos o.Got the scare of my life with one bogus tsunami warning sef. Naijas have imagination sha . . .

@Post,
I think it's better those guys from Barca B were sold, rather than them gathering dust on the bench. Barca will never play them, and they're getting too old for the B team. The Juvenil boys need to move up. I think promoting Fontas and Thiago is the right thing to do.

This is now getting embarassing for the Catalans. What kind of nonsense yarn is ths

'Cesc Fabregas is experiencing a kidnapping' – Arsenal captain's hometown mayor hits out at club amid Barcelona saga

just as someone said, why cant the players+coaching staff+board members+official members pf the club(including Ajanlekoko especially)+ online supporters on NL,FB,Twitter e.t.c. contribute money towards the cause of ''saving'' fabregas from the ''kidnappers'' in london.

if it not one tuesday that the deal will be sealed, it will be one friday, then one weekend.
person don tire sef abeg make una contribute money make we hear word jare.

everyday na news about how barcelona is about signing and unfortunately the ink in the pen suddenly dries up.tsheeeeeeew

Argentina knocked out of Copa.

Messi did his best, but some of his team mates did their best to ensure the team didn't progress.

The Uruguayans obviously practiced their penalty kicks - all were excellent (reminds me of Brazil vs Holland World Cup 1998)!

Caceres was impressive. Every time I see him play, I wonder how we could have sold him for 3m - another Barca transfer debacle.

Milito has been quite ok for Argentina in the Copa - if he could play like this for Barca, he won't be behind midfielders & B team players in the pecking order.

usbcable:

just as someone said, why cant the players+coaching staff+board members+official members pf the club(including Ajanlekoko especially)+ online supporters on NL,FB,Twitter e.t.c. contribute money towards the cause of ''saving'' fabregas from the ''kidnappers'' in london.

if it not one tuesday that the deal will be sealed, it will be one friday, then one weekend.
person don tire sef abeg make una contribute money make we hear word jare.

everyday na news about how barcelona is about signing and unfortunately the ink in the pen suddenly dries up.tsheeeeeeew

why not just enjoy the soap opera?
you know what thrashing awaits your team?

Brazil out of the copa too

gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood

The Samba boys were like clowns in the penalty kickout. I laughed my head off! Never seen a team lose all their penalities. It was a big humiliation! They were playing it as though they were playing a goalkick. Maybe Menez told them to make sure that the height in between the level their kicks will attain and the woodwork, is not less than 1km!

I like Copa America b/c it is the most competitive of all big tournaments around. It is the only one where the favourites are capable of suffering shock elimination , like we have seen with Argentina , Brazil, Chile, Colombia and more to come.

I got this from Barcaforum. . . Pre-season fixtures:

1- Saturday, 23 Jul (20:30)
Hajduk Split-FCB. Friendly match (Split)

2- Tuesday, 26 Jul (18.15)
FCB-Internacional de Porto Alegre. Audi Cup (Munich). 1/2

3- Wednesday, 27 Jul (hour to confim)
FCB-Bayern/Milan. Audi Cup (Munich). 2nd game

4- Sunday, 31 Jul (1.00)
FCB-Manchester United. US Tour (Washington DC)

5- Thursday, 04 Aug (2.00)
FCB-Chivas. US Tour (Miami)

6- Saturday, 06 Aug (22.00)
FCB-America. US Tour (Dallas)

7- Monday, 22 August
Barcelona vs Napoli (Joan Gamper Cup)

Alexis Sanchez

I think Rosell's patience paid off. They got their man at a relatively good price compared to his qualities. I have no doubt he will not excel. Good luck to him!

Next in the shopping list is Cesc. Guardiola have already said there is enough money in the box to get him. He will be great.

Cool. Things are finally working out,

@barcastuff: Bojan will be a Roma player in the next hours. His agent was at the club offices today. Barcelona are waiting for one last document. [ona]

See Pedrito planking

Oya , dem go fear planking nah , Alonso gan surprise Lmao

Nairaland Fantasy Premier League 2011/2012
www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-717997.0.html

Finally, it's official: We've got Sanchez.

