Barcelona are keen to secure the services of Gerard Pique (22) on a new long-term contract.

So impressed have the staff been by the centre-half since he returned to his homeland from Manchester United in 2008, that they want to ensure he sees out his playing days at Camp Nou.

A deal which will run until the summer of 2015 is reported to have been readied by Barca officials, with the option for extensions to that agreement to be put in place when required.

Sporting director, Txiki Begiristain has been charged with overseeing the drawing up of the contract and ensuring it is signed.

Barca are also looking to include a clause in the deal which will see Pique’s buy-out clause increased to €150million (£131m).

Pique, who was born and raised in Catalunya, has also insisted that he would be happy to prolong his association with the club.

The 22-year-old had recently been linked with a return to England with Manchester City, but Barca have made it clear that they are unwilling to sanction a sale and the Spain international has recently expressed his desire to retire at the Camp nou.

Thierry Henry has shown his support for the people of Haiti with a huge donation to the Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) organisation from his The One 4 All Foundation.

Earlier this month a devastating earthquake struck the Caribbean island and the need for relief aid has seen the sporting world try to do everything that it can to help. Henry is doing what he can to help and has made a donation of €56,000 to the campaign.

The French forward still remembers when Hurricane Hugo had a similar effect on Guadalupe, the island where his father was born. “This tragedy has affected me a lot and I hope that everyone can do something to help Haiti,” he said. “It has touched me because 20 years ago something similar happened to Guadalupe and I know what the Haitians are going through.”

Henry then revealed that he knows people in Haiti and that has made the earthquake even more personal to him. “I have a lot of friends there,” he explained. “Haiti is a former French colony and it is like we are cousins. It is not easy to see what is happening and I want to help. I felt I had to do something and therefore I chose to make a contribution to Medecins Sans Frontieres.”

Barcelona are tracking Mali international and Girondins Bordeaux youngster Abdou Traore.

The 21 year-old has failed to nail down a regular place in Laurent Blanc’s plans at Bordeaux this season and has been linked with a loan switch to Lorient.

Catalan sports daily Sport says despite Traore’s lack of first team action, Barca scouts are convinced the midfielder has a big future ahead of him and are considering a summer move for the player.

With Yaya Toure’s future still uncertain, Barcelona are said to be scouting the market for a young defensive midfielder and Traore is one of the players high on the list.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has hit out at claims that delays over Pep Guardiola’s new contract were due to his poor relationship with the coach.

Guardiola has committed himself to another 12 month deal with Barca this week, though is yet to put pen to paper.

Laporta snapped: “But why say this nonsense? How can you say this c***? With Guardiola, there is an excellent relationship, he is a great person, is the best coach in the world and we maintain a very cordial, very correct and I say even an affectionate relationship.”

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique is relishing the prospect of lifting the Champions League by beating bitter rivals Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.

The final of this year’s European showpiece is set to be held at the Bernabeu and Pique would love to see off Madrid on their own turf.

“It would be my third Champions League and if on top of that we win it at the Bernabeu and against Real Madrid, it would be fantastic, marvellous,” he told Interviu.

Last season was Pique’s first back at Barca following his return from Manchester United.

The youngster, who spent seven years in the Catalans’ youth academy, insists he now never wants to leave.

Pique said: “To go somewhere else has no part at all in what I want. My wish is to retire at the Nou Camp. I am very happy.”

Having witnessed Barca sweep all before them it was a summer of change at Madrid as returning president Florentino Perez spent over 250million euros on Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Xabi Alonso, Raul Albiol, Alvaro Negredo, Esteban Granero and Alvaro Arbeloa.

However, Pique believes it will be a long time before they are a realistic threat.

“Florentino Perez has thrown away many millions and has great footballers, but they need a lot more time to be a real team,” said the 22-year-old. “They still depend on individuals.

“Each game we do well in because of what the team does. We’re never going to be tired of winning because the dressing room is a tight-kit clan. There is unity, commitment and there are no clashes nor in-fighting: we all feel important.”

According to FC Barcelona left-back Eric Abidal in an interview with the official website of FIFA (www.fifa.com) he had once thought about retiring from football but retracted the idea.

“Ever since I was a youngster, I’ve always wanted to be a footballer, but I nearly gave it all up when I had a serious injury. But then one day my mother said to me: ‘Football is your dream and you can make it. I’d really like to see you play a bit more.’ Look where I am today!” the player said.

