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Barcelona are braced for a busy January transfer window and if the latest reports are anything to by, there will be incomings and outgoings at the Camp Nou next month. Without further ado, let's take a look at the top stories involving Barcelona from 19 December 2020.
Xavi pens open letter giving no hints of a return to Barcelona in the future
One of the greatest midfielders of all time and Barcelona legend, Xavi, has penned an open letter discussing his future and he has not hinted at a possible return to Catalonia. Xavi is currently the manager of Qatari club Al Sadd and won silverware with them recently.
Xavi's name has been linked with the Barcelona job for a while owing to the instability at the top which led to the internal combustion at the club. However, one thing that's clear from the letter is that Xavi is happy with his life in Qatar and is in no hurry to return to Barcelona or stake a claim for the role of the manager of his former club.
Xavi also discussed Qatar's role as the hosts of the FIFA World Cup 2022 as he wrote (via Marca),
“While later it will be time to take the next step in my career, for now, I am focused on enjoying my time here and making the most of the opportunity to play a small role in Qatar’s exciting journey leading up to 2022.”
Memphis Depay could join Barcelona for as little as £4.5 million
Barcelona have made no secret of the fact that they would like to sign Olympique Lyon forward Memphis Depay. They were interested in signing him last summer but a deal couldn't be worked out.
However, now Memphis Depay has entered the final months of his contract at Lyon and he is certain to leave as a free agent next summer. Olympique Lyon are now looking to cash in on him and sell him for as little as £4.5 million, according to L'Equipe via Mercato.
Ronald Koeman believes that Depay is the missing piece in his puzzle and will be excited to know that the player he covets will be available for a cut-price deal next month.
Marseille asks Barcelona to pay €60 million for Boubacar Kamara
Barcelona have earmarked 21-year-old Marseille centre-back Boubacar Kamara as a transfer target. Marseille is all set for a mass exodus owing to the financial strain on them caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In addition to Boubacar Kamara, Morgan Sanson is also expected to leave the club. According to Le10Sport, Marseille will be ready to part with Boubacar Kamara for €60 million.
That comes as no surprise as Kamara has been impressive this season and his stock has risen as several European giants have now registered an interest in him with Barcelona being the most prominent among his admirers.
