Barcelona Transfer News Roundup: Barca initiate talks to sign 19-year-old Spanish prodigy, Blaugrana tried to sign Jude Bellingham years ago and more - 2 December 2022

Barcelona are looking to bring in a teenage midfielder who is also on Real Madrid's radar.

Barca signed a number of world-class players and also managed to clear much of the deadwood at the club this past summer transfer window. Despite all that, they have crashed out of the UEFA Champions League. They are now laying the groundwork for future transfer windows.

Without further ado, let's take a look at the top stories involving Barcelona from 2 December 2022.

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Franck Kessie's agent rubbishes claims that player wants to leave Barcelona

FC Barcelona v FC Bayern München: Group C - UEFA Champions League

Franck Kessie joined Barcelona on a free transfer this past summer. However, he has not been able to establish himself as a starter in the side and has made just 13 appearances in all competitions for the Catalans so far this term. He has started just five of those games.

But as per reports, Kessie had been offered to Inter Milan by his agent George Atangana. But the player's agent has now shot down such claims in an interview with Calciomercato. Atangana said:

“Franck has never been as happy as he is now. He has achieved a goal that for many footballers remains just a dream, which is to play for Barcelona, and I defy anyone to say otherwise.

“Football has always taken him to wonderful cities: Cesena, Bergamo, Milan, and now Barcelona. All places where he and his family have found and are finding themselves wonderfully.”

He also added that Kessie's lack of minutes at the Spotify Camp Nou was nothing unusual and that it was something they had foreseen.

“Nothing that we hadn’t already foreseen. It is clear that with time he expects to get more and more into the mechanisms, but we arrived in Spain and here the philosophy is different.

“Franck is adapting to a type of football that is new to him, he has always played in a different way. But this is certainly not what frightens him, on the contrary, these are all stimuli that are part of a process of growth."

Barca tried to sign Jude Bellingham four or five years ago

Wales v England: Group B - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

Jude Bellingham has burgeoned into one of the best central midfielders in Europe over the past couple of seasons. The Englishman has been impressive for England at the 2022 FIFA World Cup and is one of the most sought-after youngsters in the world.

Teams like Real Madrid, Liverpool and Manchester City have all been linked with Bellingham. In an interview with SER Catalunya (via Mundo Deportivo), Barca's former scout, Bojan Krkic Sr., said that the Catalans tried to sign the midfielder four or five years ago.

He said that he met Bellingham's father "four or five years ago" in London but he did not agree to speak with the club.

Bojan Sr. added:

“I met Bellingham’s father in London, who was from the British secret police. But he didn’t show up. I know he did it to a lot of people.

“His excuse with us was because we had signed an Englishman of his age from Aston Villa or West Brom and he said ‘my son won’t sign with Barça because my son can’t play with someone with that limited quality."

Barca make contact with agents of 19-year-old Spanish prodigy Javi Guerra

Javi Guerra in training (photo: Twitter)

MARCA's claimed on Thursday that Barcelona had joined the race to sign Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra next summer. Mundo Deportivo have now followed that report up by claiming that the Catalans have already initiated talks with the player's agents over a possible move.

Guerra joined Valencia's youth setup from Villarreal in 2019. He has risen through the ranks and has become a regular for their B team this season. Guerra is a versatile midfielder who can play in multiple positions in midfield.

The 19-year-old's current contract expires in the summer of 2023 and Barca are hoping to sign him on a free transfer at the end of the ongoing season.