I noticed this today
http://www.sport.es/es/noticias/bar...alba-dos-lujos-para-defensa-del-barca-1317187
Thiago Silva, Jordi Alba: Two luxuries for the Barca´s defence.
The Valencian full back and the Milan centre back could become the first signings for Pep, who seeks to bolster his defence
Barca reinforcements for next season will be aimed at bolstering the team's defensive line, according to early plans of the coaching staff and the secretariat of club sports Blaugrana. Two names stand out in the list of candidates to reinforce Barcelona next summer, the full back from Valencia Jordi Alba and Milan's Brazilian centre back Thiago Silva, curiously the scorer of the last goal Guardiola's team have conceded at Camp Nou. Both respond to the profile you want your staff to coach: players with good deal of the ball, able to adapt to Barca´s style and playing in several different positions, in addition to providing a negligible share of the goals.
Jordi Alba, senior international player, could be the future Barcelona left-back if a successful interest of the player sees him become a player in the Barca environment. With a contract until June 2013 and a clause of 20 million euros, the Valencian full back, 22, can become a priority for Barca, according to the sporting needs of the team.
The left back position is probably most in need: Maxwell has already closed his move to Paris Saint Germain and Eric Abidal, whose contract expires at the end of this season, has not yet signed his renewal. The club estimates that Barca would pay between 12 and 15 million euros to take the player: Valencia has redeemed the debt that had accumulated over the equity of the new Mestalla stadium, so the club president Manuel Llorente is not in as much need of liquidity as a few months ago. The representative of Guardiola, Josep Maria Orobitg, has been meeting with the agent of Alba, José Tárraga, a picture captured by the daily "Superdeporte", that contributes to the interest of Barca in the player, though not on official business Orobitg on behalf of the club, of course.
However, the club can expect another pitfall: Alba is in the middle of negotiations to expand and improve his contract. Alba and Valencia have spoken over a new five-year contract. If they are just closing the contract, the club would not imply a no deal with Barca but the club and player could include a clause that would facilitate his departure from Valencia in the event that a club called the Mestalla offering a substantial amount of money.
The other name on the table is Thiago Silva, center back, 27 years. The Brazilian arrived in Milan in December 2008 in exchange for 10 million euros, after an erratic period with several European teams (Porto and Dynamo Moscow). With a contract until 2016 at the San Siro he has become one of the fundamental pieces of Massimilano Allegri´s team and would also fit well with the team's needs: powerful in the air, well out with the ball, and adapted playing on the left side of Milan´s defensive axiz and forceful in defending. However, is he as versatile as Mascherano or Abidal, who last year were recycled to become central backs.
Thiago Silva himself has sent several public messages letting them know what he wants for the club, stressing his admiration for the Blaugrana style and his willingness to enter into negotiations if the Catalan club knocks on your door.
"I've spoken with the club," he admitted in June last year, "but now they should talk with the directors of Milan," said the Brazilian.
Figures for the Silva deal, could be around 30 million euros, an amount too high for the club, they could find cheaper alternatives for the signing, for example by including a player on loan, not to mention in the background of the Ibrahimovic deal, FC Barcelona has yet to receive a portion of the 24 million agreed fee that both clubs signed inthe sale of the Swedish striker.
Interesting. Maybe why there would be no deal with City and Tevez could be bait for a wider picture of Milan letting Silva know they are ambitious.