James Walker Roberts moderator 5pts GUILLEM BALAGUE Q&AScroll down to see Guillem's answers to your questions, including news on Antoine Griezmann to Man Utd reports, Diego Costa and Isco futures, and the latest on Lionel Messi's potential new Barcelona contract.
James Walker Roberts moderator 5pts THAT'S A WRAPThat's all we have time for today, thanks for your company and sending in your questions. Don't forget there's live La Liga action on Sky Sports this weekend, with Atletico hosting Leganes on Saturday and Real Madrid travelling to Celta Vigo on Sunday.See you next week!
James Walker Roberts moderator 5pts GUILLEM SAYS...Before mid-March Barcelona will sit down with Messi's dad, Jorge, who is still in Argentina. Both club and Jorge are talking but they have not reached the stage of going into details. I can only see one outcome here: him staying. Only one thing would disturb that, and that's not the offers from the Premier League, but Barcelona not doing their job well.
James Walker Roberts moderator 5pts AND FINALLY...What's the latest with Lionel Messi's potential new Barcelona contract?
James Walker Roberts moderator 5pts GUILLEM SAYS...I have also heard that if Aubameyang leaves then Williams could be a target, I know they like young players. He is miles away from Aubameyang's level so we will have to see if they are willing to pay his buyout clause. Athletic are financially very strong so when they sell they do so for the buyout clause figure. They don’t add the taxes to it because they realise that if anybody pays that kind of money for the buyout clause then it’s worth selling. They don’t need to sell, so they see Williams as a future striker and they don’t want to let him go.
James Walker Roberts moderator 5pts GUILLEM SAYS...The renewal of Isco is not progressing. He wanted his contract renewed but when he realised Real Madrid weren’t in a rush to do so he went out to see what teams were interested. Spurs were interested in the summer but did not make an approach in the winter. Even Barcelona were looking at him and thinking what would the conditions be of getting him when his contract finishes.There are other options. Arsenal is not one of them. It’s played like a chess game, he doesn’t want to show he wants to go because he wants to see what Real will offer first - if they make an offer to renew his contract.
James Walker Roberts moderator 5pts GUILLEM SAYS...Not true at all. There are no problems between Neymar and Suarez and there is nothing in it.
James Walker Roberts moderator 5pts GUILLEM SAYS...The targets for Real are goalkeeper and they will look at Courtois and De Gea. Dybala is a target for Barcelona and they will need a different type of midfielder to replace Busquets. They will also need another right-back and another forward if Alcacer is not reaching his level. It’s early days for all that though.
James Walker Roberts moderator 5pts GUILLEM SAYS...No decision has been made but I do believe Costa wants to go and what happened in December was part of him putting pressure on the club so they would get rid of him in the summer.I think Chelsea will consider letting him go if they find the right replacement. Alvaro Morata is at the top of that list but it’s still very early stages.
James Walker Roberts moderator 5pts GUILLEM SAYS...That’s a cheeky question! Obviously United might be in the Champions League…But Griezmann wants to see what happens with Diego Simeone, and with Atletico Madrid. They have lost a certain level of competitiveness they used to have and it seems to me like it is the end of an era where Simeone goes, maybe not this summer but in a year’s time. Certainly he will have to recycle the side. Will that be enough to convince Griezmann to stay?We will see. It’s not decided yet if Simeone will stay this summer, the idea from him according to the club is to stay at least one more year. But Griezmann has not agreed to join United at this point
James Walker Roberts moderator 5pts GUILLEM SAYS...If he leaves - and it's a big if - I think Manchester United are favourites to get Griezmann. Man City haven’t shown interest at this point and have other targets for the summer. Chelsea is a possibility but let’s see what happens to Diego Costa, I have the impression that Costa wants to go and Chelsea are happy to let him go. But I do not believe at all that Griezmann has an agreement with Manchester United. It’s early stages and he hasn’t made his mind up. He has to think what to do next. Of course Atletico won’t be able to sign in the summer because of the FIFA ban which means they won’t want to let him go. If anyone wants to sign him they will have to pay 100m euros plus taxes, which will make him really expensive. Atletico keep denying they are selling him. They obviously have a plan B - if somebody pays his buyout clause and taxes then in the future they may use that money for Costa and Alexis Sanchez, but at the moment there is no agreement between Manchester United and Griezmann. But they are favourites if he goes. That’s where we stand.
James Walker Roberts moderator 5pts HOLA!The transfer window might be closed, but plenty of you have been wanting to know what could happen in the summer in La Liga, including if Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann might join Manchester United.Sky Sports' Spanish football expert Guillem Balague is here to answer that and more...
James Walker Roberts moderator 5pts Guillem Balague Q&ABarcelona v A Bilbao (Sat, 3.15pm)Atletico v Leganes (Sat, 5.30pm, SS5)Celta v Real Madrid (Sun, 7.45pm, SS1)Deportivo v Real Betis postponedWatch La Liga live on Sky Sports
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