Barcelona Transfer News: Latest Andre-Pierre Gignac, Sergi Samper Rumours

Mexican club Tigres have denied reports Barcelona have approached them to bring France international Andre-Pierre Gignac to Spain, while talented midfielder Sergi Samper is said to be close to a loan move to Valencia.Catalan-based newspaper Mundo Deportivo (h/t Football Espana) previously reported Barcelona technical secretary Roberto Fernandez was in Mexico to negotiate with several clubs, including Tigres, leading to plenty of raised eyebrows and hilarity on social media.Match of the Day Magazine's Andy Ha thought the link was telling for how the transfer window is playing out:Sport reported Gignac doesn't fit what the Blaugrana are looking for, however, and shared a short comment from Tigres president Miguel Angel Garza, who made it clear the two clubs aren't talking: "We found out via the media but Tigres has not had anything official or any contact from Barcelona for Gignac."Sport added Barcelona are looking for a younger backup to play behind the trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, highlighting former target Luciano Vietto as an ideal candidate. The 30-year-old Gignac does not fit the bill.Gignac shockingly left Marseille for Mexico in 2015 but has settled in well with Tigres, scoring goals at a fair rate and earning his spot in France's UEFA Euro 2016 team. The veteran is a classic target man, something the Catalans currently lack on their bench.Here's a look at some of his highlights from his last year in the French Ligue 1:Gignac is a fine striker, but he's nowhere near the level required for a club like Barcelona. As a backup, he would make little sense, as his in-the-box playing style doesn't fit the fast-paced attacking style Barcelona like to use.La Liga blogger Sergi Dominguez noted Mundo Deportivo and Sport, the twolargest sports papers in Catalunya, have been contradicting each other throughout the summer:With Tigres claiming they've yet to make any contact with Barcelona, it's safer to assume this move won't happen.One move that could happen is Samper's proposed loan move to Valencia, with negotiations said to be at an advanced stage, per Super Deporte (h/t Sport's Lluis Miguelsanz). The young midfielder has impressed so far in pre-season, but with playing time difficult to come by, a loan move always seemed likely.Fans have been waiting to see more of Samper for years, as the 21-year-old has long been known as one of La Masia's top talents. Here's a look at some of his highlights:Samper is frequently compared to Sergio Busquets, the man blocking his way into the starting XI, and with the latter still putting together superb outings on a weekly basis, it might be some time before Samper has a chance ofeven pushing him for some minutes.Consistent playing time at the top level should help his development, and that's exactly what Valencia can offer. Los Che have had their issues in the last year, so the Catalans will have to keep a close eye on the situation, but the time is right to let Samper take his chances and see what he can do.
Click here to read full news..