I really like Rosell - we got Sanchez for a good price, considering the current market and the fact that Sanchez had so many other suitors. Laporta would have paid the 37.5 m in cash immediately, rather than 26m + 11.5 in variables.

Good guy: Man City was offering him a bigger salary than Barca, but he still chose to come here.

Good buy: Now we have game changers on the bench. Can't wait to see this guy combine in various formations with MVP. Now we have MVPS

He's a crack! We need him alot.
He is welcome to the best club.

Finally, Sanchez don show

I pray he lives Up to expectation , and with Fabregas we can face any Malaga, all the madrid all join together , this time we're going for everything , all the trophies .Babatunde says so !!! Ginger prophet .Forza Barca

Stealthy:

Finally, it's official: We've got Sanchez.

I really like Rosell - we got Sanchez for a good price, considering the current market and the fact that Sanchez had so many other suitors. Laporta would have paid the 37.5 m in cash immediately, rather than 26m + 11.5 in variables.

Good guy: Man City was offering him a bigger salary than Barca, but he still chose to come here.

Good buy: Now we have game changers on the bench. Can't wait to see this guy combine in various formations with MVP. Now we have MVPS

That was a steal. Rosell just pulled off one of the biggest heist in the history of football. I was first against the deal because of the rumoured 40m we were gonna pay but I think it's a fantastic deal now.
Sanchez, probably, was the most wanted guy this summer and to get him for the price we got him is really a great business.
  He's an excellent winger. He is bringing a lot of pace into our side which is something we currently lack. Lots of tricks as well. He does a lot of backtracking too which makes him the ideal Barcelona man. He loves to cut-in from the flanks and shoot(something we hardly ever do) and he shoots quite well. He can also play as a centre-forward.
His stats last season for Udinese were bloody impressive:
Apps: 27(4)
Goals: 12
Assists: 6
He was the best player in Serie A last season.
Can't wait to see him in action. Hopefully, he'll hit the ground running.

Sanchez is a done deal.Fabregas is next.
Heads go roll next season.

But wait o, why do we like shortivites in Barca? all our midfield + attack comprises of shortivites, even bench self na shortivites, can we ever buy players taller than 6ft? (don't name Ibra o, that one come visit Spain)

honeric01:

But wait o, why do we like shortivites in Barca? all our midfield + attack comprises of shortivites, even bench self na shortivites, can we ever buy players taller than 6ft? (don't name Ibra o, that one come visit Spain)

i bow o! That's why a team like madrid would want to bully and out muscle us.

Bojan officially signs for AS Roma. See details here on TotalBarca.

It's a good move for him. He'd better take his chance. Football is cruel but so is life. I think the guy made his first team debut way too early. Maybe not, who knows.
It's the pressure that comes with being part of such a brilliant group. I hope Luis Enrique can get a rise out of him.

With Sanchez arriving, Jeffren may well leave. Hard to see him getting more minutes. Personally i think he's a glass-man, picks up injuries way too easy.
He needs to be loaned, but within Spain.

AjanleKoko:

Bojan officially signs for AS Roma. See details here on TotalBarca.

It's a good move for him. He'd better take his chance. Football is cruel but so is life. I think the guy made his first team debut way too early. Maybe not, who knows.
It's the pressure that comes with being part of such a brilliant group. I hope Luis Enrique can get a rise out of him.

With Sanchez arriving, Jeffren may well leave. Hard to see him getting more minutes. Personally i think he's a glass-man, picks up injuries way too easy.
He needs to be loaned, but within Spain.

Sad to see Bojanito go but it's needed. Wish him the very best. . . Great deal by the way - €12m with an option to buy him back for €13m(expires in 2013). Seems like we've smartened up in transfer dealings. A case of been once beaten and being twice shy.

