At previous times the situation had seemed a little different, but with Postecoglou now being very aware how much cover he’ll need for injuries, and how helpful Lo Celso can be generally, an exit just wouldn’t make a lot of sense.

That slant, though, isn’t one being taken by the Catalan media.

Monday’s edition of Sport reports the ‘pressure’ is building on Xavi Hernandez to sign Lo Celso in the January market. Gavi is out injured for around nine months, and it’s though Lo Celso could help Barcelona’s attack become less predictable.

However, Barcelona would want the Argentina international on a loan basis, and it’s not clear why this would be in any way attractive to Tottenham.

Lo Celso may well be tempted by a move to Barcelona, many players are, but there’d surely have to be some kind of mutiny at Spurs from the player to push any move through.

And even then… it feels ambitious.

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AS cover comments from the midfielder today, who has been remembering Argentina’s World Cup victory almost a year ago.

The Albiceleste won the tournament in Qatar last year after one of the best World Cup finals of all time saw them win on penalties after a scintillating 3-3 draw with France.

That saw he and his teammates completely fail to control France star Kylian Mbappe, who bagged a hattrick of goals in the game, including a 118^th minute penalty to draw his side level in added time.

The game proved to be a controversial one, to say the least, thanks to some of the actions of the Argentina squad during it.

One that stands out is Tottenham defender quite literally screaming and celebrating in Mbappe’s face as he celebrated one of his side’s goals.

He later revealed he had done so after the Chelsea midfielder had clashed with the PSG star earlier in the game, seeing it as an ideal opportunity to get revenge for what had been said. Fernández appreciates that, even if he does think the Tottenham man is a little bit crazy.

“I remember what he told me, things about the game,” the Chelsea man told Star+, relayed by AS.

“There were plays that we celebrated, like some divided ones, and he (Mbappe) made signs to us as if he was going to kill us. He told us that they were going to win the final.

“He got into it with me, I don’t know why. And well, I have a soldier who defends me. Cuti is crazy, ha ha ha. When we scored the goal, he started celebrating it in his face.”

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Sport state Arsenal and Bayern Munich were willing to pay €60m to secure his services in the last window.

The midfielder’s decision to continue at La Real has paid off as he’s further developed at the club.

The San Sebastian club believe Zubimendi has improved the mental aspect of his game. The Spain international’s environment points out his performances for the national team as another aspect which is ‘key to his confidence’.

Sport highlights all this when explaining the two obstacles [€60m asking price and the player’s refusal to leave Real Sociedad] faced by Barcelona to sign him in the summer.

Zubimendi’s deal lasts until 2027 and and the report says he’ll be one of the main attractions next summer. When discussing his options, both Barca and Arsenal are mentioned, as these two sides are ‘still very aware’ of his situation.

Mikel Arteta’s side have already shown willingness to pay €60m to sign the Spaniard and they may consider making another offer next summer, if they can convince the player to leave Real Sociedad.

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The Betis director has been speaking to Radio Sevilla, relayed by Estadio Deportivo, regarding the ongoing contract situation around Rodríguez and teammates Isco and Juan Miranda.

The three players are currently out of contract at the end of the season and yet to sign new deals, which is a problem for Betis as they risk losing them once the January transfer window opens.

All three will be free to negotiate pre-contract agreements with clubs around Europe and potentially leave on free transfers in the summer.

There’s a distinct possibility that will happen too, with all three enjoying suitors, none more so than Rodríguez.

He’s regularly been linked with a move away from Betis in recent years and in the summer, it was Nottingham Forest who were most keen as they looked to add a central midfielder to Steve Cooper’s squad.

They made several offers for the Argentine and he confirmed he was close to departing, only for him and his family to elect to stay in Seville as his partner wanted to have her baby there.

Whether they decide to stick with that moving forwards remains to be seen and Planes admits his contract situation does favour his suitors, such as Nottingham Forest.

“We are working on those cases and others,” he said.

“There are lighter ones in some and darker ones in others. They are different topics; We are in all three with the idea that they continue at Betis.

“Miranda and Guido’s contractual situation is favourable for other teams, so we understand that they have to value the effort we are making to keep them and our project. We have options for all three to continue next year. With Isco we are closer due to the will of the parties.”

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However, it appears he is also a man of principle who respects his former clubs to the point where he is reluctant to sign players from there after leaving them.

This is what Martí Perarnau revealed to AS on Friday in an interview about his new book about the seven years Guardiola has spent at Manchester City.

Nearly 700 pages long, the ‘autopsy’, as it’s described, ‘God Save Pep’ will come out in England on March 19th in paperback format, where a lot will be revealed about the Spaniard’s time in the north of England.

Perarnau was also happy to answer a few questions about some details, such as the idea that Manchester City came close to signing Lionel Messi from Barcelona.

Saying that it was an ‘urban legend’ that Guardiola wanted to sign Barcelona’s best players, he then touched upon the rumours surrounding the Argentine football legend.

He said: “It was Messi who offered himself. The one who knocked on the door was Leo (the Argentine striker’s entourage denies this). Pep had his reticence. He is very clear not to touch Barça and not to touch Bayern. City had a list of Bayern players to sign, and Pep told Txiki not to touch anyone. And there was a lot of them, almost al of them except for the goalkeeper.”

Over the years since taking over in 2016, Guardiola has signed just one player from Barcelona (Claudio Bravo for €18m) and never purchased anyone from Bayern Munich.

He has, however, agreed to send players the other way, as Leroy Sane was sold to Bayern Munich for €49m, while João Cancelo has been on loan both to the German and Spanish sides.

As for Eric García, Sergio Agüero and Ilkay Gündogan, they all left Manchester City for Barcelona on free transfers.

