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Sky Sports | Football | Premier League | Manchester United | Pique set for Barca return

Pique set for Barca return
Defender ready to go home

Barcelona are close to agreeing a deal to take Gerard Pique back to Camp Nou.

The defender left the Primera Division giants as a teenager when he was snapped up by Manchester United.

However, he has struggled to hold down a first-team spot at Old Trafford and would welcome the opportunity of regular football back in his homeland.

Pique impressed during a year-long loan spell at Real Zaragoza in 2006, proving that he is more than capable of meeting the demands of the Spanish top flight.

Barcelona are keen to launch a summer rebuilding programme after ending the 2007/08 season empty handed and see Pique as a long-term option at the heart of their defence.

"Things are at an advanced stage," Barca's sporting director Txiki Bergiristain confirmed.

"I can't deny that he is one of the players we're interested in, but he is involved in the Champions League final so things are on hold."

Well looks as if hes going back now, cant say that im happy about it because he certainly had potential http://unitedzone.info/forum/images/...s/03_chair.gif

[funkdoctorspock]

Brown --------------------------- Rio ------------------ Vidic -------------------------- Evra

Hargreaves/Pique ------------ O'Shea ------------- Pique ---------------------- Silvestre

Injured: Neville

Players out on loan: Simpson, Evans

Does anyone not see a problem here?

If either Ferdinand or Vidic go down, we have O'Shea and then Brown shifted over and Hargreaves playing out of position.

It isn't acceptable and certainly not enough. Pique is extremely valuable to the side. He should have gotten more play over the course of the season. With the stakes so high, I can understand why he didn't.

Going into the offseason, United need to decide several things:

1. If Pique goes, does Evans stay? He has been lobbying to the press that he wants to stay at Sunderland. So there is a possibility that United lose 2 top prospects.

2. If Pique goes, who is his replacement? Do United decide to get a veteran in that wouldn't mind playing here and there or do they call up someone from the reserves?

I just don't understand how United recently seem to paint themselves into a corner. It happened with Rossi and I see the same thing happening with Pique. The Carling Cup is simply not enough to a nuture an up and coming play these days. They have to be worked into the squad.

There is no way Pique starts next season with Barcelona. Not with Milito there. He will however get more playing time.

The notion that La Liga is a slow is ridiculous. Players do have more time on the ball, but attacks, movement and pace is on par with the EPL. Defensively, you have to be quick or you are going to blown away.

This is a dumb move if it comes to fruition.

[AnderOli8]

Those of us who have seen alot of youth football [u-17, u-20 world-cup, Toulon etc ] know how deeply talented this boy is all he needs a chance. this boy has better vision than Rio trust me on this. I know this reads like blasphemy but i believe it to be true.. .And if he goes to Barca he will be in the team from the start because Pep Guardiola knows him pretty well. AnderOli8

[Dirtycheat]

im not sure if its down to united wanting to sell. I think its more likely to be pique wanting to go.

He is spanish so obviously he will be treated much better in his own country, especially since he started out there and there is a quota in la liga.

Personally i hope he stays but realistically he is going to be cover. Maybe 3rd or 4th choice center back. depending on what we do in the RB position. Gazza will be back but im sure as anything that we will buy another full back too.

He probably has more chance of breaking into the barcelona back four than here and i think he knows it.

I can see pique leaving unless he gets guarantees and i dont think fergie is the type of manager that gives these guarantees.

this sort of reminds me of the rossi situation.

[Torque]

FC Barcelona and Manchester United have reached agreement for the transfer of Gerard Piqué to the Catalan club. Gerard, 21, will sign a four-year contract with Barcelona.

The young Spaniard returns to Camp Nou after leaving for Old Trafford in 2004. During his four-year Reds career, Piqué made 14 starts and nine substitute appearances.

Both of Gerard's senior goals came in last season's successful Champions League campaign, against Dynamo Kyiv and AS Roma.

Although Piqué enjoyed his most prominent Old Trafford season during 2007/08, the longstanding central defensive partnership of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic meant his route to regular first-team action was blocked.

source

Damn it. I wish he would have stayed. I blame Fergie for this. He could have given Pique more chances to play and he did not. When Vida was injured he could have played. Even in big matches. If you want to see what a player is capable of, you should line him up in a big match. Big, big mistake. Like the one with Rossi. I think next season Fergie will regret it.

[crored68]

Yeah to bad he's going. I'm sure he'll do well in the Primera but he could have been an important part of Uniteds future.

All it really took was to split Wes Browns appearances.
He had 48 starts and 4 bench appearances, if Fergie gave 20 (or so) of those to Pique we could have kept both at the club.

But Brown has played a really good season (better than I expected) and it's easy to criticize Fergie now, really hope we don't regret it next season.

[mark08]

disappointed that he's gone, but wid all the changes at barca, he must really belive he's gonna get games!


hopefully a decent replacement is on the cards, but pique was a right prospect and did look very good in the games he played!

[GocartMozart]

I'm sorry but I disagree. The lad had plenty of chances to shine and half the time he proved to be a liability. He looked anything but assured in our games against Roma and looked even worse against Arsenal. To me he's not up to the pace and only getting slower. His mistake at Bolton ended up being crucial and although Bolton drew Chelsea in the final game of the season, it all could have gone all wrong. As a defensive player your first job is to be a rock and you have zero room for error at United. He'll be perfect for the fragile backline at Barca imo.

[funkdoctorspock]

13 appearances and half of those he was a liability?

In 13 matches he appeared in, he was on the losing end twice. Once again Coventry City in the Mickey Mouse Cup and once against Bolton.

His major gaffe was Bolton. And you know what, he missed up. It happens.

Zero room for error at United?

If that were the case, Rio would have been shipped out after a few seasons, Brown sold, Tweety sold, O'Shea sold. The kid is 21 and just getting his feet wet at one of the biggest clubs in the world. He showed himself well not only in Champions League matches, but Prem matches.

Confirmed...

One year left on his contract and the chances of him resigning were slim to none. He had no chance of breaking the Rio/Nemanja partnership and zero chance of breaking into the midfield. 4+ million pounds is a good bit of business under these circumstances.

Shame really, because he is a talented player, with excellent vision/marking and a keen eye for goal.

He'll get a chance to start and prove himself alongside Pique with Milito out with a knee injury (4-6 months). With rumours swirling that Barcelona are planning to snap up Dani Alves, a backline of:

Alves - Pique - Puyol - Abidal

won't be too shabby at all.

Best of luck to Pique. He is definitely going to be success.

[PaperCut]

I never managed to see him I always thought he was kinda cute and was looking forward to the days I'd be seeing him playing for United. I don't like Barcelona so I don't think I'll be watching him there, plus he's not playing for United anymore and I don't care that much then anyways...

His reasons for leaving the team seem kinda odd to me...