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Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk has admitted that he has no idea on how to restrict the threat from Lionel Messi when his team face Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final. The Reds cruised to the last four of the competition after a comfortable 6-1 win over Porto and they are now scheduled to face the Blaugrana, who are deemed the front-runners to secure the trophy.
Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets has said that there is no surprise element with regards to the performances of Lionel Messi in the club’s shirt. The Argentina international recently reached the 40-goal landmark for the 10th season on the bounce after he bagged a brace in the 2-0 triumph over Espanyol.
Spanish midfielder Carlos Alena has credited Lionel Messi for helping him settle with the Barcelona first-team. The youngster has made his breakthrough with the Blaugrana during the ongoing campaign where he has already a total of 15 appearances while earning promotion from the club’s reserve side.
Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is confident that Lionel Messi will pen another long-term contract with the club which may see out the remainder of his playing career. The Argentine is currently on a deal, which is due to expire in the summer of 2021, but talks are already underway to extend his stay for three seasons.
Former Barcelona star Patrick Kluivert believes Marcus Rashford can be considered as a probable replacement for Luis Suarez at the Catalan giants in the long-term. The England international had made excellent progress with Manchester United over the past three year and he most recently bagged his 150th appearance for the club.
Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has highlighted the importance of Willian to the Blues amid the recent speculation linking him with Barcelona. The Brazil international had been the subject of three failed bids from the Spanish champions during the summer and reports have recently indicated that the Blues have snubbed a player-plus-cash deal from the Blaugrana for their player.
Barcelona midfielder Arthur has said that he would welcome the prospect of working with Neymar at the Camp Nou in the future. The Brazil international made a world-record switch to Paris Saint-Germain from the Catalan giants last year but he has already been touted for a probable comeback amid suggestions that he is unsettled at Parc des Princes.
When asked on this regard, Arthur revealed that he has a close personal relationship with his Brazilian compatriot and he is praying for the forward to make a switch return to the Spanish champions, he told Mundo Deportivo: “I personally am praying for him to come because he is a superstar, it is indisputable.
“I think that the more great players the team has, the better. Personally, I’m doing a lot of work to get him back, but he has his life, he knows what he’s doing and I do not know how deep those negotiations are, if there are options for him to come or not. But he is a personal friend and a professional that I admire a lot and would be very happy if he could come back here.”
Neymar had been constantly linked with Real Madrid during the summer shortly after Cristiano Ronaldo made the shock move away from the European champions. However, Les Parisiens’ hierarchy thereafter clarified that they have no concerns with the commitment of the attacker but this has not entirely ceased the speculation going around.
The former Santos graduate joined the French heavyweights during the previous season with the aim of potentially leading their attack while competing for the Ballon d’Or. Butthings have not paved the way as planned with Kylian Mbappe currently posing a strong competitor alongside him for the individual accolades in years to come. Neymar currently has more than three years remaining on his contract with the club.
Rafinha’s father Mazinho has suggested that the Brazilian could make way from Barcelona when the transfer window reopens at the turn of the year. The 25-year-old has recently been in the Blaugrana mix, having been involved in three of the club’s previous five league matches but there remain genuine concerns regarding the gametime with the Catalan giants.
Inter Milan manager Luciano Spalletti has said that his team are looking to reach the standards set by the current Barcelona squad in the future. The Nerazzurri come into the Champions League encounter after bagging seven straight league wins but they were outclassed during the reverse fixture of the European competition.
