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Barcelona have blown hot and cold under Xavi this season. The Spanish manager has seen his team drop down to fourth in the league after 18 games as a result.
Meanwhile, the Catalans are interested in Andre. Elsewhere, Vitor Roque has arrived at Camp Nou ahead of joining up with his new teammates.
On that note, let's take a look at the major Barcelona transfer stories from December 27, 2023.
Barcelona want Andre
Barcelona are interested in Fluminense midfielder Andre, according to Mundo Deportivo. The Brazilian midfielder has emerged as an option to fill the shoes of Sergio Busquets at Camp Nou.
The Spanish midfielder left the Catalans this summer and Oriol Romeu, who was originally roped in for the role, has failed to live up to expectations. The La Liga champions have now turned their attentions towards Andre, who recently caught the eye with Fluminense at the FIFA Club World Cup.
Andre is also being pursued by Manchester City, who have identified him as the replacement for Kalvin Phillips, as per The Daily Star. The Premier League champions want to bring the Brazilian to the Etihad next month. However, Barcelona sporting director Deco enjoys a cordial relationship with the Brazilian side, which could give them an advantage in the race.
Vitor Roque arrives at Camp Nou
Vitor Roque has arrived at Camp Nou ahead of joining Barcelona. The Brazilian forward signed for the Catalans from Athletico Paranaense this summer, but could only be registered ahead of the winter.
Speaking after arriving in Catalonia, Vitor Roque insisted that he had always dreamt of playing for the La Liga giants.
"Thank you very much, I am very happy with everything that has happened in my life. It’s a dream come true now. I will try to learn as much as possible with the group. They always want to have the ball all the time, I will try to learn as much as possible with the group, and score goals too," said Vitor Roque (via AS.com).
Roque continued:
"It was always a dream since childhood, not only for me but for my family as well. To be here now for the first time is like a dream. I hope for lots of victories, to win as much as possible, and I will try to help the club as much as I can."
Vitor Roque could be a long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski at Camp Nou
Catalans were keen to sign Claudio Echeverri, says Fabrizio Romano
Barcelona were eager to sign Claudio Echeverri, according to acclaimed journalist Fabrizio Romano. The Argentinean midfielder rose to prominence at the under-17 World Cup this year. His efforts have turned heads at Camp Nou.
However, in his column for Caught Offside, Romano stated that Manchester City are close to winning the race for the 17-year-old's signature.
"Claudio Echeverri is close to joining Manchester City and today I want to explain to you what’s going on around this boy, because Barcelona really wanted him. Deco is a big fan of the player and also other people in the club know this talented boy very well. He’s playing for River Plate and was under contract until December 2024, a dangerous situation for River because his release clause is just €25m euros going up to €30m in the final 10 days of the window," wrote Romano.
Romano continued:
“It’s impossible for Barcelona to make the deal happen because of Financial Fair Play restrictions, even though he was really tempted by the opportunity to join Barcelona because he’s understood to be a big fan. Chelsea made some contacts to make sure they were in the race for Echeverri, but at the end of the day, Manchester City are the big favourites and are advancing to the final stages of this story.”
The Catalans' poor financial condition might have hurt them in the race to sign Echeverri.
