Barcelona Transfer News and Rumours Tracker: Week of December 8
Barcelona may well be back in the hunt for players having recently submitted an appeal to their transfer ban.
Should they be successful, their primary acquisition must be a right-back as one, possibly two, appear headed for the exit door in January.
The club will find out their fate before the end of the year, Reuters via Yahoo/Eurosport noting that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will provide their verdict in time for the opening of the new transfer window.
Let's take a look at who is being linked in and out of the club and remember to keep checking back throughout the week for updates.
—Last update: Friday December 12—
Douglas
1 of 8
Hot on the heels of news that Everton are considering taking right-back Douglas on loan, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has come out with an astonishing admission.
Per an interview with beIN Sports, reported via Jamie Kemp of Inside Spanish Football, Bartomeu has suggested that he wasn't ever signed for the current season:
"The technical direction of the club and the manager felt that we were missing a right-sided defender if we weren’t able to sign one the following year. Douglas was not signed for this season.
He’s come now to acclimatise and get into the dynamic of the team ready for next season.
"
On that basis, it would lend credibility to any rumours of a loan for the latter part of this season.
Douglas
2 of 8
It's clear that Douglas isn't in Luis Enrique's plans, given that the manager has settled for Pedro in the right-back spot instead of the Brazilian.
Martin Montoya
3 of 8
Per TuttoSport via Football Italia, Martin Montoya's agent has confirmed the players desire to leave the club.
According to Juan De Dios Carrasco:
"Tomorrow there will be a meeting with Barcelona to communicate a decision we have already taken.
There are clubs interested in the player in England, in Italy and in Germany.
Barcelona still has the option to block the transfer, but the agent minimised that factor.
It's not Montoya's problem nor mine. The decision has been taken, we are checking what the situation is like and what Luis Enrique's decisions will be.
When a Barca player like Montoya wants to leave, I don't think the club will be opposed.
The Coach decides who gets to play, but if Martin doesn't play, then he wants to leave.
Facts count more than words. I am not going to discuss who's to blame, the most important thing now is that Martin wants to leave now.
"
Munir El-Haddadi
4 of 8
No sooner had we seen rumours linking Munir with a loan move away from Barcelona, than he signs a new contract with the Catalans.
According to Peter McVitie of Goal.com, the forward remains tied to Barca until 2017 but has had his release clause increased to €35 million, a real statement of intent from Barca.
Barcelona's official website noted:
"Munir El Haddadi signed an updated contract on Tuesday afternoon in which his release clause, in accordance with the new agreement, rises to some 35 million Euros.
The signing took place at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper and also present were the Sporting vice president Jordi Mestre and Director of Football Andoni Zubizarreta.
"
Munir El-Haddadi
5 of 8
It's a transfer rumour that just won't lie down.
Munir El-Haddadi is evidently dissatisfied with life in Catalonia after his development has come to a grinding halt.
Not happy with life on the subs bench at Barcelona, according to Fichajes.net via Tyrone Marshall of the Daily Mirror, El-Haddadi is considering a switch to the Premier League.
Arsenal have registered an interest in a player who burst onto the scene at the start of the campaign but is now struggling to get minutes.
A loan move may suit all parties.
Dani Alves
6 of 8
Dani Alves is enjoying life again at Barcelona. So much so that he is keeping Martin Montoya and Douglas out of the side at present.
At 31, quite how much more this super-fit elder statesman of the side can give at the highest level is anyone's guess.
He's certainly done enough already this season to pique the genuine interest of a host of clubs however, and Mundo Deportivo, h/t Joe Short of Daily Express, report Manchester United will pull out all of the stops to make him their man in January.
Martin Montoya
7 of 8
One player definitely leaving Barcelona in January is Martin Montoya.
Having only signed a new deal earlier in the new year with an expectation of minutes on the pitch, the young Catalan has still been unable to dislodge Alves as Barca's first-choice right-back.
And now he's had enough.
According to his agent Juan de Dios Carrasco, during an interview with Radio Marca and reported by Chisanga Malata of the Daily Star:
"Montoya will be moving on in January – I’m 100% certain.
At the moment we are studying which would be the best club for Martín so that he can continue his development as a player.
Clubs in Germany, England and Italy have been in contact with a view to signing him.
Luis Enrique has told him that he will find it difficult to dislodge Dani Alves and Douglas. Within the system, there’s just no place for him; he had thought that he might win the right-back slot from Dani Alves.
"
With only Douglas potentially remaining as cover, Barca need to work miracles to ensure they are not left light in that department.
Allan Nyom
8 of 8
Allan Nyom has emerged as a genuine replacement for either Alves or Montoya. Or both.
Mundo Deportivo via Football Espana note that Nyom and Valencia's Joao Pereira are on Barca's radar should they get their transfer appeal overturned.
According to the report, Barca believe they can exploit a loophole in the ruling, which would allow them to sign free transfers and players from the same division.
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