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The Bournemouth boss has been speaking to Onda Cero in Spain and the subject of a potential move to Athletic was again brought up.

He’s regularly been linked with the Athletic job since becoming a manager after spending most of his professional career with them.

Iraola joined the club in 2003 from their reserve team and became a regular starter and fan favourite from there, making 510 appearances for the club and captaining them for several seasons before finishing his career in America with New York City.

He’s since embarked on his coaching career after retiring in 2017, impressing with the likes of Rayo Vallecano and now with Bournemouth in the Premier League.

As a Basque coach with such an attachment to the club he remains on their radar, though, and admits he can’t rule out a return in future.

“If it happens, then it will happen, but nobody knows what will happen in the future and for now at least I’m going to try to make my way as best as possible,” he said when asked on the matter.

For now his focus is on Bournemouth, who he joined in the summer after they parted ways with Gary O’Neil.

A move to the South Coast of England was certainly a big change for the Spaniard but he insists neither he nor his team are complaining.

“At least we could put it on the map, right?” he added.

“Obviously you didn’t control the whole squad, you didn’t know many things, but we had a bit of a reference that it was a place in England, where people go on holiday, the climate is not as harsh as in other places.

“And the truth is that the experience here is positive in that sense on a family level, on a personal level, the weather, now it’s starting to get cold, but so far it’s been quite respectful and we’re not complaining.”

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That’s according to AS, who cover the forward’s renewal today and how it is only a temporary reprieve from the ongoing transfer speculation.

The newspaper details how there is finally ‘white smoke in San Mamés’ in regard to Williams, who the club have been pushing to get signed to a new deal for months.

His last contract only ran until the summer and that had led to natural speculation about his future, with a host of clubs, including Aston Villa, believed to be circling.

He’s now ended that speculation by signing a new deal until 2027 but the agreement only ‘momentarily distances’ the rising star from the teams that wanted him, with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool and Aston Villa named specifically.

They’ve all seen the 21-year-old winger’s ‘unstoppable growth’ of late and wanted him, particularly as he was set to be available on a free in the summer.

That option has now been taken away but there is a sense, even in Spain, that the new contract is a temporary reprieve rather than anything permanent and he’ll still be a name to keep an eye on moving forwards.

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The right-back arrived at the Camp Nou on loan from Manchester City in the summer, without an option or obligation to buy. João Félix has also been on loan at Barca from Atlético Madrid since the last window.

‘Offensive for Joaos’ is written in bold on the front page of today’s Mundo Deportivo, who add the La Liga side are ‘seriously considering’ buying the duo in January.

The Catalan club ‘want to move forward’ with these two operations, by convincing their parent clubs to lower their demands.

The fullback and forward have impressed and if they continue to shine this season, Barca fear their asking price could rise and new contenders may arrive for them next summer.

To avoid this, Xavi Hernández’s side are trying to expedite deals for them in the winter market. They have an advantage because both Cancelo and Félix ‘prioritise’ staying at the Camp Nou.

The newspaper adds Cancelo doesn’t want to play under Pep Guardiola at the Etihad and is clear that his ‘career at the club is over’, more so if the coach is to stay there.

Mundo state Manchester City value the Portugal international at €25m, while Barcelona’s plan is to lower the asking price to €15m.

That obviously seems quite delusional.

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The forward, who recently picked up a serious injury, is expected to be out for the foreseeable future, meaning he won’t be seen on a Premier League pitch for the next few months.

AS have an article on the Brighton loanee’s situation, where they explain this latest setback has broken his dream of a full season and glorious return to Barcelona ‘into a thousand pieces’.

The talented winger’s entire career to date has been a series of ups and downs because of injuries, and there was hope he could go through the current campaign without any setbacks.

That wasn’t to be, however, with this latest injury expected to keep him ‘KO for three months’, suggesting a February return for him.

The biggest issue is this wait will see him stop any progress he has made, and ‘once again open uncertainty about his future’.

While there was no option to buy in his loan from Barcelona to Brighton, his inability to stay fit for an entire campaign will once again lead to questions being asked at the La Liga side, and whether he is worth investing money in for the next three and a half years of his contract there.

It’s either that or cutting their losses early with a transfer next summer, as he remains a highly-valued talent.

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That’s according to journalist Martí Perarnau, who has detailed what happened last season and why Cancelo was eventually loaned to Barcelona in the summer after a similar spell at Bayern Munich.

Cancelo was one of the surprise deals of the January transfer window when he joined Bayern Munich on loan until the end of the season.

Few had seen that happening given the vital role he had played at Manchester City up to that point, establishing himself as one of the key players in their success and making himself on of the best attacking full backs in Europe.

He was shipped out again in the summer, joining Barcelona one a season-long long deal that the Catalans are hoping to turn into a permanent move at the end of the season.

A report yesterday indicated that Manchester City are willing to facilitate such a transfer thanks to the player’s ‘difficult relationship’ with Guardiola, something Perarnau has now provided a background to.

“When Cancelo feels ugly, and when I say ugly, I mean it metaphorically, for whatever reason, the collapse is very big,” Cadena SER report him saying.

“There was a phenomenon this beginning of the year, which was the appearance of Rico Lewis, at a time when Cancelo returned from the World Cup in a very poor state of form and Kyle Walker comes back.

“The only solution is going to be to put a 17-year-old player to play against Chelsea, Liverpool and against everyone. The kid is starting to put in extraordinary performances and is going to win the job, but Cancelo doesn’t want to accept that.”

He then added that Cancelo “demanded” to play, something which made Guardiola and some of his teammates feel bad, escalating the situation and the conflict between the coach and player before he was eventually loaned out.

He’s now at Barcelona and happy, with the ground seemingly being laid for a permanent deal to be done next summer and ensure there is no unhappy return to the Etihad.

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