Barcelona in fresh transfer link with Arsenal star
La Liga giants Barcelona have initiated a fresh push for the signature of a member of the midfield ranks at Premier League outfit Arsenal.
That's according to Mundo Deportivo, citing English outlet The Sun, who point towards Thomas Partey as the player in question.
Advertisement
The name of midfielder Partey has of course proven a prominent one in the headlines surrounding Barcelona on a number of occasions in the past.
This comes amid the understanding that the Blaugrana are keen long-term admirers of the talents boasted by the Ghanaian international.
The interest of the Catalans dates as far as back as his time on the books of Atlético Madrid, and if the latest word doing the rounds in the media this week is anything to go by, then it has evidently never fully faded out.
As per a report from MD:
'The Sun reports that Barça representatives have already begun talks with the Ghanaian's entourage for a free transfer this summer, as the 31-year-old midfielder has not reached an agreement with the team managed by Mikel Arteta.'
It is also noted, however, that Deco and the Camp Nou brass are unlikely to be willing to meet the wage demands laid out by Partey and his entourage.
Conor Laird – GSFN
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
A Harvard acceptance fulfilled a dream for a student in Ethiopia. Trump's order stands in his way
Winning admission to Harvard University fulfilled a longtime goal for Yonas Nuguse, a student in Ethiopia who endured the Tigray conflict, internet and phone shutdowns, and the COVID-19 pandemic — all of which made it impossible to finish high school on time. Now, it's unclear if he will make it this fall to the Ivy League campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He and other admitted students around the world are anxiously tracking the school's feud with the Trump administration, which is seeking to keep it from enrolling international students. The war in the country's Tigray region forced schools to close in many parts of the province. Nuguse, 21, took a gap year to study and save money to pay for his TOEFL English proficiency test in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital. 'The war affected me a great deal and when I found out the news that I was accepted to Harvard, I was ecstatic. I knew it was a proud moment for my family, teachers, mentors and friends, who were instrumental in my achievement,' he said. Increasingly, the nation's oldest and best-known university has attracted some of the brightest minds from around the world, with international students accounting for one-quarter of its enrollment. As Harvard's fight with the administration plays out, foreign students are now navigating deep uncertainty and weighing other options. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed a directive seeking to block U.S. entry for Harvard's international students. It marked the administration's latest effort to squeeze Harvard's foreign enrollment after a federal judge in Boston blocked the withdrawal of its certification to host students from overseas. 'Harvard will continue to protect its international students,' the university said in a statement. The standoff with Harvard comes as the administration has been tightening scrutiny of student visas nationwide. Thousands of students around the country abruptly lost permission to be in the U.S. this spring before the administration reversed itself, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced last week the U.S. would 'aggressively revoke' visas for students from China. 'It is one blow after another,' said Mike Henniger, CEO of Illume Student Advisory Services, who works with colleges in the U.S., Canada and Europe to recruit international students. 'At this point, international student interest in the U.S. has basically dropped to nil.' The future of Harvard's international students has been hanging in the balance since the Department of Homeland Security first moved to block its foreign enrollment on May 22. For many, the twists and turns have been exhausting. Jing, a 23-year-old master's student, is currently completing an internship in China this summer, and unsure if he can reenter the U.S. for the fall semester. 'It is tiring, we all feel numb now. Trump just makes big news headlines once every few days since he got back to the White House,' said Jing, who agreed to speak under his family name out of concern about retaliation from the Trump administration. Jing said he is going to watch and see what happens for now, in case the move against international students is a negotiating tactic that does not stick. The possibility that Trump could block foreign enrollment at other colleges only raises the uncertainty for students planning to pursue their education overseas, said Craig Riggs, who has been working in international education for about 30 years and is the editor of ICEF Monitor. He said he urges families to consult carefully with advisers and not to overreact to the day's headlines. 'The rules under which students would make this huge decision to devote years of their lives and quite a bit of money to studying at Harvard have been shown to change quite quickly,' Riggs said. An aspiring economist, Nuguse was the only student accepted to Harvard this year from Kalamino Special High School, which caters to gifted students from underprivileged backgrounds from across Tigray. After receiving acceptances also to Columbia University and Amherst College, Nuguse chose Harvard, which he had long dreamed of attending. He said he hopes it will work out to attend Harvard. Nuguse was granted a visa to study at Harvard, and he worries it might be too late to reverse his decision and attend another university anyway. He received an email from Harvard last week, telling him to proceed with his registration and highlighting a judge's order in Harvard's favor in the dispute over foreign enrollment. 'I hope the situation is temporary and I can enroll on time to go on and realize my dream far from reality in Ethiopia,' he said. ___ Associated Press writers Jocelyn Gecker and Cheyanne Mumphrey contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Merz gets warm welcome from Trump at the Oval Office
