Barcelona capitalised on Real Madrid's latest slip-up by beating Sevilla 3-0 at Camp Nou to move eight points clear at the top of LaLiga.

Madrid's surprise 1-0 loss at Real Mallorca earlier on Sunday opened the door for Barca, who took full advantage with their 10th win in a row this calendar year.

After toiling for the best part of an hour, Jordi Alba deservedly opened the scoring for Xavi's side and they did not look back.

Gavi doubled the hosts' lead 12 minutes later after being assisted by Raphinha, who added the third himself to edge Barca ever closer to a first league title in four seasons.

Barca were forced to make a change inside the opening eight minutes after Sergio Busquets injured his ankle and they struggled to find their full flow in the first half.

Yassine Bounou produced a fine stop with his leg to deny Robert Lewandowski and pulled off an even better save soon after to tip the striker's long-range drive around the post.

Sevilla brought on Bryan Gil and Erik Lamela at half-time, but Barca continued to dominate the contest as Raphinha became the latest to test Bounou, this time from a header.

The breakthrough finally arrived just short of the hour mark as Franck Kessie, brought on for Busquets, brilliantly flicked the ball into the path of Alba to fire across Bounou.

A simple finish for Gavi in the 70th minute after being picked out by Raphinha gave Barca breathing space and the Brazil winger contributed to the scoring before full-time.

Alba played the ball into the middle and Raphinha was there to poke it past Bounou and cap a fine individual and team display.

The future of Ansu Fati at Barcelona appears to be increasingly uncertain.

Fati was a revelation when he first broke into the Barca first team, but has suffered several injury issues that have halted his momentum.

Even when fit, Fati has struggled to get into Xavi's side this season, featuring in 30 games but only nine times from the start, with six goals and three assists to show for it.

And reports are starting to emerge that vultures may be circling to offer the Spain international more regular football.

 

TOP STORY – BAYERN LEAD THE WAY IN HUNT FOR ANSU FATI

Mundo Deportivo reports that Bayern Munich are at the head of a queue of seven European clubs interested in making a move for Fati at the end of the season.

It is also mentioned that four of the seven potential suitors come from the big-spending Premier League, though only Arsenal and Tottenham are named.

The player only signed a new deal in 2021 that committed him to Barca until 2027, with a release clause of €1billion, but the continued absence of Fati in the starting XI even after Ousmane Dembele's latest injury is apparently a concern to the player's agent, Jorge Mendes.

ROUND-UP

Barca, Atletico Madrid and Milan are all looking at a move for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at the end of the campaign after Chelsea surprisingly left the striker out of their Champions League squad, according to the Mail.

Chelsea are poised to join Manchester United in targeting Napoli hitman Victor Osimhen as the Blues look to solve their goalscoring problems, report the Mirror.

Real Madrid turned down the chance to sign Joao Cancelo on loan from Manchester City before he went to Bayern on transfer deadline day, according to Fabrizio Romano.

– The Mail has pointed to Tottenham's good relations with Atletico as reason for their optimism about signing Jan Oblak and Yannick Carrasco at the end of the season.

– The Mirror reports that Manchester United will look to move on six players at the end of the season, including Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay, Anthony Martial and Donny van de Beek.

Xavi is expecting Barcelona's LaLiga title battle with Real Madrid to go down to the wire, despite his side opening up a five-point lead at the summit.

Barca, who last lifted the title in the 2018-19 campaign, have won 16 of their opening 19 league matches to reach the 50-point mark already.

It is only the sixth time Barca have hit that half-century milestone at this stage of a campaign, and they went on to lift the title in four of those previous five campaigns.

Reigning Spanish and European champions Madrid have struggled for consistency either side of the World Cup break, winning only half of their past eight league matches.

However, with the sides also paired together in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, Xavi insists Carlo Ancelotti's men can never be written off.

"I don't feel like the favourites, but rather just a candidate who can win the league," Xavi said at a pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's meeting with Sevilla.

"Winning the league is one of our goals. We're competing against the current LaLiga and Champions League winners and it's hard for us to fight for titles against a strong side.

