Real Madrid agree £63M deal with Premier League side, Barcelona hold talks with Bayern Munich target and more La Liga news – 4th January 2019

All the latest La Liga news in one place!

Real Madrid handed Eriksen boost

Real Madrid have been handed a major boost in their quest to sign Christian Eriksen from Tottenham. The Danish star has been linked with the Spanish giants as a long-term replacement for Luka Modric.

Eriksen is in constant contract talks with Spurs but is far from agreeing a new deal. “I'm not a person that suffers too much in this sort of situation,” said Pochettino in his press conference on Thursday ahead of their FA Cup clash vs Tranmere.

“Football is dynamic; it's about interests the manager sometimes can't manage. Of course, Christian Eriksen is so important for us. As a manager, you would like to have this type of player with you, but in the end, it's a negotiation,” added the manager.

Pochettino hinted that the midfielder might not be staying at the club and said, “It would be fantastic if Christian commits with the club for a long time. If not, it's his right to do what he wants to do. He is happy here, he is showing his commitment. Then, what is going to happen between him and the club is not only in our hands,”

Messi not on par with Maradona or Pele, says Zico

Lionel Messi has been labelled as the greatest player of all time by a lot of people around the world but Brazilian legend Zico does not agree. Zico believes that Diego Maradona and Pele are still a level above the Barcelona star.

“Messi is close to Maradona. That means, in my opinion, he can’t be compared to Pelé. I still consider Maradona in front of Messi. With Pelé, no. Pelé has all the qualities and characteristics that a football player has to have,” said Zico.

Also see : women's world cup, womens world cup bracket, Womens World Cup Standings

FC Barcelona Training Session and Press Conference

Barcelona eye Benjamin Pavard

Barcelona have met with the agent of Benjamin Pavard according to Di Marzio. The Italian journalist claims that the French defender is a top target for the Catalan side.

Pavard, who plays for VfB Stuttgart, was a star at the World Cup for France. His goal vs Argentina was the one that put him in the limelight and he was linked with a move to Bayern Munich straight away.

However, the German champions denied having a deal in place and now Barcelona are looking to sign him. Bayern, despite denying interest, are reportedly looking to sign him as well while Napoli are the front-runners for his signature.

Munir agrees deal with Sevilla

Munir El Haddadi's contract at Barcelona ends at the end of this season and he has no plans of signing a new deal. The youngster broke into the first team a couple of seasons ago but has failed to keep his place in the squad.

He is now set for a move to Sevilla after agreeing a pre-contract with them, as per reports in Cadena Cope. The forward was linked with Celta de Vigo as well but nothing has materialized on that front.

Big deal?

Real Madrid agree £63 million deal with Arsenal

Real Madrid have agreed a deal with Arsenal that will see James Rodriguez joining the Premier League side according to Don Balon. The Spanish publication reports that the two clubs have agreed a £63 million deal for the Colombian.

Rodriguez is currently at Bayern Munich on a 2-year loan deal and that ends at the end of this season. The German side are not looking to sign him on a permanent basis and now Arsenal are looking to seal a deal for him.

The Gunners are on the lookout for an Aaron Ramsey replacement and have identified the Colombian as the perfect one. Ramsey, meanwhile, is set to join Juventus on a free transfer after reportedly agreeing a pre-contract with them. The Serie A side were also in the running to sign James Rodriguez in the summer but opted to sign the Arsenal man for free.