Transfer news: Barcelona fans rejoice as Luis Enrique and Dani Alves extend contracts

Juventus strengthen their midfield by signing Germany international Sami Khedira from Real Madrid and Lazio rule out a move for Robin van Persie, claiming the Manchester United forward is 'outside our parameters'.

Luis Enrique, who led Barcelona to the treble in his first season as coach, has agreed to extend his contract with the Spanish club until June 2017. Getty Images

Luis Enrique, who led Barcelona to the treble in his first season as coach, has agreed to extend his contract with the Spanish club until June 2017.

“We have sealed the renewal of Luis Enrique’s contract until 2017, so we will have Luis Enrique for two more years,” Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu told a news conference on Tuesday.

Despite being under contract until June 2016, Enrique had consistently refused to tie his future to the club.

Barcelona also announced on Tuesday that defender Dani Alves agreed to a two-year contract extension with an option for a further year. Alves, 32, has made 343 appearances for the club and is one of seven players remaining from Barcelona's previous treble-winning season, in 2008/09.

Juventus

Italian champions Juventus have moved to strengthen their midfield by signing Germany international Sami Khedira from Real Madrid on a free transfer, the club said on Tuesday.

Khedira, 28, has agreed to a four-year contract with the Uefa Champions League runners-up and will join the club on July 1.

After joining Real from Stuttgart in 2010, Khedira had a reasonably successful stint at the club but fell out of favour as contract extension talks failed.

Last month, he accused Real of freezing him out by dropping him from the team even though he was fit to play.

He barely featured since the turn of the year, with Real citing a series of minor injuries as the reason for his absence, but Khedira said the club had decided he was no longer wanted.

Lazio

Sporting director Igli Tare has ruled out a move by Lazio for Robin van Persie, claiming the Manchester United forward is “unfortunately, outside our parameters”.

Van Persie, 31, who is tied to United for another season, was spotted in Rome this week, leading to speculation that he could join Lazio.

“On Van Persie, all I can say is that I respect him as a striker but unfortunately, he is outside our parameters,” Tare said.

“There has never been a meeting, this is gossip, not transfer news. We don’t want to create illusions, this is not true.” Van Persie said last week that he needed to evaluate his future.

Newcastle United

John Carver has left Newcastle United after a five-month stint as manager of the Premier League club, according to British media reports on Tuesday.

Carver, 50, was promoted from assistant when manager Alan Pardew left for Crystal Palace in January, but a slump in form saw the club narrowly avoid relegation.

Several media outlets reported that Carver left along with coach Steve Stone. Newcastle are expected to appoint former England manager Steve McLaren to succeed Pardew later this week.

Nice

Six months after his transfer was blocked by French football authorities, Hatem Ben Arfa has completed his move to Nice.

The former France midfielder joined the club in January, but the French league did not allow him to play because of Fifa’s rules stipulating that a player cannot appear for more than two clubs in the same season.

At the time, Ben Arfa had already played for English clubs Newcastle United and Hull City. Nice said yesterday that Ben Arfa’s move is now “official” without giving any details on his contract.

Celtic

Scottish champions Celtic have been granted permission to install “safe standing” areas at Celtic Park, the club announced on Tuesday.

An area of rail seating – robust, fold-up seats built into a high metal rail – able to accommodate 2,600 fans has been approved and could be installed in time for the start of the 2016/17 season.

“Safe standing” is common in Austria and Germany, but it has faced opposition in Britain from the families of Liverpool fans who died on standing terraces at the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.

“The introduction of rail seating at Celtic Park represents an investment in spectator safety. Across football globally, the reality is that some supporters are choosing to stand at matchs,” Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell said.

“This is something we must accept and manage, and also understand the positive effect which these areas have on atmosphere at matches.”

Southampton

Premier League club Southampton have been named the fastest-growing football brand in the world after rising in value by 89 per cent to US$183 million (Dh672.2m).

The Brand Finance Football 50 report puts them 18th in the world overall, up from 30th in 2014. Southampton, who were in the third tier four years ago, finished seventh in the Premier League last season.

Manchester United’s brand was the most valuable in world football, rising 63 per cent to $1.2 billion and taking them above Bayern Munich ($933m) and Real Madrid ($873m).

Completing the top 10 were Manchester City, Chelsea, Barcelona, Arsenal, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur.

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