Barca confirms Villa bid

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has confirmed the club have lodged a bid of over €40million with Valencia for striker David Villa.

A host of top clubs have been chasing Villa this summer, with Barca understood to have been locked in talks with Los Che for the past few weeks.

Real Madrid have already pulled out of the race to sign the 27-year-old forward, saying the price was too high.

Chelsea and Manchester United are both still interested, but Villa's preference is a move to either Real or Barca.

He recently called for a resolution to the situation, with the La Liga season fast approaching.

Now Laporta has confirmed Barcelona want to take him to the Camp Nou. He said: "He's (Villa) a player we're interested in, and we made a good bid for him, closer to €40 million than €50million."

Laporta also confirmed Barca would attempt to sign Franck Ribery, should Bayern Munich decide to sell: "He's (Ribery) a player we are interested in at a logical price. But Bayern don't want to sell. Although if they are interested in selling, we are interested (in buying). We need small adjustments; a left back, a central defender, a midfielder and a forward."

The Samuel Eto'o situation is no closer to being resolved, Laporta said. The Cameroon striker has been offered a two-year contract extension but has yet to respond, while Manchester City have put in an offer for him.

"I have called him a couple of times but he hasn't answered his mobile," Laporta said. "I don't know if he has changed the number or whether he's lost it, but I would like to speak to him."

The Barca president also said there is no way Lionel Messi will be leaving the club: "I love him a lot! He wouldn't leave Barcelona for any price. We are not selling, he has a clause of €150million, but more than that there his commitment to the club."

Laporta confirmed manager Pep Guardiola only has one-year left on his contract, but insisted both parties were content: "He's got a contract until the end of the season and he likes this situation."

Melo heads to Juve as Marchionni agrees Viola deal

Juventus winger Marco Marchionni has agreed to join Fiorentina in a move that will allow highly-rated Brazilian Felipe Melo to head in the opposite direction in a cash plus player deal.


Juventus will hand over Marchionni and €21m to La Viola to secure the services of defensive midfielder Melo on a five-year contract.

Melo, who was also a target for Premier League club Arsenal, had an impressive season for Fiorentina and was a key figure in Brazil's triumph at the Confederations Cup in South Africa.

The 26-year-old will link up with compatriots Amauri and Diego - a €24.5m summer signing for Werder Bremen - in Turin.

The swap deal was originally expected to be completed on Wednesday, but transfer talks stalled over Marchionni's salary demands.

But on Thursday the Italy international's agent Bruno Carpeggiani said: "The situation has been unlocked, the player has accepted the offer from Fiorentina and is married to the Viola project.

"Official confirmation? We can say that it will arrive in a matter of hours."

Marchionni, 28, added: "Florence was always my first choice."

Newcastle confirm multiple £100m buyout bids

Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley has received at least two offers of £100m for the club.

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Managing director Derek Llambias confirmed on Monday that several bids at the sportswear magnate's asking price have been tabled as hopes of a quick sale grow.

He said: "There have been more than two bids at £100m.

"At the moment, we are in the hands of lawyers and it is all ongoing.

"We are giving interested parties all the help that they need."

The identities of the bidders remain a closely-guarded secret with all having signed non-disclosure agreements before being granted access to the club's books.

Llambias is understood to have shown a Malaysian consortium lead by Ananda Krishna around St James' Park and the club's training ground last week, while the Singapore-based Profitable Group and former chairman Freddy Shepherd are known to have held discussions with Seymour Pierce, the investment bank handling the sale.

However, amid suggestions that there have been offers at lower prices - the Malaysians were said to have bid £80m, but agreed to take on an overdraft of up to £40m - Llambias is adamant that £100m remains the figure prospective buyers need to meet.

The Magpies were put up for sale days after Ashley and Llambias held talks with Alan Shearer over the manager's job, and that vacancy is still to be filled.

Shearer is keen to take on the role, but it is caretaker boss Chris Hughton who is currently putting the players through their paces at a pre-season training camp in Ireland as talks behind the scenes continue.

Whoever does buy the club, time is fast running out before the start of the new Championship season on August 8 with the squad yet to be re-shaped and an annual wage bill which has been reduced to around £62m in the wake of recent departures, still way in excess of what a side outside of the Premier League can afford.

Barca star Busquets would welcome Mascherano

Links between Barcelona and Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano continue to strengthen after Barca midfielder Sergi Busquets insisted he would welcome the addition of Javier Mascherano to the treble-winners squad this summer, even though it could spell bad news for his own hopes of securing a starting berth.

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As one of the players whose position could be most threatened by the arrival of Mascherano, 20-year-old Busquets chose not to complain and instead of speaking of his excitement at linking up the Argentine midfielder.

Busquets said in El Mundo Deportivo: "No, the more players that come the better, and they will be welcomed.

"He is a magnificent player and hopefully he can be added.

"The most important thing is that the signings will add to the squad," said Busquets, who believes he has slightly different attributes to Mascherano anyway.

"He is also a defensive player, but perhaps he moves around a lot more conducting play and I maintain my position more and play the ball quicker."

Malaysian consortium given Newcastle tour

The sale of Newcastle United could have moved a step closer on Thursday after a group of Asian businessmen were shown around the club.

Press Association Sport understands the potential buyers, thought to be from Malaysia, were given a tour of the club's facilities today and have since returned to London to continue discussions.

There was no official confirmation of the story tonight, but with all interested parties having signed non-disclosure agreements, that came as no surprise.

But sources close to the club were not denying it either, and there is a growing feeling that an end to a saga which has rumbled on for more than a month could be in sight.

The identity of the group remains unknown, as do those of most of the consortia who have expressed a serious interest in buying the club.

Current owner Mike Ashley and the people closest to the ongoing negotiations were optimistic yesterday that significant progress could be made within 48 hours, and while there is still much ground to be covered, it appears things are now moving more rapidly.

Indeed, there is a feeling that a deal could be struck within days and the decisive move could be made next week.

A takeover would be effectively complete when the prospective buyer signed a sales purchase agreement, and they could then get on with the business of appointing a manager and starting to re-shape the playing squad.

Ashley put the club up for sale for the second time just days after the Magpies' relegation to the Coca-Cola Championship was confirmed on May 24.

At least four consortia have entered into detailed discussions, with an American-based group among the most advanced, while former chairman Freddy Shepherd has also been heavily involved.

However, Seymour Pierce, the investment bank engaged to handle the sale, have not put any deadline on bids being made and there has always been the possibility that someone could emerge from the pack to win the race.

Ashley has put a £100million price tag on the club and has insisted he will sell to the first consortium to come up with the cash.

A successful conclusion to the current talks would come as a welcome relief for the sportswear magnate, who handed over £134.4m to seal his takeover and has ploughed in around £110million since, although to disastrous effect.