Barcelona Transfer News: Latest Gossip on Cesc Fabregas and Dani Alves

While the transfer ban administered to Barcelona is set to prohibit any new faces rocking up at the Nou Camp for the time being, there’s still plenty of transfer chatter surrounding the Catalan club.

Inevitably, most of it is regarding players who are potentially on their way out of the Camp Nou, and after confirming Dani Alves will be leaving the club following the expiration of his contract next summer, there is plenty of speculation about his next destination.

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Elsewhere, Cesc Fabregas has opened up about his transfer to Chelsea and why he felt he had no choice but to cut short his Barcelona reunion.

Juventus Want Alves in January

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Having confirmed that this season will be the Brazilian’s last in Blaugrana colours, there’s been a host of clubs linked with a potential move for the 31-year-old full-back. The latest of which are Juventus, who are reportedly keen on bringing Alves to Turin in January, per fichajes.net (h/t Football-Italia.net).

But the same report also claims that the Italians are not quite as set on paying Alves’ whopping €6 million annual salary. Here’s what the Bianconeri would potentially be getting for their money:

WhoScored.com provides us with insight of just how key Alves has been for Barcelona:

In many respects, Juve would represent a perfect move for Alves. He’d still be playing at a massive club that is ambitious about winning silverware, and the slower pace of Serie A would suit him perfectly as he moves into the twilight of his career. 

In addition, the Italians’ 3-5-2 system would allow Alves the freedom to get forward from a wing-back position and readily influence the game in advanced areas of the pitch.

Naturally, the salary might be a stumbling block, as will Barcelona’s reluctance to sell if a bid for the former Sevilla man comes in in January. Yes, it may be tempting to cash in on the player with his contract running down, but with their hands tied when it comes to bringing players in, Luis Enrique will surely be keen to keep hold of an experienced figure like Alves for as long as possible.

With that in mind, it wouldn’t be a major surprise to see a U-turn from club and player, with Alves deciding to stick it out at the Nou Camp for a little longer yet. At least until Barca can fund a replacement in January 2016, anyway.

Fabregas Forced Stamford Bridge Switch

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The former Blaugrana midfielder has admitted that he pushed for a move away from Catalonia, and that he felt as though he was doing the club a favour by walking out.

The Spanish international admitted that he thought his time was up after his side lost to Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final, per Colin Harvey of the Daily Star:

"

I started to get the idea to go back [to England] after the [Spanish] Cup final.

I informed the club a week after we lost La Liga. I called [Andoni] Zubizarreta [Barcelona's sporting director].

And in response, I felt I was doing them a favour. It was good for me and good for them.

"

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Fabregas signed for Chelsea on a five-year deal this summer, and he’s already given Jose Mourinho’s side a supreme creative edge.

But despite his undeniable quality, the former Arsenal skipper has admitted that the move to Stamford Bridge was his only realistic route out of Barcelona: "An offer from Chelsea arrived. I didn't have a better way out. I spoke with Mourinho and he told me the things I needed to hear. I felt valued."

Barcelona drafted in Ivan Rakitic to replace Fabregas, and after two excellent performances in Enrique’s first two games in charge, the Croatian looks as though he has all the tools to nail down a spot in the Blaugrana midfield.

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Fabregas played plenty of games for Barcelona, but he was regularly shifted around the team—out wide or as a false nine—to accommodate other stellar names and cover for injuries. Subsequently, he was unable to fall into a rhythm during his time at the Nou Camp.

When you consider how well he’s slotted back into Premier League football, this deal looks to have been a success for the player and both clubs involved. At Chelsea, we look set to see the best of Fabregas once more.