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Andres Iniesta has a lucrative offer to move to China
The 33-year old is nearing the twilight of his career and the arrival of Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool in the January transfer window is set to have a further impact on the Spaniard's playing time. Thus, the World Cup-winning midfielder finds himself on the brink of leaving his boyhood club, despite signing a 'lifetime' contract last October.
Now, Iniesta has received a tempting offer from China as per Sport. The midfielder is reportedly being offered a whopping €35 million per season by Chinese Super League club, Tianjin Quanjian. While the club captain has been key to the manager, Ernesto Valverde's plans this season, he does know that this could be his last big pay-check in a stellar career.
The Chinese club's representatives have started negotiations back in December, as per the report, but Iniesta did not want to move in winter and is expected to make a decision by the end of March. While his final decision depends on how the season unravels, Barcelona are not expected to stop the move, given the player's immense contribution to the club.
If Iniesta does decide to leave the Blaugrana at the end of the season, then Tianjin Quanjian are confident of landing the player as he does not want to move to the United States of America, or Arabia. Meanwhile, for Barcelona, this could be the farewell season to one of the greatest midfielders they ever produced.
Willian dreams of a move to Barcelona
The Brazilian was in stunning form as he scored twice to help Chelsa ease past Hull City in the FA Cup. Despite his superb form this season with 10 goals and 7 assists across all competitions, most of his appearances have come from the bench.
This could affect his chances of making it to the Brazilian first-team, given the presence of the likes of Neymar, Philippe Coutinho, Gabriel Jesus and Roberto Firmino.
Willian spoke about the situation, and according to reports from UOL , revealed his desire to play for some of the biggest clubs in Europe. He said:
“They are the two biggest clubs in the world [Real and Barcelona], they are the clubs with the most visibility, it is everybody’s dream. Of course, there are other big clubs, there are Bayern, PSG, but these two are different.”
The 29-year old can definitely add quality and depth to the wide positions at Barcelona.
However, Valverde's priority in the summer will be a forward who can compete with Luis Suarez than a wide attacker. Further, he could very well be relegated to the bench at Camp Nou and it remains to be seen whether the lure of the Blaugrana will be enough for him to consider a move.
Milan Skriniar squashes Inter exit talk
The Inter Milan centre-back has adapted to his new club seamlessly despite joining only in the July of last year. His performances have caught the attention of top clubs across Europe and the player addressed the links in a recent interview where he said:
“I am happy to know that. There were so many offers during the winter but I never considered leaving. Certainly not during the Winter. I was happy when Inter said that they would not let me go. I want to keep growing and then we’ll see what happens in the summer. Other players may come out of World Cup in Russia and the situation might change.”
“I wasn’t told the specifics, although I understand that is a breathtaking sum. I must admit that it does not take much to raise prices. I did not try anything smart myself, I left it all in the hands of my agent. I was told that Inter would not let me go, I would like to stay but if Inter had agreed then I would have gone. Karol told me that I would be staying and I was happy. I said that I could not wait to concentrate on Inter again.”
“I do not know. To attract the likes of Real Madrid or Barcelona is amazing but even the teams in Manchester are top clubs as well. The Premier League is the most competitive in the world even if this season is being dominated by Manchester City. It would be difficult to decide which club to go to. It would also depend on the agreements and what role they could guarantee me. If I had to go to a club to sit on the bench, then I wouldn’t go. I think if I go somewhere it will be a club where I have real chances to play.”
It is no secret that Valverde is looking to add a quality centre-back to his ranks as he tries to plan for the future with Gerard Pique and Thomas Vermaelen on the wrong side of 30. If Skriniar continues to develop at the current rate, then there is no reason why he cannot be a Barcelona player in the near future.