"I still consider Madrid a strong side and we will have to fight for the league right until the last or penultimate matchday."

 

Barca have won nine of their past 10 league games, including all four this calendar year, and are unbeaten in their past 14 LaLiga meetings with 13th-place Sevilla.

Jorge Sampaoli's side have won back-to-back matches without conceding to ease their relegation worries, and Xavi says his side will treat Sevilla as they do any other opponent.

"Every game brings pressure. Every time we go out on the pitch we're told it's a key game; always it's the same thing," he said.

"I've also heard that how we perform in the Europa League will determine the success of our season.

"We're a club that is exposed to pressure and that's welcome. It is better to be fighting for these titles than to be relegated.

"Up next is a difficult opponent, despite where they are in the table. Sampaoli has brought back their strong and competitive side, making them strong defensively.

"We know they are a team that can complicate things for us, a team with a lot of experience. Tomorrow is another test and we have to pass it with all three points."

The seven goals conceded after 19 LaLiga games is Barca's lowest-ever tally and the second lowest of any team at this stage after Deportivo La Coruna in the 1993-94 season.

Xavi added: "The state of the team right now is sensational. The players are working hard and getting results. In general we're in a good moment, especially in defence.

"We're playing much better football now and are understanding certain situations better. We are on the right track, but we're also still under construction in this long process."

It wasn't long ago that Sevilla fans were dreaming of actually winning LaLiga for the first time since their only title success in the 1940s.

Sporting director Monchi built the squad and Julen Lopetegui maximised its potential, using a brilliant defence as the platform for a solid and effective team.

Ultimately, Sevilla's form in the final weeks of the 2020-21 season saw their challenge tail off, but they finished just nine points adrift of eventual champions Atletico Madrid.

Essentially going toe-to-toe with three teams whose budgets dwarfed their own was itself an achievement, and the positivity carried through into the 2021-22 campaign.

At the end of matchday 20, second-placed Sevilla were just two points behind Real Madrid and 10 clear of Real Betis in third. However, since then, their accumulation of 47 points is the ninth-most in LaLiga.

Barcelona have almost double that number (91); Madrid have 79; city rivals Betis are on 62; Real Mallorca – only promoted back to LaLiga for last season – have tallied just three points fewer.

In that respect, Sunday's trip to Camp Nou represents a particularly daunting challenge. So, how has everything unravelled so quickly for Sevilla?

The key departures

Lopetegui's side were never particularly high scorers. In each of his three full seasons in charge, there were at least four teams in LaLiga who scored more than them, and the most they plundered was 54 in 2020-21.

While that may not exactly sound bad on the face of it, successful teams obviously tend to score a fair amount more. Over the seasons in question, the average goals total for the 15 teams to play each campaign in LaLiga was 155 – Sevilla's total was 160, so only slightly above average.

The reason they were able to be competitive around the top of the table despite attacking deficiencies was their excellent defence, built around the central pairing of Diego Carlos and Jules Kounde.

Sevilla conceded 97 goals across Lopetegui's three full seasons, bettered only by Real Madrid (84) and Atletico Madrid (95). The league median was 135, so they were much better than average.

Diego Carlos and Kounde both had the perfect blend of defensive intelligence, physical presence and technical ability, with Lopetegui's emphasis on building from the back starting with them. They were key to virtually everything.

Sevilla knew they'd leave eventually. The likelihood of being able to replace them with another partnership just as good was miniscule.

Instead, they'd need to offset their departures with greater goal threat at the other end. They failed. Sevilla have gone from scoring 1.4 goals and conceding 0.9 per game to netting 1.1 and letting in 1.4.

Lopetegui's delayed exit

Generally, Lopetegui did a very good job. Sevilla were rarely especially entertaining, but for about two and a half seasons they were very effective.

Their form tailed off badly towards the end of the 2021-22 campaign, however. Between January 1 and the end of the season, Sevilla's 32 points from 20 games were only the sixth-most. While they only lost twice in LaLiga during that run, they drew 11 times – no other team in the division reached double figures.

