Daily News Channel
European champions Barcelona hope to tie Argentina star Lionel Messi to a lucrative new contract. The 22-year-old forward is tipped to win the European and World Player of the Year awards after scoring 38 goals to help the Spanish club to an unprecedented hat-trick of titles last season. “Barca will always do whatever is necessary to keep Messi happy at the club and we know that Messi has a complete commitment to Barca,” president Joan Laporta told the team’s official Web site
Wigan Athletic have confirmed that negotiations over the transfer of winger Antonio Valencia to Manchester United are expected to start "very shortly". United have indentified 23-year-old Valencia as one of the players they want to bring in as a replacement to Real-Madrid bound Cristiano Ronaldo with a fee in the region of £17 million ($28m) being mooted. Wigan chairman Dave Whelan told Press Association Sport that the Premier League champions have made their interest in the Ecuadorian international winger known for “the last two or three months”.