Barça Sign Piqué - Official

[Pat Murphy]

Mundo Deportivo - Acuerdo con Piqué

Barcelona have apparently agreed a 5m euros deal with Manchester United to bring back Gerard Pique. He will sign a 4 year deal and will slot straight into a starting position because Milito is out for 6-9 months and Rafa will probably be injured by then. The low fee is because he had 1 year left on his deal.

I'm in 2 minds about whether I want him back. He still has the potential to be a world class CB although this is unlikely and for 5m euros it would be a bargain, but I do hold a grudge against traitors although he was looking out for no.1 either in playing time or money although he got the playing time bit wrong.

[Pat Murphy]

Mundo Deportivo - Gerard Piqué pasa revisión médica


Pique was caught in Barcelona in a private hospital having a provisional medical apparently.

Barcelona are preparing to present him next week I think.

[Sven]

hehe the irony

[Pat Murphy]

Report: Pique Agrees Barca Return

According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United and Barcelona have agreed a £6million deal which would send the Spanish starlet back to the Nou Camp in the summer.

Barcelona have made signing a new central defender a priority after Gaby Milito's injury and have now allegedly succeeded in brining back the highly promising 21-year-old, who United rather controversially lured away from them in 2004.

Despite being rated as one of the most gifted young defenders in Europe, it appears as though the fact that Sir Alex Ferguson cannot break up the rock-solid partnership of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic will force the 21-year-old to look elsewhere for first-team football.

The reports are also being echoes in Spain. El Mundo Deportivo claim a four-year contract will officially be signed at Camp Nou once the small matter of the Moscow showdown in the Champions League is out of the way.

All this would go against the recent suggestion of United boss Sir Alex Ferguson that Pique will be a more prominent player for the Red Devils next season.

"I can see him playing 25 to 30 games," Sir Alex was quoted as saying last week. "He's becoming a really good defender. It'll be hard with Rio and Vidic but you need good players."

Derek Wanner, Goal.com

Goal.com - Manchester United - Report: Pique Agrees Barca Return


Pique for £6m or Garay for £8m?

I'd rather have Garay everytime.

[kyan]

This is really lame. I hope it doesn't happen but it seems quite likely.

Ferguson's tried his best to reassure him that he'd get more gametime next year but the promise probably isn't enough for Piqué, which I guess is fair enough considering his competition and that he's 21.

But would he be any closer to the starting line-up at Barcelona? With Milito injured for ages, Thuram past his best, and Marquez possibly heading out the exit door you'd need more than 1 new CB, and it'd have to be a top class one...

[lionel]

I'm realy upset about that. Garay was by far a better option. I'm not a fan of Pique. we paid too much.

but Txiki and the directors prefer Pique over Garay... shame.

I hope Pique will turn out a good one.

[Pat Murphy]

Piqué Wants Barça Return Finalised

Gerard Piqué has admitted that he did not expect to be included in the Manchester United squad for the Champions League squad after opening talks about a return to Barcelona.

According to the Catalan defender, since he made it clear that he wanted to go back to Camp Nou, Sir Alex Ferguson has left him out of things to show his unhappiness.

Piqué is on the verge of completing a €10m transfer back to Barça, four years after he opted to leave the club because he felt that he would have a better chance of making it at Old Trafford.

"Since I have started talking to Barcelona, Ferguson has virtually ignored me," Piqué told Sport. "The best thing is going to be arriving. I hope that a solution can be reached soon and that my future will be clarified.

"On Friday I will be in Barcelona to prepare to play for Catalunya against Argentina and for the time being I still have a year left on my contract with United."

Despite not being included in the Champions League final squad, Piqué was told by the rest of the players to join in with the celebrations having played a role in helping the team to the final in Moscow.

"I felt like a very important part of history," he continued. "It was more than a triumph because it is 50 years since the Munich tragedy and we owed the Busby Babes that cup.

"Sir Bobby Charlton came to speak to the squad and explained to us exactly what happened. I will never again live through a moment like that.

"It was also very special for Giggsy to beat Sir Bobby's record and for Scholesy because he could not play in the last final. It was the perfect end to the season."

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

Goal.com - Barcelona - Piqué Wants Barça Return Finalised

[Pat Murphy]

Agreement reached with Manchester United over Gerard Piqué

FC Barcelona and United have reached an agreement for the transfer of the federative rights to player Piqué from the English to the Catalan club.

The player will sign a contract that will tie him to FC Barcelona until June 30, 2012 and the ‘rescission clause’ will be set at 50 million euros.

The player will sign the contract at midday today and from 13.15 he will be available for media photographs outside the main door of the FC Barcelona offices.

fcbarcelona.com

FCBarcelona.cat

Done deal number 2. No word yet on the price.

[Pat Murphy]

Totally gay.

[Pat Murphy]

Piqué comes back home

After four seasons at Manchester United and Zaragoza, Gerard Piqué is returning to Barça as a European champion.

Aged just 21 years, Gerard Piqué is already a well-travelled player. The Catalan centre back is on his way back to FC Barcelona, where he played at every youth level, having gained invaluable experience at both Manchester United and Real Zaragoza. His talent and imposing physique suggest he could be one of the most important central defenders of the coming years.

Experience and championships

When he was still just 17, Gerard Piqué began his English adventure by signing for Manchester United. On October 26, 2004, three weeks after he joined them, he made his debut in the Carling Cup against Crewe Alexandra. Under Alex Ferguson he has won one Carling Cup (2005-06), and a Premier League, as well as the Champions League just last week (2007-08).

Back with Milito

In the 2006-07 season, Gerard Piqué was sent on loan to Real Zaragoza, where he played alongside Gabriel Milito. He appeared in 22 league games that season, 18 as a starter, and scored twice. Piqué met Barça four times that year, twice in the league and twice in the Copa del Rey quarter finals.

A Barça past

Before moving away, Piqué played at just about every level of the club’s youth system. He joined the club in 97-98 and played for the Alevín B (rough equivalent to under 12, the youngest age group the club had at the time) and stayed at the club until playing in 2003-04 for Juvenil A (under 18).

fcbarcelona.com

FCBarcelona.cat

[Vargas_4]

Pique is a decent signing, i guess.

Thuram has never been able to live up to the name he has established himself and Milito got screwed for quite a while.

Sure you could have gotten Garay but Barcelona moved to slow in my eyes and let Real Madrid swoop in.

Oh well. Live and learn.

[kyan]

A little slow but it looks like the price was £4M.

Barcelona sign United defender Pique for £4m - Spanish Football News from La Liga - FourFourTwo

[Pat Murphy]

Originally Posted by kyan

A little slow but it looks like the price was £4M.

Barcelona sign United defender Pique for £4m - Spanish Football News from La Liga - FourFourTwo

Thanks for that. Good for Barca that it's lower. That's around 5m euros whereas I thought it was nearer 7.5m euros.

Means Zambrotta has comfortably paid for Pique with the 8.5m euros with 3.5m euros to go on the other transfers.

[Pat Murphy]

A full month later he is presented.






Txiki looks totally lost

[lionel]

he surprised me with his technique at his presentation, I though he is totally clumsy.

the good thing about this is that we can have another look on the new kits, other than that I am not excited (of pique).