As the end of the season closed in, it seemed likely Lopetegui would leave, and to most fans it felt like the right time. Departing at that moment would've provided him and the club with a clean break and given his successor a full pre-season to get their ideas across.

A report from Marca in mid-May suggested Lopetegui was "on the precipice". A local reporter claimed the same day that their parting had been decided. But about 24 hours later, Monchi insisted the former Real Madrid and Barcelona goalkeeper would still be in charge for the new season.

Indeed, he was, but Lopetegui's attempts to re-energise the team fell flat. Sevilla began the season with one point from four games – they have never had fewer points after that many matches, with it their worst start in 41 years.

Lopetegui lasted another month, but back-to-back home defeats to Atletico and Borussia Dortmund – who were 4-1 winners – took him to the point of no return, his departure confirmed by an emotional on-pitch farewell to supporters.

Jorge Sampaoli, Lopetegui's replacement, has struggled to inspire a turnaround upon his return to the club and even had to contend with reports questioning his own future.

But the coaches cannot be entirely to blame.

Questionable transfer policy

It almost feels like sacrilege to criticise the work of Monchi – at Sevilla, anyway – but his second spell in charge of the club's transfers has been blighted by expensive (by their standards) disappointments.

It hasn't all been bad. Three successive top-four finishes was something they hadn't achieved since the 1950s, and the likes of Diego Carlos and Kounde will go down among Monchi's best ever deals.

But many signings have failed to live up to expectations.

Of the six players brought in during this season's first transfer window, three (Kasper Dolberg, Isco and Adnan Januzaj) have already left permanently or on loan; one has struggled significantly (Tanguy Nianzou); the other two (Marcao and Alex Telles) have spent more time injured than not.

Thirty-six players have been signed between the end of the 2018-19 season and the start of 2023, but you could argue only 11 have been successes. There's also been a focus on more experienced players, so the squad now has 11 players aged 30 or older. Unsurprisingly, the average age of their starting XI (28.9 years) is the oldest in LaLiga this term.

Obviously, it's easy to be critical with hindsight, and it should be highlighted Sevilla rely on player turnover to generate much of their revenue. It's always a risky strategy and that the club has had so much success with this model over the past 20 years speaks to Monchi's excellence.

But this is probably the trickiest period Sevilla have had since returning to LaLiga in 2001. Sure, recent results have hoisted them up to 13th, but they're still only two points above the bottom three and nothing about this season has suggested the squad is mentally tough, which would be a worry if they still found themselves perilously close to the drop zone in the final weeks of the campaign.

The last thing Sevilla need right now is a trip to Camp Nou, where they've not beaten Barca in LaLiga since 2002.

On the other hand, an unlikely positive result could be a game-changer as the club build for a 2023 that fans hope brings a bit more cheer than 2022.

Manchester City might be searching for a new left-back following Joao Cancelo's departure to Bayern Munich.

Cancelo, a star of City's last few seasons, joined Bayern on loan earlier this week having fallen out of favour with Pep Guardiola.

Bayern have the option to make that move permanent at the end of the season, meaning City could well be in the market for a replacement.

TOP STORY – Chilwell to join City from Chelsea?

The Times is reporting that City could target Ben Chilwell, the Chelsea full-back, to replace Cancelo.

England international Chilwell has had an injury-disrupted season and missed the World Cup due to a hamstring issue.

However, he would fit the mould when it comes to the attacking full-backs that Guardiola employs.

If City have a big windfall to play with from a potential Cancelo sale, could a fresh start in the north west be on the cards for Chilwell?

ROUND-UP

– The Mail and The Athletic are reporting that Everton are looking to make amends for their fruitless January transfer window by signing free agent Andre Ayew to address their striker concerns. Nottingham Forest are also said to be in talks with the attacker, who last played for Al Sadd in Qatar.

– According to The Times, Everton could also target former Real Madrid midfielder Isco after his move to Union Berlin fell through.

