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Finally! Oleguer Presas has been sold. To me his sale has been long overdue due to the many defensive arrivals this summer and Oleguer's clumsy tendencies. Oleguer never looked to me like a defender who was up to Barca's standards and I'm glad to see him go.

According to reports Ajax and Barcelona have agreed to a transfer fee of 3 million euros for the player, and if the Amsterdam club qualifies for the Champions League in one of the next three seasons, an extra 2.25 million will be paid. Oleguer is the Dutch club's fourth singing of the summer.

In other news Eto'o is being linked with a move to Lyon that includes Benzema coming to Barca in a swap deal. Lyon president, Jean Michel Aulas is apparently very keen on bringing the Cameroon international to France, as the club is looking to strengthen their attacking options ahead of the Champions League. However this sounds like just another rumor, as Benzema is a prized possession at Lyon, but who knows, Eto'o is more prolific than the Algerian-Kabyle descendant, and Lyon as well as Barca could be tempted.

To cap off my post, I just want to give some hope to the Barca fans out there like myself, who want to see Eto'o stay at the Nou Camp. After Barca's thrashing of yet another Scottish side, this time running out victorious over Dundee United 5-1 in their second preseaon match, where Messi scored a hat-trick, President Joan Laporta was full of praise for Eto'o, commending him for his attitude and for just being a great player. When asked by the media if Eto'o would stay, the president sunned the question and raced away in a hurry according to reports. Seems like Laporta might be having second thoughts about offloading Eto'o, but only time will tell what the future holds.

Barca Prepares Shocking Move For Robinho

Fresh off me having so much praise for Robinho in my last post, reports have suggested that Barcelona are ready to bring in the unsettled Madrid player.

Joan Laporta is desperate to get the fans back on his side after loosing the popular vote in the recent vote of no confidence against him and his board. Laporta and his team are now willing to spend big on a high profile player with the funds they have just received from Ronaldinho's move to Milan.

The names they have shortlisted include David Villa, Fernando Torres, Didier Drogba, Frédéric Kanouté, Carlos Tévez and Robinho. Of all these names, Barcelona seems to be most interested in Robinho as Pep Guardiola has made it know to Laporta, that if he could sign anyone right now it would be Robinho.

However they are questions as to how unsettled Robinho is, Calderon, Madrid's president, recently declared that Robinho is happy at the club and they will start giving the player the affection that he deserves. Calderon also went on to value the player well above 47.5 million pounds.

As a Barca fan I would love to see Robinho in a Barcelona jersey, but how willing would Madrid be to sell one of their stars to their direct rival. Though it has happened in the past, I find it highly unlikely.

Joan Laporta's Future at Barcelona at Stake

Today, Barcelona's 118,528 members with voting rights will decide if current president, Joan Laporta and his board will continue their reign at the Nou Camp or step down.
Fans have mixed feeling on whether Laporta should step down or stay, as it is rumored that the futures of Samuel Eto'o and Ronaldinho will be determined by this vote. It is said that if Laporta maintains his position, Ronaldinho and Eto'o will leave, and if he is voted out, they will stay. AC Milan is hoping for a Laporta win, so they could possibly bring Ronaldinho to the San Siro.
For this motion of censure to take place it is required that 10% of the club's associates vote and that 2/3 of all votes are gathered. If the vote proves successful Laporta and his board will immediately resign and a temporary commision led by Xavier Sala i Martín will take over, until elections are held.
I was at first against this vote, but now that FCBarcelona has made all the necessary signings of the summer, Alves, Keita, Pique, and Martín Cáceres, I believe Laporta should be voted out. The intention of he and his board to sell our best attacking players, Ronaldinho and Eto'o, doesn't go well with me, as Barca does not need Adebayor or any other striker. For me the main issues with the team was a lack of discipline and their defense, and now that we have made defensive signings, new coach Pep Guardiola should just focus on gelling the team together.
Laporta has done well during his period as president, as the club has managed back to back league titles and the Champions League under his rule. Also the club has been profitable for the fifth consecutive year, massing a profit of 10.1 million last season. However much of his success is attributed to the man trying to take his position, Sandro Rosell. Rosell was vice president of the club during those successful seasons but departed due to differences with Laporta. After his departure the club's success has dropped dramatically, thus causing Rosell to jump at the opportunity and force the vote of no confidence against Laporta. Rosell is also said to be the man responsible for bringing Ronaldinho to Barcelona in the first place.

Arshavin to Barcelona or Chelsea?

Andrei Arshavin, is still in the hunt for a new club after two spectacular performances at this year's Euro 2008, which has seen him receive interest from various clubs, including Barcelona, Arsenal and now Chelsea.
Arshavin is interested in a move to Barcelona, the club he has been a fan of since he was a boy, but new reports suggest that Chelsea have now entered the race for the player, and rightly so.
I stated in one of my earlier post that Roman Abramovich, Chelsea's owner, being Russian, should bring in at least one of the talented countrymen of his, who were on display at Euro 2008. Recent reports suggest that Abramovich has indicated to coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, that he must include at least one Russian player in his plans. So what are Scolari's options? Yuri Zhirkov(defender), Konstantin Zyryanov(midfielder),Roman Pavlyuchenko(striker),and Andrei Arshavin(striker), all of which have been named in the 23 man, Team of the Tournament at Euro 2008.
Zenit has clearly stated that they do not intend to sell Arshavin, and that they will sit with the player and his agent to determine his intentions. Maybe they think Arshavin wants more money, but genuinely I believe the player wants to show his talent abroad, he's stated it for weeks now.
Barcelona could very well loose Arshavin to Chelsea, as they are running out of time, with the vote of no confidence against Joan Laporta, current Barcelona club president, and his board taking place on July 6th. It is believed that Barca has made one last bid before this date in hopes of signing the player. If Laporta is voted out of office, new elections will be held, transfer activity will cease and Chelsea could very well get their man.