Sevilla claim they have suffered "alarming" treatment at the hands of LaLiga referees this season and said the number of red cards shown should serve as an "urgent wake-up call" to league chiefs.
In an extraordinary statement issued by the club on Saturday, Sevilla pointed to the team receiving 91 yellows and 11 red cards despite committing just 329 fouls.
That aggregate of 102 cards is the most shown to any team in the Spanish top flight this term, despite 13 teams having more fouls to their name.
Sevilla sat 13th in the table after a 2-2 draw with Celta Vigo on Friday, in which Pape Gueye and Marcos Acuna were both dismissed and a 2-0 lead was relinquished in the closing moments.
This season's performance has been a frustrating one, after three consecutive fourth-placed finishes.
The club stated: "Sevilla FC want to place on record its deep concern and opposition to many of the refereeing decisions taken this season regarding the yellow and red cards issued to our players."
Sevilla said they "cannot agree with many of the decisions regarding the cards issued to our players, which in the long run has seriously harmed us in the league".
No team heading into Saturday's LaLiga games had received more red cards this season than Sevilla (Elche also had 11), while only Real Mallorca had been shown more yellows (98), which might be expected given they topped the fouls table (449).
"On average, one in three fouls committed by Sevilla FC results in a card," the club's statement added.
"Focusing on the match against RC Celta, Sevilla FC committed 11 fouls in the match and received four yellow cards and two reds, while Celta received two yellows for nine fouls committed.
"Sevilla FC are clearly not an aggressive team which is why these statistics are alarming.
"It is clear that many of these cards may have been for protesting, something that all players from all teams do, which shows that there is a lack of consistency in relation to protests or, to put it plainly, an outrageous leniency with some and a heavy-handedness with others."
Heading into Saturday's games, LaLiga had seen 108 red cards this season, compared to 28 in the Premier League, 33 in the Bundesliga, 50 in Serie A and 81 in Ligue 1.
While it used to be customary for LaLiga to see over 100 red cards brandished in a campaign, the three-figure threshold had not been passed in each of the last six seasons, with 103 reds in 2015-16 the last time such a figure was reached.
"The average figures for the Spanish league should lead to an urgent wake-up call," Sevilla added.
"La Liga is by far the league where referees show the most cards. The comparison with the Premier League, where a physical and much more contact-based style is played, speaks for itself: in the Premier League, with more matchdays played, 29 red cards have been shown to date; in La Liga, 108. More than triple.
"This is a striking difference. From Sevilla FC, we demand that these figures be analysed and that measures be taken when the decisions go against the spirit of the game.
"It is not about making excuses for the season the team is having. If Sevilla FC is where it is, it is based on sporting performance throughout the 28 league matches played, but it is about demanding equal treatment for all La Liga clubs and fairness when making decisions, something that unfortunately is not observed anywhere today."
Chelsea and Manchester United are reportedly both in discussions with Benfica about a potential deal for striker Goncalo Ramos – although he is said to be neither team's top choice.
Ramos, 21, has enjoyed a breakout season in Portugal. After scoring eight goals in 46 appearances in the previous campaign, Ramos has replaced Darwin Nunez as Benfica's main man up top and netted 25 goals in 38 games.
He also shone on the world stage, scoring a hat-trick in Portugal's round-of-16 World Cup clash against Switzerland after replacing Cristiano Ronaldo, and despite his contract tying him to Benfica until 2026, the club are willing to listen to substantial offers.
TOP STORY – CHELSEA JOIN UNITED IN MAKING RAMOS THEIR BACKUP PLAN
According to Football Insider, Chelsea's top priority up front is Napoli's Victor Osimhen, while United have Tottenham's Harry Kane at the top of their shopping list, but both view Ramos as the ideal consolation prize.
Kane is expected to fetch a fee in the range of £100million, and Osimhen's asking price is even higher, but while Ramos has a £105m release clause in his contract, the report states Benfica will accept bids around £70m (€79m).
Improving Chelsea's chances is the fact Ramos is represented by the same agency as Joao Felix, who is on loan at Stamford Bridge from Atletico Madrid.
ROUND-UP
– Cadena SER is reporting Paris Saint-Germain have joined the race for Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham and would be able to pay him more than any other club.
– After recently making his senior debut for Italy, 23-year-old Argentine-born striker Mateo Retegui will make a move to Europe at the end of the season, with Eintracht Frankfurt and Inter showing the most interest, per Fabrizio Romano.
– Football Insider is reporting Newcastle United, Arsenal and Barcelona are all expected to make a run at signing Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans on a free transfer when his contract expires at the end of the season.
Carlo Ancelotti feels coaching Barcelona is "not an option" due to his loyalties to Real Madrid, who he labelled the "best club in the world."
Ancelotti has won a LaLiga title and a pair of Champions League trophies with Madrid across two spells, though there are rumours his time at the club could be coming to an end, with Brazil and Chelsea said to be keen on the 63-year-old.