– Sky Germany reports Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino is close to signing an extension at Anfield, with his current deal expiring at the end of this campaign.

Paris Saint-Germain are said to be "furious" with Chelsea after Hakim Ziyech's loan move to the Parc des Princes fell through.

Barcelona coach Xavi insisted that they wish to build around Raphinha in the future, after the Brazil winger was linked with a move away from Camp Nou.

– Phil Hay of The Athletic detailed how Leeds United's Jack Harrison had a medical at Leicester City before a switch to the King Power Stadium broke down on deadline day.

Xavi singled out Pedri for praise after Barcelona went eight points clear at the top of LaLiga by beating Real Betis, comparing the midfielder to Spain's "greatest talent" Andres Iniesta.

Goals from Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski boosted Barca's title bid as they clinched a 2-1 win at the Estadio Benito Villamarin on Wednesday, with the Blaugrana hanging on after Jules Kounde's late own goal.

While Pedri missed two decent opportunities before Raphinha's opener, the 20-year-old created two chances and managed a game-high 30 passes in the final third during an impressive display.

Speaking after Barca piled more pressure on title rivals Real Madrid – who host Valencia on Thursday – Xavi heaped praise on the diminutive midfielder.

"He is a player who is on another level, I have seen very few like him," Xavi said. "He is talented, he is at the level of Iniesta, but Andres had a continuity to the point that he is still playing. 

"Andres is the greatest talent I've seen in Spanish football but Pedri is very similar to him. He can make a difference, he is already doing it."

Pedri was not the only young player to shine for Barca, as Alejandro Balde recorded his fourth assist of the season from left-back to tee up Raphinha's goal.

Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala (six) is the only player aged under 20 to create more goals for team-mates in Europe's top-five leagues this term, leaving Xavi excited by the teenage full-back's potential.

"I'm very happy for Balde, he has tremendous potential both in defence and in attack," Xavi said. "He gives us superiority by driving and that is very difficult to see in football.

"He has to exploit his potential even more, we encourage him to be transcendent, he is both a full-back and a winger at times. 

"Luckily we have three spectacular full-backs in Marcos [Alonso], [Jordi] Alba and Balde. He's so young and has this capacity, it is a joy to see him play." 

Barca's victory took them to 50 points after 19 games of the campaign. The Blaugrana have brought up a half-century of points by the season's midway mark on five previous occasions (in 2008-09, 2010-11, 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2017-18), only failing to win the title once when doing so (in 2013-14).

However, Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini felt his side matched the leaders and had been undone by a free-kick being taken from the wrong position in the build-up to the opener.

"It was a balanced game that anyone could win and it was decided by two set-pieces. The first goal is controversial," the former Manchester City boss said.

"First it was a foul on Aitor Ruibal and it was not given, then they took the foul 20 metres further forward than they should have and caught us off guard."

Barcelona moved eight points clear at the top of LaLiga as goals from Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski clinched a 2-1 win against a combative Real Betis side at Estadio Benito Villamarin.

Betis – themselves in the hunt for Champions League qualification – frustrated the leaders for over an hour on Wednesday, with Manuel Pellegrini's men defending resolutely and Pedri missing two good chances.

However, Raphinha bundled in a delivery from the impressive Alejandro Balde, before Lewandowski converted following a corner to put Xavi's side in control.

Jules Kounde's late own goal ensured a nervy ending, but Barca held on to pile more pressure on Real Madrid ahead of their fixture against Valencia on Thursday.

Luiz Henrique saw a shot deflect narrowly wide as Betis edged a scrappy opening, before the offside flag foiled Raphinha when he nodded in Frenkie de Jong's inviting cross after 33 minutes.

Barcelona improved before the interval, but they were denied by a strong save from Rui Silva when a fortunate deflection sent Pedri through on goal.  

Pedri drew another reflex save from Silva within three minutes of the restart after being teed up by Balde's cut-back, before Barca finally made the breakthrough 65 minutes in.

Balde was involved once again with a driving run down the left after a quick free-kick, teeing up Raphinha for a tap-in with a powerful low cross.  