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sought to strengthen ties with the United States during a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday. "We are having so much in common our history. We owe the Americans a lot. We will never forget that," Merz said during a press briefing with Trump in the Oval Office in Washington, referring in part to Trump's German heritage. Trump flattered his guest, calling him a "very respected man." "We're going to have a great relationship with your country," the US president said. A different tone from previous visits Trump adopted a notably friendly tone during the meeting - a major contrast to two previous visits. When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa were in the Oval Office earlier this year, Trump berated his guests. On key issues such as Ukraine and defence spending, Trump struck conciliatory notes. The Republican remarked that Merz had won "a great election" and joked that Merz could be a "difficult." "You wouldn't want me to say you're easy, right?" the president quipped. " negotiator. Trump joked that Merz was "difficult" but called him a great representative of Germany. The usually combative US president, known for provocative or dismissive remarks about his counterparts, presented himself as particularly mild-mannered. Trump even praised Germany's defence efforts, which he had previously sharply criticized sharply - and also complimented the chancellor on his English. Allegations from Vice President JD Vance that Germany restricts freedom of expression and marginalizes parties like the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) were not raised - even though Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were at the event. Merz had been prepared to refute them. "You speak such good English. Is it as good as your German would you say? Trump asked. That provoked some laughs from both Merz and the reporters in the room. "No, it's not my mother tongue, but I try to to understand almost everything, and yeah, to speak as good as I can, the chancellor replied. How well do Trump and Merz know each other? The two had only briefly met once many years ago in New York. Since Merz took office four weeks ago, they have spoken multiple times on the phone – both one-on-one and in larger groups about the war in Ukraine. According to German sources, Merz now has the US president's mobile number, exchanges text messages with him regularly, and addresses him by his first name. Until now, Trump has primarily relied on French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as his main European contacts. Merz now aims to step into a leadership role, hoping his phone number will become Europe's go-to one. Merz spoke surprisingly openly about their first one-on-one phone call during the WDR Europe Forum a few days ago. The two reportedly discussed topics such as the American pope and the US city of Chicago, which both have a fondness for. Merz knows the United States well and once worked for the US investment firm, BlackRock. His private-sector background is something he shares with Trump, who was a real estate entrepreneur. Controversial topics avoided At the Oval Office press encounter, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio stood alongside Trump. These are the same government members who recently accused Germany and other European allies of restricting freedom of expression and marginalizing parties like the AfD. Before his visit to Washington, Merz had made it clear that he considered the criticism from the US over how the German government is dealing with the AFD "overreaching" but that topic was absent in the Oval Office. A journalist attempted to ask about it but was unable to get through. Around 50 media representatives were present in the Oval Office. Merz appeared at the White House without an interpreter – a gesture to build trust. However, the chancellor had sought advice in advance from several heads of state and government who had already met Trump, including Zelensky, Ramaphosa, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, and Finnish President Alexander Stubb. What was the top topic of the visit? Efforts to end the war in Ukraine were the main focus. Merz has positioned himself among the leading Europeans on this issue but has recently expressed frustration over the lack of progress. Trump sees Merz as an ally on the matter. Like him, Merz would like to see the fighting stop, Trump said. Both are unhappy that this does not currently seem likely. However, Trump expressed optimism, saying that at some point the "bloodshed" would come to an end. Once again, he left open the question of whether he was prepared to impose new sanctions on Russia - but also did not rule out sanctions on both parties. "It could be on both countries – it takes two to tango," Trump said. Merz, however, was clear that Russia is the agressor and instigator of the conflict, while Trump was not so unequivacal. "We are on the side of Ukraine," Merz said, adding that Germany and the European Union are "trying to make them stronger and stronger." Later in the press conference German Chancellor Friedrich Merz did not stress the differences. "We both agree on this war and how terrible this war is going on and we are both looking for ways to stop it very soon." Senate bill on US sanctions on Russia Trump said he hadn't read the Senate bill on US sanctions, drafted by Lindsey Graham, a Republican and Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, but said "they'll be guided by me. That's the way it's supposed to be." The US has a three-body form of government, which includes the judiciary, the legislative and executive branches - with each supposed to check each other, though Trump critics have warned that he, as chief exectuive, he is usurping power from the other branches. Trump said he would have the Russia-Ukraine war stopped before he took office and had then claimed he could end it within 24 hours.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Out-of-favour Barcelona star handed surprise start in Spain vs France showdown
A member of the defensive ranks at La Liga giants Barcelona was afforded something of a surprise starting berth in tonight's highly-anticipated meeting between France and Spain. The player in question? Clément Lenglet. Advertisement Stopper Lenglet of course spent this past season out on loan away from Barcelona. After quickly being deemed surplus to requirements by incoming Blaugrana head coach Hansi Flick, the former Sevilla man linked up with Diego Simeone's Atlético Madrid for the duration of the campaign. And Lenglet went on to rediscover some of his very best form at the Metropolitano, en route to three goals and two assists across 34 appearances in all competitions. As much culminated in a recall to the France national team for the country's Nations League semi-final meeting with Spain this evening. It nevertheless came as a surprise, though, when Lenglet was thrown straight back in at the deep end by boss Didier Deschamps. Advertisement In the absence of William Saliba, the Barcelona man has joined Liverpool's Ibrahima Konaté at the heart of the French defence in Stuttgart. Conor Laird – GSFN
