Barcelona Transfer News and Rumours Tracker: Week of January 12
Barcelona have had a relatively quiet January transfer window so far.
Certainly, insofar as actual outgoing transfers, the cash register is totalling a big fat zero at this point.
With just over two weeks left of the window, there's still an opportunity for fringe players to engineer a move away from the club, but given the transfer ban and no options to be able to replace any staff, it's likely that Barca will play hard ball.
Let's take a look at the most recent rumours and remember to keep checking back throughout the week for updates.
—Last update: Thursday January 15—
Dani Alves
1 of 6
With only Douglas or, at present, Martin Montoya as cover in the right back areas, the news that Dani Alves is open to staying at Barcelona will come as a welcome boost for Barca fans.
Stefan Coerts of Goal.com notes the words of Alves' agent Dinorah Santa Ana in an interview given to Catalan newspaper Sport:
"Dani has not yet made a decision whether he wants to stay at Barcelona or leave the club. He's open to both options.
[...] He does not have a bad feeling about Barcelona, but at the moment there has not been an offer for a contract renewal.
"
A lack of contract renewal may concern supporters because even though he is in the autumn of his career, he is still a significant upgrade on others in his position.
Lionel Messi
2 of 6
It would appear that the rumours linking Lionel Messi to a move away have been put to bed once and for all.
According to BBC Sport, during a press conference Luis Enrique noted that "A team without Messi is not something we contemplate."
Esteve Calzada, a football finance expert and former marketing director of FC Barcelona, also told Sky Sports that it was unlikely that Messi could ever leave the Blaugrana. Noting that any interested parties would need to come up with approximately £400 million to take into account transfer fee and wages, Calzada said:
"In the books, that would be around £80m per year, that’s what you would have to generate in revenues or profits to get there, plus you have the Financial Fair Play restrictions, so it’s not easy.
"
Lionel Messi
3 of 6
Just a day after telling the world how happy he was at Barcelona and that he wouldn't be moving anywhere, Lionel Messi has the football world talking again.
The Argentinian, who described rumours that there had been contact with both Manchester City and Chelsea as "lies" in an interview via Barca TV, noted at the Ballon d'Or ceremony, per Football Espana:
"I don’t know where I’ll be next year.
I don’t know if I’ll end up at Newell’s, neither do I know where I'll be next year.
I’d like to finish my career at Barcelona, but you never know what will happen.
"
Marc-Andre ter Stegen
4 of 6
When Barcelona signed Borussia Monchengladbach's Marc-Andre ter Stegen, the school of thought was that the young German would become Barca's first-choice 'keeper for years to come.
Six months later and just a few Champions League appearances is all Ter Stegen has to show for his time in Catalonia.
Sitting on the sideline doesn't appeal to the player. He told German daily Bild, (h/t Peter Guy of the Liverpool Echo): "It's good to be at Barca but the situation is difficult. I’d be lying if I said I didn't care and it isn't easy being a spectator."
According to the report, Liverpool's Brendan Rodgers is seeking to take advantage of the scenario and make a January move for the player.
It's unlikely that Barcelona will sanction a move for a player that they would be unable to replace for a year, but money talks in football, and if Liverpool or anyone else place hard cash on the table, it could tempt the Catalans into doing business.
Ronald Koeman
5 of 6
It's not just on the pitch where there could be changes.
While it would appear that, for now, Luis Enrique retains the backing of the Barca board, there could be moves afoot to recruit Southampton manager and former Barca player Ronald Koeman.
According to Paul Brown of the Daily Star:
"The Saints boss is high on a list of candidates to replace embattled Barca boss Luis Enrique at the Nou Camp.
...
Koeman played down talk of him taking over at his old club this week [...] but sources in Spain claim Barcelona have been informed that Koeman is interested in the job.
"
Barca's wonderful win against Atletico Madrid at the weekend has stopped the axe from falling for now, but any more sub-standard performances and the calls for his head are likely to become deafening.
Would Koeman really turn away from a club that gave him so much as a player?
Lionel Messi
6 of 6
After Barca's win over Atletico Madrid, Lionel Messi finally put paid to the rumours of him wanting to leave the club, via an interview with Barca TV, per Pete Jenson of the Daily Mail:
"I have not laid down any conditions for me to stay at this club and neither do I have any intention of leaving. I have heard stories about my father already having spoken to Chelsea and Manchester City but it is not true.
I am painted as the one who runs the club but I am just a like any other player in the dressing room. I don't take the decisions. And I don't decide who takes the decisions.
"
Just about as unequivocal a statement as can be.
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