Lewandowski – playing his first league game of 2023 after serving a three-match ban – doubled Barca's lead with 10 minutes left, swivelling to find the bottom-left corner after Ronald Araujo's flick-on.

Betis ensured a tense finish when Kounde bizarrely netted at the wrong end with five minutes remaining, but Barca held on for their fourth successive league win.

 

Manchester City are reportedly planning a move for Leicester City midfielder James Maddison at the end of the season.

Maddison, 26, has been one of the top goal-creating midfielders in the Premier League over the past couple of seasons, collecting seven goals and four assists from 14 fixtures this campaign after a 2021-22 season with 12 goals and eight assists.

He closed last campaign with goals in each of his final four Premier League outings and was heavily sought after in pre-season, but Leicester opted to hold onto their midfield star.

Regardless of what happens in the second half of the season, Maddison has less than 18 months remaining on his contract and has reportedly shown no interest in extending, which will likely force Leicester's hand unless they want to lose him on a free transfer as appears likely with Youri Tielemans.

TOP STORY – CITY VIEW MADDISON AS KEY COG IN THEIR FUTURE MIDFIELD

According to the Daily Mail, City boss Pep Guardiola is an admirer of Maddison, and with plenty of upheaval expected in the club's engine room, a space could open up for the Foxes star.

The report states Leicester set their asking price at £60million when Newcastle United came knocking prior to this season, but they held firm as the offers "did not come close" to their valuation.

City midfielders Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva are both expected to depart at the conclusion of the campaign, and their supposed £70m demand for the latter would likely pay for Maddison's arrival.

Leicester are already set to lose Tielemans on a free transfer after spending £32m to purchase his services in 2019, and they will likely be eager to avoid a similar fate with Maddison, while Brendan Rodgers could then use the fee to fund a mini rebuild.

ROUND-UP

– Calciomercato is reporting Chelsea enquired about 25-year-old Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella but were told the Italian club have no interest in selling, as he remains tied to the club until 2026.

– According to Sky Sports Italia, disgruntled Roma forward Nicolo Zaniolo had a change of heart and wanted to head to Bournemouth, but the English side turned him down after spending their funds elsewhere.

– Fabrizio Romano is reporting Barcelona have an anxious wait to see if their €4m ($4.35m) transfer for 21-year-old LA Galaxy defender Julian Araujo will be processed as the deal was signed seconds after the deadline.

– Manchester United captain Harry Maguire never considered a loan move to Inter and will remain with the club until at least the end of the season, per Fabrizio Romano.

Hector Bellerin has left Barcelona to sign for Primeira Liga side Sporting CP on a permanent deal.

The full-back started his career in Barca's youth ranks before Arsenal brought him to the Premier League in 2011, where he went on to become a first-team regular.

However, after falling out of favour under Mikel Arteta, the London side agreed to terminate his contract with one year left to run and Bellerin returned to Barca on a free transfer.

The 27-year-old has now left the Spanish giants for a second time, though, having made just seven appearances in all competitions since rejoining in September.

While Sporting's Primeira Liga title hopes look over, Bellerin will hope to help his side in the Europa League, with the club due to face Midtjylland in the knockout round in February.

Bellerin's arrival at the Portuguese side comes as fellow attack-minded right-back Pedro Porro departs the club for Tottenham.

Europe's elite clubs raced to beat the January transfer deadline as Pedro Porro signed for Tottenham and Enzo Fernandez neared a record Premier League move when the window slammed shut.

Argentina's World Cup winner Fernandez appeared set to complete a long-awaited move to Chelsea in a record-breaking Premier League transfer.

While Chelsea aimed to bring in the youthful Fernandez, veteran Italy international Jorginho departed as he joined Arsenal after Mikel Arteta's side were unable to secure Brighton and Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo.

Manchester United also looked to strengthen their midfield with a loan deal for Bayern Munich's Sabitzer after an injury to key playmaker Christian Eriksen at Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, Tottenham solidified their defensive options by snaffling Spanish wing-back Porro from Sporting CP after lengthy negotiations.

