Thursday, June 24, 2010

Barca linked with Mata swoop

Barca linked with Mata swoop

Barcelona have reportedly agreed a deal with Valencia for Spanish forward Juan Mata.

The 22-year-old has impressed over the past few seasons with Valencia, although the likes of David Villa and David Silva captured most of the headlines.

Still Barca look to have opted for Mata ahead of team-mate Silva, and are ready to pay €20million.

Some sources claim that Barca have decided that they were also not willing to take a risk on Manchester City's Robinho.

New president Sandro Rosell is understood to have taken charge of the negotiations and it will see Barca and Valencia strike a second deal in the space of a month, following the purchase of David Villa.

Pedro happy

Meanwhile, Barca starlet Pedro has joined the chorus of Catalan voices urging Cesc Fabregas to return to Camp Nou.

The Arsenal skipper is another wanted by Barca and they still hope he will sign over the summer.

"Cesc is doing fantastic, he's thinking only about the national team and he's relaxed," he told Marca .

"Of course I would like to have him at Barca.

"He has been playing away (from Spain) for a long time, he knows the club and he would adapt quickly."

Pedro also welcomed the recently signed Villa, saying: "He's a great player, a great striker who scores lots of goals. His movement is very good and he will adapt very quickly to the team.

"He'll be great. His arrival is extraordinary news for us."

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