Barca agree new deal with Messis father

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Barcelona have agreed a new contract with Lionel Messi’s father, handing Luis Enrique’s side a massive boost ahead of the start of the new La Liga season.

Messi’s current contract at the Nou Camp expires in 2018 and the Catalan giants have made extending the Argentine star’s deal their biggest priority.

Now, Spanish media are reporting agreement has been reached with Mundo Deportivo saying Messi’s father has accepted Barcelona’s proposal to extend the deal.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has endured a difficult summer , dramatically retiring from international football after Argentina were beaten in the final of the Copa America and then being sentenced to 21 months in prison for tax fraud – a punishment he is unlikely to serve.

SPAIN

• Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo,  is wanted on loan by La Liga side Villarreal if the Argentine can fit into the club’s wage structure.
• Europa League champions, Sevilla have signed one-time wonderkid Paulo Henrique Ganso from Sao Paulo on Saturday, hours after completing a deal for Palermo’s Franco Vazquez. Both players signed five-year deals with the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan side after completing their transfers. Ganso for a reported 9.5 million euros and Vazquez for 15m euros.
• Diego Costa is linked with a return to Atletico Madrid after club president Enrique Cerezo admitted his admiration for the striker.

ENGLAND

• New Everton boss Ronald Koeman is keen on bringing in Ivory Coast striker Wilfried Bony, as part of a £50m swap deal which could see centre-back John Stones, move to Manchester City.
• West Ham are considering a move for Real Madrid and Colombia attacking midfielder James Rodriguez with the Spanish club wanting £67m.
• Chelsea are planning to add to the signing of Leicester and France midfielder N’Golo Kante,  by going back to the Foxes to try to sign 25-year-old Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez.
• Red Devils midfielder Jesse Lingard is in talks over a new £40,000-a-week deal with the club with Manchester United also chasing Monaco and Brazil right-back Fabinho, in a deal which could be worth £22m.
• Defender Laurent Koscielny and Arsenal have stalled in their talks over a new £90,000-a-week contract, with Bayern Munich interested in the France international.
• Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has defensive concerns and the Reds have contacted Barcelona about centre-back Jeremy Mathieu. The Reds are also looking to keep full-back Jon Flanagan,despite the player being linked with a loan move to former boss Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic.
• Antonio Conte has revealed Juan Cuadrado will be a part of his Chelsea revolution. Colombian attacker Cuadrado, spent last season on loan at Italian side Juventus.
• Watford have signed Colombia defender Juan Camilo Zuniga on a season-long loan from Italian side Napoli.

ITALY

• Emanuele Giaccherini has joined Napoli for £2m as his disappointing Sunderland spell comes to an end.
• Juventus have completed the signing of defender Medhi Benatia on loan from Bayern Munich and the Turin giants have not made a move to sign striker Gonzalo Higuain, nor do Napoli want to sell him, the club’s head of communications has said.
• Massimiliano Allegri is bullish about Juventus’ chances of keeping Paul Pogba, saying the French star will want to stay at one of Europe’s ‘big four clubs’ as they can challenge for the Champions League.

Sources: BBC, The Guardian, Soccernet.com