Stats Perform provides a rundown of the notable deals as the mid-season transfer window finally closed.

 

BOEHLY BREAKS RECORD FOR FERNANDEZ

Fernandez emerged as a target for Chelsea following his influential displays for Argentina during their World Cup triumph in Qatar and the Blues' Todd Boehly-led consortium appear to have finally got their man. 

After already snatching Mykhaylo Mudryk from under the noses of Arsenal, Chelsea are set to splash a reported £105.5million (€120m) on Fernandez from Benfica.

That would break the Premier League record of £100m Manchester City paid Aston Villa for Jack Grealish, as the Blues looked to secure the former River Plate midfielder on a reported seven-and-a-half-year contract.

ARSENAL'S CAICEDO BLUES CURED BY JORGINHO

Arteta and Arsenal's pursuit of Caicedo fell on deaf ears as Brighton refused to budge, despite the Gunners lodging a reported £70m bid for the 21-year-old.

After missing out on primary midfield target Caicedo, Jorginho switched the blue shirt of Chelsea for the red of Arsenal as he completed a reported £12m transfer to the Premier League leaders.

The 31-year-old will provide able competition for the impressive Thomas Partey after penning an 18-month contract at Emirates Stadium.

TEN HAG FINDS ERIKSEN COVER IN SABITZER

With Eriksen ruled out for three months, Erik ten Hag and United acted swiftly to attempt to bring in experienced midfielder Sabitzer on a short-term loan.

Opportunities had been hard to come by for the Austria international after joining Bayern from Bundesliga rivals RB Leipzig ahead of the 2021-22 season.

He started just 15 times in his 40 appearances for the Bundesliga champions, though he may now have the chance to impress in the Premier League with Ten Hag's resurgent Red Devils.

CONTE GETS PORRO AS DOHERTY AND SPENCE DEPART

It appeared Tottenham may not secure the services of attack-minded wing-back Porro, formerly of Girona and Manchester City, after it seemed negotiations had come to a halt with Sporting.

But Spurs confirmed the 23-year-old's arrival late on, with Porro signing a five-and-a-half-year deal after a reported £40m (€45m) move from Sporting, who signed Barcelona's Hector Bellerin as a replacement.

That transfer saw Djed Spence, who only signed from Middlesbrough in a deal worth up to £20m in July, sent out to Ligue 1's Rennes for the rest of the season on loan.

Fellow full-back Matt Doherty also made way as he joined Atletico Madrid on a six-month contract, with Spurs terminating the 31-year-old's contract to "enable him to join another club".

OTHER DEALS

Bournemouth paid their second-highest transfer fee in history for Illya Zabarnyi, parting with a reported £24m (€27.2m) for the Ukraine centre-back from Dynamo Kyiv.

Gary O'Neil's Bournemouth added a second signing soon after, confirming the arrival of Sassuolo midfielder Hamed Traore on a loan that will become permanent on a five-year deal in June.

Nottingham Forest continued their spending after signing Atletico centre-back Felipe on a deal that will run until 2024, while Jonjo Shelvey also arrived from Newcastle United on a deal until 2025, and a move for Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Keylor Navas on loan was reportedly nearing.

Patrick Vieira's Crystal Palace bolstered their midfield by bringing in Naouirou Ahamada for a reported £10.5m (€12m) fee from Stuttgart, while Arsenal's Albert Sambi Lokonga joined on a six-month loan.

Leeds United's Diego Llorente joined Jose Mourinho's Roma on loan until the end of the season, with an option for a permanent transfer reportedly worth €18m (£15.9m).

Ayoze Perez is another Premier League player who will spend the second half of the term on loan, with the Leicester City forward moving to LaLiga side Real Betis.

Aleksandar Mitrovic's Serbia team-mate Sasa Lukic traded Torino for Fulham in a transfer reportedly worth £8.8m (€10m) including add-ons, signing a contract until June 2027.

