Real Madrid and Barcelona are set to battle for defender Shkodran Mustafi after the player’s father said both clubs have contacted Valencia.
Germany defender Mustafi, 23, moved to Valencia last summer from Italian side Sampdoria and was a pivotal part of the team’s fourth-place Primera Liga finish.
However, according to quotes attributed to his father, Mustafi could be on the move to one of Spain’s biggest clubs.
"I can confirm that both clubs have made contacts," Mustafi's father Kujtim told Albanian newspaper Gazeta Express. "They are in talks with the club and I don't know more. This is all I can say at this stage.
“There are good chances that he will leave this summer, but he can also continue with Valencia.”
Mustafi Sr’s quotes are supported by the player’s agent, Ali Bulut, who said contact had been made, but the chance of a move was still some way off.
"There has been an inquiry from Real Madrid," he told the German publications Bild. "But there have not been any further talks.
“Barca talked about a transfer in the winter, but Mustafi has a good contract at Valencia.
“It is a great club and he will play in the Champions League. If he is to move, everything must be perfect.”
Mustafi began his career at German club Hamburg before moving to Premier League side Everton while still an academy player.
After failing to break into the senior set-up at Everton, Mustafi moved to Sampdoria in 2012 for two years before arriving in Valencia.
Mustafi has been capped eight times by Germany and was part of the 2014 Fifa World Cup-winning squad.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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Paatal Lok season two
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Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
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8 UAE companies helping families reduce their carbon footprint
Greenheart Organic Farms
This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps.
www.greenheartuae.com
Modibodi
Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime.
www.modibodi.ae
The Good Karma Co
From brushes made of plant fibres to eco-friendly storage solutions, this company has planet-friendly alternatives to almost everything we need, including tin foil and toothbrushes.
www.instagram.com/thegoodkarmaco
Re:told
One Dubai boutique, Re:told, is taking second-hand garments and selling them on at a fraction of the price, helping to cut back on the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown into landfills each year.
www.shopretold.com
Lush
Lush provides products such as shampoo and conditioner as package-free bars with reusable tins to store.
www.mena.lush.com
Bubble Bro
Offering filtered, still and sparkling water on tap, Bubble Bro is attempting to ensure we don’t produce plastic or glass waste. Founded in 2017 by Adel Abu-Aysha, the company is on track to exceeding its target of saving one million bottles by the end of the year.
www.bubble-bro.com
Coethical
This company offers refillable, eco-friendly home cleaning and hygiene products that are all biodegradable, free of chemicals and certifiably not tested on animals.
www.instagram.com/coethical
Eggs & Soldiers
This bricks-and-mortar shop and e-store, founded by a Dubai mum-of-four, is the place to go for all manner of family products – from reusable cloth diapers to organic skincare and sustainable toys.
www.eggsnsoldiers.com
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
