Romano on Barcelona: Raphinha and Hamza Set for Renewals; Alvarez Still Has Barcelona in Mind

Fabrizio Romano further revealed Barcelona's transfer strategy this season, including why they chose to sign Anthony Gordon instead of Rashford. He also discussed the transfer battle involving Julian Alvarez and some future young talents.

Hi Fabri, welcome back to our podcast. As always, this is Francesco Porzio, with Fabrizio Romano bringing the latest updates. Today we are talking about Barcelona because Barca have had a great start to the season. How do you feel about the atmosphere around the club now?

Honestly, the feeling around Barcelona right now is very positive. As you said, the start of the season has been incredible. If I remember correctly, they scored 22 goals in five matches, with five goals in four of those games, and the performances have been very, very impressive. The atmosphere among the players is good, and the internal atmosphere at the club is also good. So this is a great moment for Barcelona. Obviously, it is still only the beginning of the season, but everyone is happy, especially after a completely different summer transfer window. We all remember that the start of the window was very exciting for Barca. But after the World Cup ended, there were some doubts about the forward position. Real Madrid were very active in the market during the World Cup, so there was some panic. However, later, with Rodri's arrival and some other changes, Barcelona became very satisfied with their current squad and now truly believe they can achieve something special.

Speaking about Barcelona, we of course have to go back to the summer, because one of the major transfer stories was Julian Alvarez, who ultimately did not join. Was Barcelona's position that he did not accept and did not seriously look for other opportunities?

Yes, he had several opportunities, because we know the situation with Arsenal. Arsenal really did try. In the final days of August, Julian Alvarez and Arteta had a conversation. Before that, Arteta and Arsenal's management had been working hard, with everyone at the club trying to contact Julian and his team to discuss the possibility. But Julian did not even want to talk.

It was not disrespect toward Arsenal, as it was the same with every other club that tried to contact him. In June, Paris Saint-Germain made some calls. Manchester City also made some calls to see whether there was a potential possibility of a return. These were only calls, not even negotiations, just attempts to find out whether there was room for further communication. Because Atletico Madrid did not want to sell the player to Barcelona, Julian's side kept responding, 'No, thank you.' He was focused only on one thing, Barcelona. Julian rejected several opportunities, but Atletico Madrid maintained their original position and did not want to sell him to Barcelona. So that was ultimately the conclusion of this transfer saga.

Now Julian has returned to Atletico's squad. He started against Liverpool last night. So for now, the situation appears to be under control. We still have to see what happens in the future, because I believe Julian still has Barcelona in his mind.

Barcelona also have an outstanding number 9, which is Raphinha after changing positions. What is the feeling around him?

The feeling here is also very positive. Raphinha has had a perfect start to the season. With nine attacking contributions and eight goals, he has done very well in his new position as a striker. Everyone at Barcelona is very happy with Raphinha, and not only because of his performances, but also because his attitude in the dressing room is highly appreciated. So the latest update we can provide today is that Barcelona are in contact with Raphinha's representatives and preparing to open renewal talks. There will be discussions in the coming weeks.

Discussions will take place in the coming weeks. So there will be movement on Raphinha's renewal. There were many rumors before that he could move to Saudi Arabia, including stories around the World Cup period that Raphinha might leave Barcelona for Saudi Arabia, but that was never true. Barcelona never considered Raphinha's departure a possibility, and Raphinha is very happy in Barcelona. So I expect these renewal talks to go quite smoothly because both sides are satisfied. Of course, there will still be discussions about salary, contract length, and other details, but the talks should begin soon.

Speaking of talks and renewals, is there any other news to share about Barcelona today? Yes, and it is about a future talent. Deco mentioned in an interview today that Raphinha has done very well as a number 9, and he also discussed the future number 9, Hamza. The Egyptian forward was signed by Barcelona in the January transfer window.

This was a smart signing. Think about it: they signed him for a total fee of around 3 million euros. Hamza has already had a good pre-season performance. Of course, official first-team matches for Barcelona are a different matter, but the club truly believes this young player has great potential, and related talks are already underway. Barcelona have already held two meetings with Hamza's agent. The club wants to complete the renewal as soon as possible. Why push so quickly? Because there is a release clause in his current contract. Barcelona want to adjust the amount of this clause and ensure Hamza gets a better contract as soon as possible. So I remain optimistic about this matter because Barcelona are working to complete it quickly.