Lukic will likely be joined by Arsenal full-back Cedric Soares after Marco Silva's side reportedly agreed to bring the former Southampton defender on a six-month loan.

Outside of England, Borussia Dortmund and Belgium midfielder Thorgan Hazard completed a short-term loan move to Eredivisie title hopefuls PSV.

Barcelona coach Xavi applauded the decision by a court to overrule LaLiga's refusal to register Gavi as a first-team player.

The Blaugrana midfielder, who has been in superb form for the club this term, signed a new contract in September that saw him recognised as a first-team player rather than a member of the B team.

But LaLiga denied the registration of the new deal due to the club's financial situation, with Barca exceeding their salary cap.

While Gavi could continue playing this season for the senior side as a B team player, he would have been registered in LaLiga on a contract that expires in 2024 and has a €50million release clause – the agreement he signed in September is until 2026 with a €1billion release clause.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas warned the club would still be unable to register Gavi and other players such as Ronald Aruajo because they have "a deficit of more than €200m", he claimed on Monday.

But now a court decision has quashed LaLiga's ruling, delighting Xavi and paving the way for the 18-year-old to be fully registered as a member of their senior squad.

"It's great news," Xavi said. "It was one of the objectives we set for this transfer window. Now the ball is in LaLiga's court.

"I'm happy for [Gavi]. We hope he can sign up. It's very good news for us. The priority is that players as important as him are insured. It seems that we can now enrol him.

"I don't see him changing teams, really. He is very happy and happy here. I don't see him leaving."

Asked whether he felt Tebas holds ill feelings towards Barca, Xavi added: "I don't know. Ask him.

"I know him very little. I have greeted him twice. I have no personal dealings with him."

Gavi has made 18 appearances for Barca this season in LaLiga and featured in five of their six Champions League games as the club dropped into the Europa League.

He also played four times at the World Cup last year.

Xavi confirmed Barcelona are keen on bringing in a deadline day signing ahead of Hector Bellerin's exit.

The full-back is poised to join Sporting CP as a replacement for Tottenham-bound Pedro Porro and will be the second departure from Xavi's squad following Memphis Depay's move to Atletico Madrid.

Reinforcements could be on the cards for the LaLiga leaders, who also lost Gerard Pique to retirement, though Xavi's main focus is Wednesday's clash with Real Betis.

"We are aware of fair play. Hector has asked us to leave because he wants to play more," Xavi told reporters.

"With the departure of Hector, Memphis and the loss of Pique, we believe that a reinforcement would be good for us. We are open to a signing.

"I see the squad as competitive despite the three losses. Normally, the logical thing was not to need anyone.

"With Hector's departure, maybe yes. I still see it as very competitive. I'm still happy.

"I'm not looking at the market. I'm keeping an eye on Betis. We can move eight points ahead of second place. That's what I'm concerned with."

If Barcelona do make a late move in the market, Xavi confirmed they would not be available for the trip to face Betis.

"I already thought we wouldn't sign anyone, so don't worry. Whoever comes, he won't play tomorrow," he added.

Fierce rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid will do battle for a place in the Copa del Rey final.

LaLiga leaders Barca and Los Blancos were on Monday drawn to meet at the semi-final stage, with the winners facing either Athletic Bilbao or Osasuna.

The Blaugrana beat Madrid in the Supercopa de Espana final in Riyadh earlier this month to secure their first trophy of head coach Xavi's reign.

There will be another two El Clasico cup clashes to look forward to, with the first leg staged at Santiago Bernabeu in the week commencing February 27 and the second match at Camp Nou in the week commencing April 3.

Carlo Ancelotti's side were 3-1 winners when the two met in LaLiga in October, but Barca have since opened up a five-point lead at the summit.

Osasuna will have home advantage in their first leg against Athletic.

The final will be stage at the Estadio de la Cartuja in Sevilla on May 6.

Barcelona feel Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves has one foot out of the door and are optimistic about their chance of signing him at the end of the season.

Neves, 25, has spent the past six seasons with Wolves after arriving during their last season in the Championship (2017-18), racking up over 200 appearances for the club along with 28 goals.