Presently the French international managed to become a mainstay in the best team of all times according to statistics website International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS), FC Barcelona and a regular with the French national team. His resume includes a host of titles; three league titles and three France Supercups with Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyonnais, plus the six cups with Barcelona that the team captured in 2009.

Aware that the unconditional support of his mother helped him get to where he is now, Abidal concedes that this must be the way forward for him because thanks to that advice he has fulfilled his dream.

“Right now, if you asked every child what they dream of doing when they grow up, millions would tell you they want to become footballers. I’m lucky enough to have done that and to have made a career out of my passion,”said the 30-year-old, who once confessed that had he not become a professional player, he would have liked to be a “house painter”.

According to German weekly paper ‘Sport Bild’, Vfb Stuttgart was on the verge of returning Alexander Hleb to Barcelona in the present winter market but retracted the decision. On loan until this June, the Belarusian international performance since his move in July 2009 has been disappointing that the German club had thought about repatriating him back to Spain to bring in another player.

That plan however was cancelled when team coach Christian Gross met with the player, and decided to give him a chance to redeem himself – a point he made clear by giving one of his best performances when he replaced Zdravko Kuzmanovic in the 57th minute in his team’s 3-1 win over Vfb Wolfsburg last Saturday.

Barcelona’s opponent in the Champions League Round-of-16, Stuttgart currently occupies 12th spot in the 18-team Bundesliga with 19 points after 18 rounds of matches.

The 28-year-old attacking midfielder/winger has so far only managed to score 1 goal against Ukrainian side FC Timisoara in the Champions League.

Alexander Hleb joined Barcelona in July 2008 for a transfer fee of 15 million Euros plus 2 million in variables from Premiership side Arsenal. He was loaned to Stuttgart after disagreeing to play for Serie A club Inter Milan in a swap deal to get Ibrahimovic until June 2010.

AC Milan midfielder Mathieu Flamini (25) has been linked in the Italian press with a move to European Champions, Fc Barcelona.

The former Arsenal midfielder, has recently been linked heavily with a move to Manchester City. However, in the last hours, it has been reported by Italian news site ‘calciomercato’, that Flamini has attracted interest from the European Champions.

It has also been reported that the good relationship between the Rossoneri vice president, Adriano Galliani and FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta may act as a key that can bring Flamini to the Camp Nou.

Mathieu Flamini Joined Milan from Arsenal on a free transfer in 2008 and has failed to nail down a spot in the Milan starting lineup ever since, falling behind Massimo ambrosini and Gennaro Gattuso in the pecking order.

He was teammates with current Barcelona players Thierry Henry (32) and loan-out Aleksander Hleb (28) during their time at Arsenal. The three faced Barca in the Champions League final in Paris.

Barca coach Pep Guardiola (39) has emphasized that his relationship with club president Joan Laporta is ‘excellent’, quashing rumours that there has been a fallout between the two.

Guardiola, who signed a one-year contract extension at the Camp Nou earlier this week, went on to praise the relationship he has with club President Joan Laporta.

“We’re not close friends but our relationship is excellent,” he continued.

“He has given me the opportunity to coach this team and has given me everything I asked for and left me to work with absolute freedom.

“It is an honour and a pleasure to be here and I will be forever grateful to the president, to the board and the sporting director for trusting me.”

The 39-year-old coach led his side to every possible trophy during 2009 and his side currently sit top of the Primera Liga, five points clear of rivals Real Madrid.

Speaking to the media ahead of Barca’s trip to Valladolid on Saturday night, he said: “Barca is what makes me good and not vice-versa. I can never give back to this institution what it has given me.”

The Spaniard has overseen his side complete half of the season without losing a league game, however he was quick to play down the significance of the achievement.

“Ending the first half of the season undefeated does not give you any title.”

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola claims finishing the first half of the Primera Division season unbeaten would mean nothing ahead of the trip to Real Valladolid.

The league leaders have the chance to do just that on Saturday night in Valladolid, while a win would ensure the Catalans complete the first half of the campaign at least five points clear of closest challengers Real Madrid.

While Madrid, who host Malaga on Sunday, have already lost three times in the league this season, Barca have won 14 and drawn four. But Guardiola, who verbally agreed to remain at Barcelona for another year earlier this week, knows there is no glory attached to finishing top at the halfway stage.

“Finishing the first half unbeaten doesn’t win you any titles,” he said. “It’s an anecdote – there are 20 games to go and that’s an eternity.”

