Jose Enrique

[Hatem Ben Arfa]

Barcelona 'eyeing up move for Jose Enrique'

JOSE ENRIQUE is understood to be on the shortlist of Champions League winners Barcelona – according to reports in Catalonia.

Enrique was expected back at United’s training centre today to undergo fitness testing ahead of the new season but it will also present Alan Pardew with an opportunity to sit down face to face with the unsettled Spaniard this summer following a wall of silence from the ex-La Liga man.

Undoubtedly, Enrique would jump at the chance of a move to Barca and, with the player not fully focused, United would understandably not stand in his way of moving on if it means they can recoup the £6m they paid for him back in 2007 – despite the fact the left-back has been offered a contract that would make him one of the top earners at St James’ Park.

The Nou Camp giants are keen to add depth to the left-back slot and Enrique woke up today to speculation linking with a move to the global powerhouse of world football.

Barca have options in the left-back slot with cancer survivor Eric Abidal prepared to finish his career with the club and Brazilian Maxwell also for company, while promising youngster Andreu Fontas has also been promoted to the first-team squad.

Enrique has also been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool this summer but his unhappiness at the club is thought to be triggered by the sale of Andy Carroll.

A source close to Enrique told the Chronicle: “Jose is not convinced that Newcastle have enough depth ahead of the new season.

“At 25 he is keen to look elsewhere and has a burning desire to play in the Champions League next season.”

Should Enrique leave, it leaves United with a gaping hole in the left-back slot with only the inexperienced figure of Shane Ferguson to fill it – unless Pardew opted to play Ryan Taylor or Danny Simpson in an unfamiliar position and used Dan Gosling in the role of right-back which he filled at times during his stint at Everton.

Swansea City and Neil Taylor are yet to iron out their differences even though the former Wrexham man is desperate to join United.

 

[LaMessiah]

Think this would be an excellent, cheap signing for the team. I have a buddy who's a Newcastle fan and raves about this guy. Jose Angel would be better for the future but this would give us good cover on the LB

 

[Hatem Ben Arfa]

Think this would be an excellent, cheap signing for the team. I have a buddy who's a Newcastle fan and raves about this guy. Jose Angel would be better for the future but this would give us good cover on the LB

He will be more than just cover! He will make Left Back spot his own. He will be number 1 choice left back by the end of the season if the move happens. he is that good!

Last season he was by far the best performing Left Back in the Barclays Premier League. Clichy, Evra and Cole had very average seasons by their standards. Baines is not that good defensively, he may as well be a winger like Bale.

As Newcastle fan myself, I'm not surprised your friend was raving about him. No one ever seems to get past Jose. A left back's job 1st and foremost is to defend and Jose Enrique did that better than any other left back in the Premier League last season. He will win the ball off the attacker and calmly play the ball out of tight spaces with nice short passes keeping the possession and he will burst forward on an amazing run. He has fantastic close control, especially on his dribbles. He can easily dribble past 3 or 4 players with the ball. It is just his end product in terms of goals that is missing. If he finished his solo runs of with goals or perhaps more assists, then he would get more recognition by English pundits and therefore fans of other clubs as well.

I've downloaded and watched every 90 mins of every Newcastle match this season and he is the best left back in the Premier League for me. Easily!

EVERY WEEK WITHOUT FAIL, Newcastle fans will chant JOSE JOSE JOSE JOSE, JOSE JOSE (to tune of Ole Ole Ole), multiple times in a match because of excellent defensive play, excellent possession play, excellent skillfull play and excellent forward play by Enrique. The loudest Jose chants are when he robs an attacker(esp top 4, Valencia, Malouda etc.) of the ball and goes foward on one of his runs.

Barca can't go wrong with him.

 

[LaMessiah]

I'm sold

 

[RedMadridista]

He will be more than just cover! He will make Left Back spot his own. He will be number 1 choice left back by the end of the season if the move happens. he is that good!

Last season he was by far the best performing Left Back in the Barclays Premier League. Clichy, Evra and Cole had very average seasons by their standards. Baines is not that good defensively, he may as well be a winger like Bale.

As Newcastle fan myself, I'm not surprised your friend was raving about him. No one ever seems to get past Jose. A left back's job 1st and foremost is to defend and Jose Enrique did that better than any other left back in the Premier League last season. He will win the ball off the attacker and calmly play the ball out of tight spaces with nice short passes keeping the possession and he will burst forward on an amazing run. He has fantastic close control, especially on his dribbles. He can easily dribble past 3 or 4 players with the ball. It is just his end product in terms of goals that is missing. If he finished his solo runs of with goals or perhaps more assists, then he would get more recognition by English pundits and therefore fans of other clubs as well.

I've downloaded and watched every 90 mins of every Newcastle match this season and he is the best left back in the Premier League for me. Easily!

