Romelu Lukaku cast his Chelsea future in doubt with a recent interview – and the unsettled striker may now be offered a route out of Stamford Bridge by Paris Saint-Germain.
The 28-year-old revealed his regret at leaving Inter for Chelsea and questioned boss Thomas Tuchel's tactics, leading to him being dropped for the 2-2 draw with Liverpool.
Lukaku has returned for the Blues' two matches since, but doubts remain over whether he will still be a Chelsea player come the start of next season.
TOP STORY – LUKAKU LINED UP AS MBAPPE REPLACEMENT?
PSG look certain to lose Kylian Mbappe at the end of the campaign as the Real Madrid target fast approaches the end of his contract at the Parc des Princes.
The Ligue 1 giants are on the lookout for possible replacements and, according to El Nacional, Lukaku is one of those being considered by the club's wealthy backers.
The report suggests PSG are willing to pay €90million (£75.1m) to persuade Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to part ways with the club's all-time record signing.
Lukaku, who apologised for giving the explosive interview in December, has scored eight goals in 20 appearances since returning to west London five months ago.
ROUND-UP
– Tottenham have decided to sell Steven Bergwijn this month amid interest from several clubs, according to Fabrizio Romano. Ajax are said to be among the sides to have already made an offer for the Netherlands international.
– Anthony Martial wants to leave Manchester United and has been touted as a possible target for Barcelona. But Spanish outlet Sport claims that, while Barca are eager to strengthen in the final third, Martial is not on their radar in this window.
– Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger is wanted by a number of Europe's heavyweight clubs. According to Foot Mercato, PSG are prepared to pay more than the likes of Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, but the latter remains the Germany international's preferred choice.
– A rumoured target for Chelsea and Bayern, Sergino Dest's Barcelona future may become clearer in the coming days. El Nacional claims the defender's representatives are set to hold talks with the Catalan giants.
– After being jeered off the pitch by his own supporters in Tottenham's 3-1 FA Cup win over Morecambe on Sunday, The Athletic reports that club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele is hopeful of ending his tumultuous spell in north London this month.
– The Athletic also reports Aston Villa are now the favourites to sign Everton full-back Lucas Digne, despite previous interest from Chelsea. Newcastle United have also been linked, but Digne is apparently not considering a move to the relegation-threatened side.
Girona 0-3 Real Madrid: Bellingham and Mbappe score as Blancos close on Barcelona
Real Madrid closed the gap on LaLiga leaders Barcelona to two points with a commanding 3-0 win at Girona, with goals from Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler and Kylian Mbappe.
Second-placed Madrid have 36 points with a game in hand on Barca, who drew 2-2 at Real Betis earlier on Saturday, after inflicting Girona's sixth loss of the campaign.
Bellingham opened the scoring in the 36th minute by capitalising on a loose ball and firing home from the centre of the box, with the England international then turning provider for Madrid's second goal.
Ten minutes into the second half, his defence-splitting throughball teed up Guler to double Madrid's lead, though Bellingham was withdrawn with an injury soon afterwards.
Mbappe then added further gloss shortly after the hour mark, firing home from a tight angle for his ninth league goal of the season.
Data debrief: Mbappe brings up double century
Mbappe's ninth league goal for Madrid was also his 200th in his career across Europe's top five leagues, on his 261st such appearance.
He netted 16 times for Monaco and 175 times with Paris Saint-Germain.
He was not the only Blancos star with something to celebrate, as Bellingham made it five straight games with a goal for the very first time in Europe's top leagues, though his second-half exit will concern Carlo Ancelotti.
Flick demands consistency from stumbling league leaders Barcelona
Hansi Flick demanded Barcelona show their quality on a more consistent basis after they stumbled to a 2-2 draw at Real Betis, leaving them vulnerable at the top of LaLiga.
Barca twice took the lead at the Benito Villamarin Stadium via goals from Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, but Betis fought back through Giovani Lo Celso and substitute Assane Diao to earn a share of the points.
After the draw, Flick's side have 38 points from 17 matches but second-placed rivals Real Madrid, who have 33, can move past them if they are able to win their two games in hand.
"It wasn't a good game. We are a young team and we need to improve a lot," Flick told reporters.
"We must be stronger, especially when we play away. We have quality, but we have to show it in every game. We could have played better.
"But we've been slow in passing, with a lot of long balls... it's not what we want and not our strength. We have to focus on our strengths and what we have to do."
Flick was shown a red card in the second half for protesting after Betis were awarded a penalty, with the VAR stepping in to punish Frenkie De Jong's tackle on Vitor Roque.
The former Bayern boss believes he did nothing wrong but said he is not planning on appealing the red card.
"Marcus [Sorg], my assistant, did a good job. We scored a goal with him on the sidelines," Flick said.
"I didn't say anything to anyone, it was just my reaction. It took a long time to decide if it was a penalty or not.
"If you need so much time, it can be a doubt. I don't agree with my sending off. It has never happened to me before. I got angry at myself, not at anyone else."
Barcelona next travel to Germany for a Champions League meeting with Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, before hosting Leganes in LaLiga on December 15.
Unai Emery sets Champions League mission as Aston Villa edge Southampton win
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is quickly turning his attention to the UEFA Champions League following their 1-0 Premier League win over Southampton.
Jhon Duran's first-half goal sealed successive league victories for Emery on the back of three straight top-flight losses against rivals Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham.
Victory against the Saints is a vital boost for Emery ahead of a crucial few weeks of action before the end of 2024.
Villa head to RB Leipzig on 10 December, looking to push their case for a spot in the Round of 16, followed by four more league clashes this month.
The immediate focus for Emery is on Leipzig, with Villa's contrasting European form a cause for concern, despite a brilliant start on their Champions League debut.
Three straight wins in their first appearance in the competition since it was renamed – including an historic 1-0 home victory over Bayern Munich – put Villa in a strong position, but defeat to Club Brugge and a 0-0 tie with Juventus has stalled their momentum.
The former Arsenal chief wants this result to act as a platform for his team ahead of their tricky trip to Germany in midweek.
"Over the 90 minutes we had chances to score more, but sometimes they dominated possession. We managed the game plan to try and find a way to win," as per quotes from BBC Sport.
"The most important thing is how we're progressively getting more comfortable on the field. We had to use substitutions because we have the Champions League on Tuesday. Three matches in nine days. We have to be ready with the players we have available to try and enjoy the competition.
"The Champions League is something we have to enjoy, but we also focus on the difficulties in the Premier League, and the challenge against Nottingham Forest is something else. But, we have to try and get to the next round of the Champions League."
Up next for Villa is that Midlands derby with Forest, followed by a crunch clash at home to Manchester City on 21 December.
A win for Villa puts them up to fifth in the table, but defeat for Southampton registers as their 12th league loss of the campaign so far, with Russell Martin's team still rooted to the foot of the table.
Individual mistakes are becoming a theme, and centre-back Taylor Harwood-Bellis was robbed by Duran for Villa's winner, with Martin left to rue a familiar frustrating story for his team.
"We gave away a poor goal when it was a good, tight game. We changed shape and then the game became transitional. They were trying to find another goal, so it became very open," he said.
"We're two v one, and we had a chance to clear the ball, and we don't. It's another mistake. We forced them long, and then we had another two v one, and he [Duran] somehow comes out with the ball and scores."
Up next for Southampton is a home tie with Tottenham next weekend, followed by an EFL Cup quarter-final at home to Liverpool on December 18.
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