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La Liga Leaks: Gameiro ‘sparks transfer battle between Barca and Atletico’

The biggest news actually relates to something which happened yesterday afternoon. Kevin Gameiro, who scored 29 goals last season, has been linked with a move away for a few months now and his late withdrawal from Sevilla’s friendly match sparked speculation that he could be close to an exit.

The Frenchman has rejected talks over a new deal and has his sights set firmly on a move to a bigger club, one which will compete for the title. Local press suggested a deal with Atletico Madrid was very close and that was why he didn’t play. Interestingly enough, he was down on the original teamsheet to start. However in Barcelona it caused a battle between the two biggest newspapers there - SPORT and Mundo Deportivo - as the former claimed Barca had reached an agreement for Gameiro’s services while the latter said that simply wasn’t true.

ABC Sevilla go one further and claim Sevilla rejected an offer from Atletico yesterday and insist they’ll only listen to bids around Gameiro’s €40m buyout clause, not the reported €25m seen in media outlets. The cub are conscious of the player’s desire for a new start but won’t let their star striker leave on the cheap, especially when their other two forwards - Fernando Llorente and Ciro Immobile - are both close to signing for new clubs.

Another factor in all of this, and one which could be key to finding a solution which suits all parties, is the role of Luciano Vietto. Mundo Deportivo believe the Argentine is certain to join Barcelona but Atletico president, Enrique Cerezo, says the two clubs haven’t even spoken about Vietto. “It’s not logical to say he’ll go to Barcelona because we haven’t had contact with them.” He also ruled out a loan move. “Vietto won’t join Sevilla on loan either.” Could a swap deal between Atletico and Sevilla make everyone happy? Well, apart from Barcelona that is.

James Rodriguez has been speaking to Colombian TV about his future at Real Madrid. His future remains up in the air due to Zinedine Zidane’s desire to sell the player because of his poor attitude last season, while club president Florentino Perez sees him as an important player - both on the pitch as well as commercially off of it. “At Real Madrid I hope to play more and have a good season playing at a high level.” He later states the need for Colombia to also have a strong season as they look to qualify for Russia 2018.

Another Real Madrid player who has been linked with a move away is Raphael Varane. He admitted in a press conference yesterday that he was disappointed not to play in the Champions League final or the Euros due to injury but after a talk with Zidane, knew where his future lies. “I want to stay here this year. I feel loved by the fans, who treat me as if I’m one of their youth products. And I want to show the best of me, which is still to come, but I’m confident about my own future.”

Other news and rumours:

- Dani Parejo didn’t feature in Valencia’s last preseason game because he hadn’t trained well. The former captain is tempted by the offer from Sevilla despite the club rejecting the interest out of hand. (Plaza Deportiva)

- Cristian Tello’s future could be decided in the next few days. He’s been linked with a move to Fiorentina as well as recently with Valencia. (Mundo Deportivo)

- Ciro Immobile is in Rome already and should complete his move to Lazio very soon, once small details have been ironed out. (Estadio Deportivo)

- A new name in Barcelona’s hunt for a back-up striker is that of Jonas, currently on the books of Benfica after a fine season last time out. (AS)

- Fabian Schar is the latest name to be added to the list of defensive reinforcements Valencia are looking at ahead of the new season. (Superdeporte)