Despite all the talk of the next destination in Ancelotti's hugely successful managerial career, he ruled out ever joining Madrid's Clasico rivals.
"For me, coaching Barcelona is impossible," Ancelotti told reporters at his pre-match press conference ahead of Madrid's LaLiga meeting with Villarreal on Saturday.
"After 1,272 games [as a coach], I don't have to prove anything.
"I wouldn't change myself. You have to respect my personal history and that of the clubs.
"I won't change myself for anyone because I feel very comfortable here, where the people love me a lot. It's the best club in the world.
"I am loved and I feel secure, so there is no reason for me to change Real Madrid for Barcelona."
Ancelotti's side thumped Barca 4-0 in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final at Camp Nou on Wednesday to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit and confirm their place in the final against Osasuna.
Yet, Madrid lag 12 points behind the Catalan giants in LaLiga and their hopes of retaining the title look all but over.
Ancelotti does not feel his side have been significantly worse than last season, and instead credited Barca for their improvement, saying: "We want to end the season well.
"We only have four less points in the league than this stage last year... Barcelona has many more. We want to continue fighting for the league until the end."
Ancelotti's potential Madrid exit at the end of the season may be one of several major departures at the club, with the contracts of veterans such as Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Karim Benzema set to expire at the conclusion of this campaign.
The Italian believes the trio will extend their stays, though he remains confident Madrid will continue to enjoy future success even if they do opt to leave.
"I believe they will stay, but the day they stop, something is going to change," Ancelotti added. "[But] we have to look for the club's future along a different line, not the way [they play] with Kroos and Modric.
"We have fantastic youngsters like [Aurelien] Tchouameni, [Federico] Valverde, [Eduardo] Camavinga, [Dani] Ceballos, who are going to start an era, different from the others, of course."
Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Barcelona have all reportedly met with the agent of 22-year-old Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong about a potential transfer.
Frimpong has exploded onto the scene this season as a weapon going forward, scoring eight league goals in 26 Bundesliga fixtures after just a single goal in his first 18 months in Germany.
Having previously represented the Netherlands at youth levels, his sparkling form was rewarded as he was included in their World Cup squad, although he did not get to make his senior debut.
He is viewed as one of Leverkusen's most valuable assets, and the club are expecting Champions League teams to come calling.
TOP STORY – UNITED LEAD THE CHARGE FOR GOAL-SCORING RIGHT-BACK
According to Sport Bild, United and boss Erik ten Hag have been in contact with Leverkusen "for weeks" trying to sort out the framework of a deal, with the German side reportedly starting the bidding at £44million (€50m).
The report states that asking price is not seen as a significant hurdle, and Leverkusen have already begun the process of replacing Frimpong with the signing of 20-year-old Brazilian Arthur from America MG in recent days.
Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano adds Bayern and Barcelona have also had "direct meetings" with Frimpong's agent, although a decision on the future of Joao Cancelo remains the priority for Bayern, and Barcelona's finances make their situation unclear.
ROUND-UP
– Roma coach Jose Mourinho is in high demand, with Relevo reporting Chelsea have enquired about bringing him back for a third stint, while Corriere dello Sport claims he has received an offer from the Saudi Pro League that would pay him €120m over the next two seasons.
– Spanish publication COPE is reporting Chelsea, United and Tottenham are all investigating a potential move for 22-year-old Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, despite his gaudy £87m (€100m) release clause.
– According to Calciomercato, Newcastle United have been impressed with 21-year-old Feyenoord striker Santiago Gimenez, with the Mexican having starred in his first season in the Eredivisie.
– Inter are trying to fend off interest from Manchester City by signing 23-year-old centre-back Alessandro Bastoni to a new long-term contract, per Calciomercato.
Chelsea's dismissal of Graham Potter and decision not to rush into an appointment has generated speculation about their next permanent manager.
The Blues are destined to miss out on the Premier League's top four this season, thus will not qualify for the Champions League via the league.
As a result, there appears a lack of urgency as they look to get back on the right direction after sacking both Potter and Thomas Tuchel this term under new owner Todd Boehly.
TOP STORY – BLUES MULL OVER ENRIQUE, NAGELSMANN AND CONTE
Fabrizio Romano reports Frank Lampard will take over as Chelsea's interim manager, but that ex-Spain boss Luis Enrique is 100 per cent interested in the permanent position.
Enrique has flown into London for talks on the role, while the Blues will also continue talks with ex-Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann who is the leading candidate.
The Independent claims the Blues are also considering a shock return for Antonio Conte after initial contact between intermediaries.
ROUND-UP
– Football Insider reports Manchester United are keen on Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse. United may take advantage of the Saints' possible relegation to bolster their midfield with the 28-year-old free-kick specialist. Aston Villa and Newcastle United are also interested in him.
