Argentina's Estudiantes in talks with Iniesta

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File photo of Andres Iniesta.

Argentina's Estudiantes has opened talks with Andres Iniesta about signing the former Barcelona midfielder for the 2020 season, according to local press reports.

Iniesta is contracted to Japanese club Vissel Kobe until 2021 but Estudiantes is understood to be willing to trigger his release clause.

"Today, we can't say that there are negotiations with Iniesta, (but) yes there are talks," Estudiantes president Juan Sebastian Veron told La Oral Deportiva in Buenos Aires.

"(Trying to sign) Iniesta is something that people will not forget about, regardless of whether it materializes or not," added Veron, a former midfielder for Manchester United and Argentina's national team.

Iniesta has scored 10 goals in 39 appearances for Vissel since joining the J-League club from Barcelona in 2018.

The scorer of the winning goal for Spain at the 2010 World Cup could be swayed by the chance to reunite with Estudiantes head coach Gabriel Milito and defender Javier Mascherano — both former teammates of his at Barcelona.

"Having Javier at the club is an important fact, not only for Estudiantes but also for Argentinian football, for all that he is as a person and a professional," Veron said.

Estudiantes is currently 13th in the 24-team Argentinian Superliga, which began a six-week summer recess in mid-December.

Elsewhere in Latin American soccer, Flamengo head coach Jorge Jesus confirmed on Tuesday that he will see out his contract with the Rio de Janeiro club amid reports linking him with a return to Europe.

Jesus guided Flamengo to the Brazilian Serie A and Copa Libertadores titles in 2019, less than six months after taking charge of the club.

"I'm staying. I have a contract and I'm going to honor it. I'm going back to Brazil on January 24," the 65-year-old told reporters in Lisbon, where he arrived on Tuesday to begin a month-long vacation in his homeland Portugal following the team's 0-1 loss to Liverpool in the Club World Cup final in Qatar last week.

The Brazilian media have speculated that the former Sporting Lisbon and Benfica manager is fielding offers from clubs in Europe after his impressive first year with Flamengo.

Jesus, whose contract is due to expire next June, has previously refused to confirm or deny the reports. However, he has made clear that his ultimate career goal is to win the UEFA Champions League.

"I have said that there are five or six teams in Europe that could give me the opportunity to win the Champions League. You know which clubs they are better than I do," he said.

Jesus's immediate success with Flamengo has prompted other Brazilian clubs to seek Portuguese managers.

In the past week, former Porto boss Jesualdo Ferreira joined Santos and ex-Sporting Lisbon manager Augusto Inacio signed with Avai.

"Two more Portuguese coaches have arrived in Brazil in a short space of time. Now we're going to try and show that Portuguese managers are the best in the world," Jesus added. 

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