Barcelona president Joan Laporta has lifted the lid on the club's recruitment plans, confirming that there is already a deal in place for the arrival of two new players this summer. The Blaugrana chief's revelation seems to confirm recent rumors that his side has secured the free transfer of both Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen from AC Milan and Chelsea respectively.
Under Xavi, the Catalans are already flying and look set to return to the glory days after putting together a series of consistent top performances in recent months. Plans are already underway for the to bring in reinforcement, with several other players expected to move in the opposite direction. Last week, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano reported that Barca had struck a deal to bring both Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie to the Camp Nou, with the contracts of the pair set to expire at their respective clubs.
In a candid interview with RAC1 on Monday, Barca president Joan Laporta, hinted at the arrival of the pair but desisted from revealing their identity. He also weighed in on their apparent interest in Leeds United's Raphinha but did not state whether or not a deal was in place.
"We have closed two signings," Laporta said. "It may well be a central midfielder and a central defender."
"Raphinha is a player we really like and it's true that Deco's his agent. We've very good relationships", he added.
"I want to clarify that Deco's not paid by the club. He will just help us because he dominates the Brazilian market".
On the rumors of Lionel Messi's potential return to Barcelona which were recently fueled by Xavi's declaration, Laporta stated that there was no deal in place. The Argentina superstar is said to be unhappy in Paris and is angling towards a move back to Cataluyna.
"I've received no message from Messi or his agents over a possibility of returning back to Barcelona. "As of today, we are not going to be raising this issue.
"My communication with Messi is no longer fluid but I'd love to have Leo here present with us during the inauguration of the new stadium. Camp Nou will always be his home"
"His departure to PSG? We did what we had to do [last summer], he added".
"There's no conversation with Leo Messi over his potential comeback to Barça. The reality is that we're not considering this possibility. "Leo is Leo, he's the best - but this kind of deal is not part of our plans".