Oriol Romeu set to join Chelsea. . . Another Cesc case in the making.

Chelsea are set to seal the signing of Barcelona youngster Oriol Romeu.
The 20-year-old is set to finalise a move to Stamford Bridge with Chelsea offering €5million.
Barca sources have confirmed to skysports.com that talks are on-going but a deal is imminent.

I remember saying on our old thread, when Busi was stalling on signing a new contract, that we should sell Busi to United who were offering £30m for him and promote Romeu. I've seen him play couple of times for Barca B and he was part of the Spain team that were in Nigeria in 09 for the U-17 world cup and also part of the silver winning u-19 Spain side in France last year along with Sergio Canales. He's really something special and the fact that Chelsea wants to sign him says a lot too.
I'd have loved us to keep him as he'd be an able replacement for Masch in the not to distant future. Good thing is that we've got a buy-back on him(I think for the next two seasons).
Hopefully, he succeeds at Chelsea and we buy him back.

medjai:

That was a steal. Rosell just pulled off one of the biggest heist in the history of football. I was first against the deal because of the rumoured 40m we were gonna pay but I think it's a fantastic deal now.
Sanchez, probably, was the most wanted guy this summer and to get him for the price we got him is really a great business.
  He's an excellent winger. He is bringing a lot of pace into our side which is something we currently lack. Lots of tricks as well. He does a lot of backtracking too which makes him the ideal Barcelona man. He loves to cut-in from the flanks and shoot(something we hardly ever do) and he shoots quite well. He can also play as a centre-forward.
His stats last season for Udinese were bloody impressive:
Apps: 27(4)
Goals: 12
Assists: 6
He was the best player in Serie A last season.
Can't wait to see him in action. Hopefully, he'll hit the ground running.

Correction bro, Sanchez rarely tracks back, something that occasionally puts his side in trouble back at Udinese. Hope he emulates the hard-working Pedro who doesn't feel reluctant to track back whenever the need arises.

Mcleo007:

Correction bro, Sanchez rarely tracks back, something that occasionally puts his side in trouble back at Udinese. Hope he emulates the hard-working Pedro who doesn't feel reluctant to track back whenever the need arises.

Here's what Pep had to say about him:

"He is very young, he can play in three position on offense, he puts a lot of intensity in his defensive duties"

source
He backtracks like he invented backtracking.

First pre-season game:
Hajduk Split 0 vs Barcelona 0. It was B team players mostly. Valdes, Keita, Afellay Villa and Thiago were the first team players that started. Iniesta, Abidal, Jeffren came on subs. Soriano also came on as a sub.

Thiago wore the no. 4 jersey. . . I don't know where this puts the Cesc deal now.

As Pep said, they will keep trying to sign Cesc until August 31st. If he eventually comes, the number he gets will be immaterial.

I hate Bojan for criticizing Pep at his farewell press conference. He failed to understand that Pep was indeed very good to him. He kept giving him playing time when it is clear he is underperforming. Now he broods for not playing at Wembley and Rome. He sucks!

Johnpaul88:

As Pep said, they will keep trying to sign Cesc until August 31st. If he eventually comes, the number he gets will be immaterial.

I hate Bojan for criticizing Pep at his farewell press conference. He failed to understand that Pep was indeed very good to him. He kept giving him playing time when it is clear he is underperforming. Now he broods for not playing at Wembley and Rome. He sucks!

I always thought the no. 4 shirt was being reserved for Cesc but let's just wait and see. Pep admitted there has been 0 progress so far as per signing Cesc.

As for Bojan, he's just a lil kid angry for not playing the CL final.

On a lighter note, Iniesta is wearing a new look. He has this new haircut. . .gives him a whole lot of attitude

Gerard Deulofeu has been lighting things up with Spain U-19 in the Euro U-19 championship in Romania. They beat Serbia 4-0 last night and he put up a wonderful performance. He provided two assits.