Barcelona News Roundup: Club set a date of announcement for €80M signing, Former coach convinced Messi to stay at Barcelona before his death and more - April 26, 2019

Hello and welcome to daily news roundup for FC Barcelona!

Barcelona are on the verge of winning the LaLiga title for the eighth time in the last decade after their 2-0 win against Alaves. The Catalan giants are well on course for another historic treble and there is no shortage of news as we approach towards the business end of the season.

Today's top stories feature Matthijs De Ligt, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

Here are the top stories of the day surrounding the Catalan giants:

Barcelona set to announce De Ligt signing in June

Ajax captain Matthijs De Ligt has been one of the hottest properties in world football and will join Barcelona after the end of the season. The Catalan giants will reportedly announce the signing in June.

A product of famed Ajax academy, De Ligt has been pivotal for Ajax and Netherlands' success in the span of last one year. Thanks to his winner against Juventus, Ajax are through to the semi-finals of the Champions League where they face Tottenham. Like Barcelona, the Dutch side is also on course for a historic treble.

Barring his superior defensive skills, De Ligt is a rare leader, considering his age. At just 19 years old, De Ligt is leading Ajax to glory and it is crystal clear why clubs across Europe are plotting a move for the center-back.

According to reports, Barcelona have beaten Juventus and Real Madrid to secure the services of the defender. The transfer fee will be around €80 million and the Catalan giants will announce the signing in June.

Tito Vilanova convinced Messi to stay

Rayo Vallecano de Madrid v FC Barcelona - La Liga

Tito Vilanova played a major role in Messi staying at Nou Camp as the former Barcelona coach convinced the Argentine talisman to stay at the club just six days before his death.

In an interview, Vilanova's assistant coach Jordi Roura revealed:

"Tito was at a delicate stage and Leo wasn't convinced about his continuity. They met and although I wasn't there, I know they spent a number of hours talking. Messi decided to stay and we hope that he will for many more years."

Roura was full of praise for Vilanova and fondly remembers the coach.

"He was a very simple, direct person," Roura said. "He has a lot of personality and he showed a lot with his face. I think that's what made him special."

The Catalan giants reached the 100-point mark in a historic season under the tutelage of Vilanova and Roura reflects back at their exploits.

"It was a very hard season. We achieved something unprecedented and we hope it won't be repeated.

"A lot of things came together and what we achieved was thanks to the enormous commitment and capacity of the players, which is hard to get."

Luis Suarez on Liverpool

International Champions Cup: Liverpool v Barcelona

Luis Suarez will face his former club Liverpool as Barcelona take on the Reds in the semi-finals of the Champions League. The Uruguayan ace was obviously a key part of the Liverpool squad during his days at Anfield and remembers them fondly.

"I've been lucky to take great memories from all the clubs I have played for," he said. "Playing for my home club Nacional in Uruguay got me a move to Europe. I developed a lot as a player at Ajax and that helped me take the next step into the elite, which was playing for Liverpool. And at Liverpool I was able to consolidate as a player on the world stage."

"Liverpool made me realise that I could keep improving as a player, keep growing, and I'm grateful for all that and for what I shared with my children there too."

But Suarez remains professional and he claimed that there will be no friendship when he is on the pitch against his former club.

“I’m so grateful but I’m there to play for Barcelona, knowing what our targets are. Once we’re playing there’ll be no friendship, no mates, none of those lovely memories. That’s the way I am as a player, everyone knows.”