Dani Ceballos is planning to hold talks with Real Madrid over his future, but a transfer to Barcelona would never be an option for the midfielder.
Ceballos impressed in his first season on loan at Arsenal but was unable to make such an impact in the 2020-21 campaign.
In 40 appearances across all competitions, he provided three assists – from a total of 41 opportunities created – yet failed to score himself.
A passing accuracy of 87.61 per cent last season also ranks him below the average (88.01) of Arsenal midfielders, albeit only Granit Xhaka (3,107) attempted more passes than Ceballos (1,865).
With Carlo Ancelotti having just been appointed as Madrid's new coach, Ceballos is expecting things to be different to how they were under Zinedine Zidane.
Though while he is determined to succeed at Madrid, he has acknowledged his future may lay elsewhere.
"Ancelotti has just arrived and we need to talk," he said on Spanish radio station Cadena Ser.
"I think this year I have hardened as a player. I think it is time to settle in a club with a long contract and to be able to show my game.
"Ancelotti has just arrived and we need to talk. I want to know what he wants from me and also tell him what I want, which is important. I'm not going to the Euros and soon there will be a World Cup. It has to be a talk between the two of us with clear things.
"It is not the same to be involved in the dynamics of a club with a long contract, as it is to be on loan. It is something that these last two years I did not have and I want to settle down, play and be happy."
Moves which would never come to fruition for the 24-year-old would be a switch to the Camp Nou or Sevilla.
Asked if he would consider a move to the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus or Barca, Ceballos replied: "I would not go to Barcelona because I am a Madrid player and my dream is to succeed at Madrid."
When quizzed on a transfer to Andalusia, he added: "It is a great club, but I would never play for Sevilla, especially having my [time at] Betis."
Bellingham hails 'big player' Mbappe in Stuttgart triumph
Jude Bellingham lauded yet another landmark moment in the career of Kylian Mbappe after the Frenchman marked his Champions League debut for Real Madrid with a goal.
Mbappe, who has five goals in his first seven games for his new club, opened the scoring in Los Blancos' 3-1 win over Stuttgart on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old's effort saw him net his 49th Champions League goal, with only Robert Lewandowski (61) scoring more in the competition since Mbappe's debut.
He also became the second Frenchman to score on his debut for Madrid in the competition, joining Christian Karembeu who netted against Bayer Leverkusen in 1998.
Bellingham explained how quickly Mbappe has settled into life in the Spanish capital, saying: "He's going to be a huge player for us, this season and beyond.
"He always delivers so far, it's a lot of pressure coming to a club like Madrid, but he's taken to it really easily and the lads love him already."The encounter against Stuttgart also marked Bellingham's return to the side after the England midfielder missed the last four games with a muscle injury.
Upon his return, Bellingham won more tackles (two) and accumulated the highest pass accuracy (93.3%) of anyone in the Los Blancos side.
Across all competitions last year, Bellingham made 42 appearances, notching 23 goals and laying on a further 13 assists in his debut year at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Having also starred for England at Euro 2024, the 21-year-old was excited to be back out on the pitch and is aiming for more success this term.
"Three-and-a-half weeks [out] has been difficult. I've not been injured a lot in my career, so whenever it happens, I'm a bit impatient," he said.
“But this time I wanted to take it slowly and agreed this would be the game I came back in – maybe off the bench – but I was buzzing to start.
"In the first half I left it all out there, I was that excited and all over the place, just wanting to create and get in the box.
“Second half, I probably just ran out of a bit of steam, so I stayed a little bit deeper, but I'm getting used to being back, finding my feet again and I'm sure I'll be fine this season."
Rabiot seals Ligue 1 return with Marseille transfer
Adrien Rabiot's wait to find a new club is finally over after his move to Marseille was officially confirmed on Tuesday.
Rabiot joins the Ligue 1 club following his departure from Juventus at the end of last season and has signed a two-year contract with Roberto De Zerbi's side.
The 29-year-old was reportedly of interest to several Premier League clubs, including Manchester United, but the France international has opted to return to his homeland.
Rabiot offers the French outfit an experienced option in midfield, having made 163 Ligue 1 appearances during his seven-year stint with Paris Saint-Germain.
He won 18 major titles during his time with the Parisiens before making the move to Juventus in 2019.
The Frenchman appeared 212 times in all competitions for the Serie A giants, netting 22 times and laying on a further 15 assists across his five-year stay in Turin.
In his final season with Juventus, Rabiot made 31 league appearances, with his 39 tackles won a total only bettered by Bremer (42) and Manuel Locatelli (43) in their squad.
Rabiot becomes the latest addition to a Marseille side that has started the new campaign with 10 points from their opening four games under new head coach De Zerbi.
Roma part ways with De Rossi following winless Serie A start
Roma have confirmed the sacking of head coach Daniele De Rossi after the Italian failed to win any of his first four Serie A games this season.
De Rossi replaced Jose Mourinho as interim boss back in January, and had only signed a contract extension with the club in June until 2027.
But a run of three draws and one defeat to start the new campaign has seen the 41-year-old part ways with the club he made 616 appearances for as a player.
Roma's draw with Genoa last Sunday marked only the fourth time in their history after 1974-75, 1984-85 and 2010-11 that the Giallorossi had failed to win any of their first four Serie A games.
Koni De Winter's late leveller for Genoa also extended Roma's barren run to just one win from their last 11 games in all competitions (drawn six and lost four).
"AS Roma announces that Daniele De Rossi has been relieved of his duties as head coach of the first team," a club statement said.
"The club's decision is made in the best interests of the team, to get back on the desired path as soon as possible at a time when the season is still in its early stages.
"A heartfelt thank you to Daniele, who will always be at home at the Giallorossi club, for the work he has done in recent months with passion and dedication.
"Communication regarding the team's technical guidance will follow."
The Italian oversaw 30 games in charge of Roma in all competitions, winning 14 of those (drawn nine and lost seven), while scoring 46 goals.
His time at the Stadio Olimpico came to an end having averaged 1.70 points per match, accumulating a total win percentage of 46.67%.
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