Barcelona face a Valladolid side who have won just three times in La Liga all season, and who lost their last home match 4-0 to Atletico Madrid. Nevertheless, Guardiola expects an intense clash. “They are a very intense and aggressive team that oblige you to be very attentive and they pressurise you from the front,” he said.

Guardiola’s only real doubt comes in the centre of midfield, where he will look for a defensive-minded player to complement the skills of Xavi and Andres Iniesta. Yaya Toure is away at the African Nations Cup, while Sergio Busquets misses out through injury.

That could mean a return to the side for Seydou Keita, who is back from the continental tournament in Angola following the elimination of his national side, Mali. Mexico defender Rafael Marquez is another option, having played in central midfield for the whole season during 2004/2005. Catalan defender Gerard Pique can also play in central midfield.

Up front, Zlatan Ibrahimovic will start, despite a poor recent run of form which has seen the Sweden striker score just two goals in the last seven matches. The former Inter Milan forward admits he is well below his brilliant best.

“I’m a realist – when I play badly I admit it and in the last match I played bad, bad, bad,” he said. “I haven’t felt good about my game but I will improve and I am working hard.” Despite his poor run, Ibrahimovic has struck 13 goals already this season.

Valladolid head into the encounter just a point above the relegation zone following a disappointing first half of the season. The Castilians have won just once in the last five league matches and coach Jose Luis Mendilibar knows his side will not be expected to take anything from the match.

“They are big favourites, but we have a chance,” he said. “However, we will have to be at the top of the top of our game to beat them.”

Sisi misses out through injury once again, with the winger needing an operation following a frustrating spell on the sidelines.

Team News

Valladolid:

- Midfielders Alvaro Rubio and Sisi Gonazalez will miss out due to discomforts with their back and left knee respectively.
- Angolan striker Manucho is away on international duty at the African Cup of Nations.
- Pele and Nivaldo come back into the squad after missing the draw against Racing at the weekend due to suspensions.

Barcelona:

- Sergio Busquets  is out of action as he continues to recover from the knock sustained against Sevilla last weekend and should be given the green light to feature as per the medical staff.
- Winger Jeffren Suarez is still out with injury.
- Captain Carles Puyol returned to training on Friday and will be included in the squad.
- Yaya Toure is away at the African Cup of Nations while Seydou Keita has returned to the squad due to Mali’s elimination from the prestigious tournament.

FC Barcelona have once again showed their willingness to help those in need with a donation of €250,000 to the aid relief programme in Haiti.

The Blaugrana’s director general Joan Oliver confirmed that the club have agreed to the move after considering for a few days what they could do to help through the Fundación. “We did not want to just do something random, but something that will help in the medium term,” he explained.

Oliver then revealed that while an outlay such as this cannot be catered before in advance, but that the club wanted to help and approved the move without hesitation.

International aid

The Fundación’s director general Marta Segú then explained how the club is going to ensure the money goes to the right places. “We are in contact with the international aid agencies and associations working there,” she said. “We want to help in the medium term and we know that firstly there is a collection of money that is required but then later resources will run short.”

Educational support

Barça hope to help in two directions by giving economic support and finance to Doctors Without Borders to ensure there is health care and also to reconstruct a school connected with XICS. Segú also revealed that a party from Barça will travel to Haiti within the next few weeks.

Small gestures

Despite not making the direct involvement public until now, Barça have shown their support to the people of Haiti with a minute of silence before the game against Sevilla last weekend. Also during the 80th anniversary of Cornellà CB, against whom Regal Barça played a friendly recently.

Players have also been showing their support with Thierry Henry making a donation of €56,000 on Friday.

Making donations

Barça director general Joan Oliver explained that the club have opened channels for supporters to help Haiti with the official website being one way. “If they can help then our contribution could be even greater,” he said.

Catalan sports daily ‘El Mundo Deportivo’ report Racing Santander starlet Sergio Canales (18) almost joined FC Barcelona, in the summer of 2003.

The youngster from cantabria who has been one of the latest sensations of la liga this season scoring 5 goals in 8 appearences, was virtually tied to Barcelona according to El Mundo. All the foundations of the agreement had been laid with his father and agent Angel Canales, however his mother vetoed the signing saying it was too early for the youngster to move to a bigger club and it was better for Canales to remain in Cantabria for a few more years.

Canales has recently been linked to a move to Barcelona by Madrid sports daily ‘Marca’ along with a host of other european clubs, with Real Madrid being in pole position to sign the youngster from Racing on a €6 million deal.