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Juventus target Sergio Roberto as Emre Can alternative
The Old Lady has been locked in talks with Liverpool's no.23 for a while now. Massimiliano Allegri is looking to bolster his midfield by signing the midfielder for free in the summer. However, just like any plan, the Serie A champions have made their Plan B should they fail to land Can.
CalcioMercato reports that Barcelona's Sergi Roberto is the Italian side's alternative. The La Masia graduate has failed to establish himself at the Camp Nou and his current contract runs out in the summer of 2019. Further, the contract talks have stalled with the player reportedly demanding wages at par with his status in the squad.
Meanwhile, Roberto could prove to be a great fit in the Juventus setup with his versatility to play at right-back of great use to the club while they find an able replacement for Stephan Lichtsteiner.
While Juventus remain interested, it remains to be seen whether Barcelona are willing to let go of an academy graduate in the upcoming transfer windows.
Gremio president ready to let Arthur leave
The 21-year old starred in Gremio's superb Copa Libertadores win a few weeks back and his midfield skills have reportedly attracted the attention of Barcelona, Chelsea and Real Madrid. The Blaugrana, in fact, apologised to the Brazilian club for an illegal approach as well.
The club vice-president has stated a few weeks back that Arthur could leave if any club matches his €50 million release clause. Now, the club president, Romildo Bolzan, has reiterated the same and confirmed his willingness to sell the Brazilian, should the release clause be matched. He told Sport:
"Gremio has already expressed the value of this negotiation, and we hope that if Barça comes with an offer, they pay their 50 million clause directly, which is fixed in their contract. There is no possibility of negotiation, the price is its clause."
"I do not know what the Barça interest is, I do not know what they think, I do not know what they prefer, so I cannot say if it will be now, or if it will be in July, I do not have an exact answer for that."
"Nobody has sent me any offers, right now we have absolutely nothing on the table, we cannot analyze any proposal because it has not even come in. So, we are waiting to see if it arrives, and if it does not arrive, then Arthur has contract with Gremio, and he recently renewed it, so he will continue with us, which is what we want."
"We do not know any contact of Arthur with Barcelona, beyond one, that of the photo with the Barça shirt."
Thus, the ball is firmly in Barcelona's court and it is upto them to sign or lose the 21-year old.
Atletico Madrid want respect and not transfer ban for Barcelona
The second-placed side in La Liga lodged a complaint to FIFA regarding the Blaugrana's illegal approach to sign Antoine Griezmann. The Frenchman is reportedly one of the top transfer targets for Ernesto Valverde but talking to the player's representatives without Atletico's permission put the club in hot water.
However, Atletico Madrid only want respect from the Catalan side with the former's chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin stating he does not want the La Liga leaders to be handed a transfer ban. He told Onda Cero radio station:
"I have spoken with Griezmann's agents and his family, and it's obvious that there has been contact. But we are not seeking a punishment, we only look for respect. It doesn't make sense that now, in the middle of the championship, the top team is going after a player from the team in second."
"To date, Atletico Madrid's relationship with Barcelona is very good, but when someone does something they shouldn't, we have to defend ourselves and maintain the integrity of the competition."
Further, Gil stated that Griezmann is going nowhere given his high release clause when he said:
"Griezmann will continue with us, the club will not negotiate now, and in any event, it's practically impossible for any team to pay his termination clause at this moment. Until July 1, 2018, his clause is 200 million euros and, beyond all that, Antoine is fine. Our idea is that he and Diego Costa can be together in this team for several years."
Well, Barcelona definitely have a fight on their hands to land Griezmann.