The central midfielder, a regular for Portugal, has caught the eye of Europe's elite clubs.

Wolves had been hopeful of extending Neves' stay at the club, but with their future in the Premier League in doubt, they might have already started to plan for life without him.

 

TOP STORY – WOLVES SIGNING INDICATES LOOMING NEVES DEPARTURE

According to Sport, Barcelona believe Wolves are signing 21-year-old Flamengo midfielder Joao Gomes as a direct replacement for Neves, who they expect to leave at the end of the season.

The report states Barcelona know what it will cost to pry him away from the Premier League and are comfortable with the price, which is said to be "much more feasible" than the €60million price tag for Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi.

Real Madrid are also expected to pursue Neves, who they reportedly feel has "the potential to become the new Casemiro".

 

ROUND-UP

– The Telegraph and Fabrizio Romano state Chelsea will make another run at signing 22-year-old Benfica and Argentina standout Enzo Fernandez, and are willing to meet the £105m (€120m) release clause if they can pay it in installments.

– According to Bild, Tottenham have submitted a £22m (€25m) verbal offer to Bayer Leverkusen for 21-year-old Ecuador centre-back Piero Hincapie.

Newcastle United have had their latest £20m offer for 18-year-old Flamengo midfielder Matheus Franca turned down, per Fabrizio Romano.

– Newcastle are also said to be looking to replace Jonjo Shelvey, who is set to join Nottingham Forest, with Sheffield United's Sander Berge.

– The Daily Mail is reporting Brighton and Hove Albion have rejected a £70m approach from Arsenal for 21-year-old midfielder Moises Caicedo, and are holding out for £80m.

– According to Sport, there is mutual interest between Barca and Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix, who will spend the rest of the season on loan at Chelsea.

Tottenham are reportedly investigating a potential move for young Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Piero Hincapie, despite the hefty asking price for the Ecuador international.

Hincapie, 21, is in his second Bundesliga season after arriving from Argentinian side Talleres, and has forced his way into Leverkusen's starting XI, earning 13 starts among his 15 total league appearances this campaign.

He also has 24 senior international caps for Ecuador under his belt, playing every minute of his country's three group stage fixtures at the Qatar World Cup.

Hincapie's emergence has not gone unnoticed, and Leverkusen are said to be informing interested clubs that any sale of their talented youngster will come at a heavy price.

 

TOP STORY – SPURS KICK THE TYRES ON PRIZED LEVERKUSEN DEFENDER

According to the Sun, Spurs boss Antonio Conte is desperate to add a new central defender before the end of the month, but the club were knocked back by a massive £80million price tag.

The report indicates Hincapie would be in favour of a move to the Premier League, and to Tottenham specifically, but that it would be far more likely to occur at the end of the season.

Interestingly, the Sun believes Leverkusen would be open to accepting as little as £20m if it meant Hincapie could spend the rest of the season on loan with the German side, but with his contract tying him to Leverkusen until 2026, it is hard to believe they would budge so significantly from their lofty valuation.

It also mentions Tottenham's pursuit of Sporting right-back Pedro Porro is on the verge of falling through, but Portuguese publication Record is reporting that a verbal agreement is in place for a £42m (€48m) deal.

 

ROUND-UP

– GiveMeSport are reporting Chelsea will make a run at 23-year-old Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic at the end of the season, while Calciomercato adds Juventus are anticipating the Serbian's departure and will seek to replace him with 25-year-old Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman.

– According to Sport, Barcelona are focusing on 25-year-old Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves as their long-term replacement for Sergio Busquets after failing to land Real Sociedad talent Martin Zubimendi.

Manchester United believe they are priced out of the Harry Kane sweepstakes, per the Daily Star.

– Mail on Sunday are reporting Arsenal have returned with a second offer for 21-year-old Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, but their £70m bid is still below the £80m demand.

– The Telegraph adds that the outcome of Arsenal's push for Caicedo will not affect their desire to sign West Ham midfielder Declan Rice after the season, and they will try to secure both.

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