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Barcelona beat Ferencvaros 5-1 in their UEFA Champions League campaign opener and are now getting ready to take on arch-rivals Real Madrid at the Camp Nou on Saturday. Let's take a look at the top stories involving Barcelona from 22 October 2020.
Sergino Dest says he is loving the Barcelona challenge
Some people think that Sergino Dest might have made his move to Barcelona a little too earlier than he should have. Now the former Ajax full-back has revealed why he wasn't hesitant to make the move and decided that it was time to secure his dream switch.
Dest has spoken about his transfer and stated that he believes that he will improve faster than he would if he had stayed at Barcelona. Dest told Voetball (via Barca Blaugranes),
“People may think that I went to Barcelona too early, that I should have stayed longer at Ajax. When you go to Spain to live there, you learn Spanish earlier and better than if you stayed in the Netherlands. That’s how I see it with football. I think that when I’m in Barcelona I can develop to a certain level faster. It’s a challenge, but I love it.”
Jordi Alba might not be fit for El Clasico
Barcelona are still not certain whether left-back Jordi Alba will be available to fielded against arch-rivals Real Madrid on Saturday, according to reports. Alba limped off during Barcelona's 1-1 draw with Sevilla and has been sidelined since.
Jordi Alba is training and hoping to regain his fitness and be available for Saturday's clash. However, the report adds that Barcelona are pessimistic about his chances of playing the Clasico.
Eric Garcia angry with Manchester City for not allowing him to join Barcelona
According to Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness), centre-back Eric Garcia is angry with the manner in which Manchester City prevented him from securing a switch to Barcelona this past transfer window.
Barcelona had identified Eric Garcia as their ideal centre-back signing due to a lot of reasons. Garcia is young, has a lot of quality and is familiar with the ways of the Catalans, as he rose through the ranks at Barcelona and was at the club from 2008-2017.
Garcia also has only one year remaining in his contract and as such, he would have been available for a low transfer fee. Though Manchester City were initially positive in their response, they rejected Barcelona's bid of €10 million + another €8 million in variables.
Garcia was left angry because of this. He believes that City have ample cover at the back after signing Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake. However, Manchester City maintained the position that it is a long season and that they need to be prepared for any kind of contingencies.