EVERY WEEK WITHOUT FAIL, Newcastle fans will chant JOSE JOSE JOSE JOSE, JOSE JOSE (to tune of Ole Ole Ole), multiple times in a match because of excellent defensive play, excellent possession play, excellent skillfull play and excellent forward play by Enrique. The loudest Jose chants are when he robs an attacker(esp top 4, Valencia, Malouda etc.) of the ball and goes foward on one of his runs.

Barca can't go wrong with him.

Cole/Evra and Baines > Enrique. Baines was probably the best LB last season. FACT!

 

[Sewelly]

Cole/Evra and Baines > Enrique. Baines was probably the best LB last season. FACT!

Contradiction of terms, because that is not a fact it is opinion.

 

[RedMadridista]

Contradiction of terms, because that is not a fact it is opinion.

Barcelona won't get Enrique. He's not good enough. He'll end up at Le'Arse or Liverpool. You can quote me on that.

 

[Poor_Sunyol]

Barcelona won't get Enrique. He's not good enough. He'll end up at Le'Arse or Liverpool. You can quote me on that.

Done.

 

[Hatem Ben Arfa]

Barcelona won't get Enrique. He's not good enough. He'll end up at Le'Arse or Liverpool. You can quote me on that.

They might not get Enrique. But he is GOOD ENOUGH for them. Make no mistake about that.

As a man u fan, I bet you have hardly watched Newcastle 90 mins every week. You must have freinds who are Newcastle fans in your personal life. Ask them about Enrique and they will no doubt tell you the same as I have told you.

As for Baines, he is no where near as good as Jose defensively, and remember a Left Backs first priority is to DEFEND. Baines scores goals and free kicks so that automatically makes him the best left back last season in many short sighted fans eyes. No one was better than Jose Enrique as a defender in the Left Back postion last season, NO ONE. Not your Evra, not Cole, not Clichy not even Baines! Enrique just needs to add goals to his game to get the recoginition he deserves among short sighted fans of other clubs and the wider footballing world.

Baines can score 10 goals next season if he wants but if he doesn't DEFEND well enough, he can't be called the best left back in the league when DEFENDING is PRIORITY NUMBER 1 for a Left Back. NO chance! I mean what gets more attention from neutral fans, goals or great defensive play? The answer is why you think he's not good enough and why Enrique has not got the recognition he deserves.

I was surprised and happy to hear the pundits on Gillette soccer saturday saying Jose Enrique was in the TOP 3 of Left Backs last season. It made a nice change from fans being short sighted.

 

[RedMadridista]

They might not get Enrique. But he is GOOD ENOUGH for them. Make no mistake about that.

As a man u fan, I bet you have hardly watched Newcastle 90 mins every week. You must have freinds who are Newcastle fans in your personal life. Ask them about Enrique and they will no doubt tell you the same as I have told you.

As for Baines, he is no where near as good as Jose defensively, and remember a Left Backs first priority is to DEFEND. Baines scores goals and free kicks so that automatically makes him the best left back last season in many short sighted fans eyes. No one was better than Jose Enrique as a defender in the Left Back postion last season, NO ONE. Not your Evra, not Cole, not Clichy not even Baines! Enrique just needs to add goals to his game to get the recoginition he deserves among short sighted fans of other clubs and the wider footballing world.

Baines can score 10 goals next season if he wants but if he doesn't DEFEND well enough, he can't be called the best left back in the league. NO chance! I mean what gets more attention from neutral fans, goals or great defensive play? The answer is why you think he's not good enough.

I've not really watched him much. I have only seen him when Newcastle played United. How fast is he? If I remember correctly he did quite well against United, so perhaps he's good enough for Barcelona. I thought Le'Arse were interested?

 

[Hatem Ben Arfa]

I've not really watched him much. I have only seen him when Newcastle played United. How fast is he? If I remember correctly he did quite well against United, so perhaps he's good enough for Barcelona. I thought Le'Arse were interested?

Liverpool and Arsenal are apparently intersted. Liverpool was supposedly a done deal as Phil Thompson let slip on live norwegian TV at the end of last season. Arsenal are being mentioned since Clichy just joined Man City. Barcelona, Bayern Munich, AC Milan have also been credited with an interest in him.

 

[AnfieldEd]

We are still very much interested in him.

 

[Sewelly]

Barcelona won't get Enrique. He's not good enough. He'll end up at Le'Arse or Liverpool. You can quote me on that.

When did I say he would end up at Barca? I just said you need to check up on your definition of the word 'fact', because evidently you don't understand its usage.

 

[Barcafan 2304]

I'm sold to. Would provide excellent cover or competition for that spot

 

[Yugi]

he is good, if he came he would become spain NT LB too
and also Rosell and Zubi said they like players that want to join us and Jose in last few interviews said if Barcelona called him, he wouldnt think a second