– Liverpool are willing to cough up €40 million (£35m) for Atletico Madrid's Argentinian World Cup winner Rodrigo De Paul to bolster their midfield next term, reports Fichajes. Inter Live claims Tottenham are also interested in De Paul.
– Arsenal are pondering an off-season move for Lazio midfielder Sergei Milinkovic-Savic who will be a free agent in 2024, claims Gazzetta dello Sport. The reported fee would be around €40m.
– Luka Modric is disgruntled with his contract situation at Real Madrid, with his future not yet resolved with only a few months left on his deal, claims Goal.
– Fichajes claims West Ham, Leeds United and Nice are all circling for Real Madrid's Mariano who will be available on a free transfer at the end of this season.
– Leicester City have shortlisted Ralph Hasenhuttl, Jesse Marsch and Oscar Garcia for their vacant managerial role according to Fabrizio Romano. The Independent's Miguel Delaney claims the Foxes are also interested in experienced pair Martin O'Neill and Rafa Benitez.
Liverpool are reportedly no longer pursuing Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes and will instead pivot to Brighton and Hove Albion young gun Moises Caicedo or Chelsea and England talent Mason Mount.
The decision to turn their attention away from Nunes comes after Wolves removed a release clause in his contract that would have made him available for £44million in the upcoming transfer window, according to The Mirror.
The report states Wolves will still entertain the possibility of selling Nunes, but will now demand at least £50m for the player they paid £38m for in an August transfer from Sporting CP.
TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL TURN TO CAICEDO, MOUNT AFTER NUNES REVELATION
With Nunes out of the equation, The Mirror is reporting Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham remains the top priority, but Liverpool will investigate more "realistic" moves for Caicedo or Mount.
Caicedo, 21, signed a new contract with Brighton after the club turned down a £70m offer from Arsenal in January, but according to Football Insider the Seagulls were primarily against letting a top talent leave mid-season and will be far more open to discussions in the off-season.
Mount, 24, now has 15 months remaining on his Chelsea contract and has shown no signs of signing an extension, making him a prime candidate to leave the club in an effort to balance their books after lavish spending in the past 12 months.
ROUND-UP
– The Daily Mail is reporting Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham are among a host of clubs with interest in the £40million (€45.6m) release clause of 26-year-old Napoli centre-back Kim Min-jae, who would prefer a Premier League move if he is to leave Serie A.
– According to Fabrizio Romano, Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal have made an official offer to impending free agent Lionel Messi that would pay him £350m per year.
– Lazio are trying to convince star 28-year-old midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to sign a new two-year extension to repel interest from Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Juventus, United and Chelsea, per Football Italia.
– Sky Sports Germany's Florian Plettenberg is reporting RB Leipzig and Inter are both pushing to sign breakout 23-year-old Tigre striker Mateo Retegui after the Argentine-born talent made his international debut for Italy recently.
– According to Mundo Deportivo, Atletico Madrid have offered 30-year-old striker Alvaro Morata a contract extension as he prepares to enter the final year of his current deal, although the club are willing to sell him if he would prefer a new challenge.
Lionel Messi appeared set to re-sign with Paris Saint-Germain late last year, but the situation has changed.
There have been reports that the Argentinian World Cup winner is unhappy at PSG, with links to an MLS move.
Messi is contracted until the end of this season and had initially agreed to a one-year extension to stay in the French capital.
TOP STORY – MESSI AND PSG RELATIONSHIP IRREPARABLE
L'Equipe claims Messi's relationship with PSG irreparable and he is all but certain to exit at the end of this season, with a return to Barcelona appearing increasingly likely.
Messi spent more than 20 years at Camp Nou, before Barca's financial challenges led to his departure for PSG in August 2021, with the club keen to welcome him back.
The 35-year-old was jeered by PSG fans during Sunday's 1-0 home loss to Lyon amid speculation of his departure.
ROUND-UP
– The Athletic reports signing Tottenham forward Harry Kane is Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag's "absolute priority" in the off-season. Kane is out of contract with Spurs in 2024.
– The Sun claims United are strongly considering selling under-performing winger Jadon Sancho in the off-season, with a view to using the sum generated to purchase their next forward.
– United have also held exploratory talks with Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard, per The Athletic.
– Real Madrid have been linked with Chelsea's Reece James and Football Insider claims they are willing to pay £90m (£102.5m) for his services, with 31-year-old right-back Dani Carvajal struggling with injuries.
– Arsenal are plotting a move for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins during the next transfer window, according to Fichajes.
– Talksport claims Graham Potter has declined the opportunity to become Leicester City 's new manager, with The Mail reporting that he will wait until the off-season before taking on a new role.
Barcelona called for the resignation of LaLiga president Javier Tebas after it was alleged he provided false evidence against them.
La Vanguardia reported on Monday that Tebas gave documents to prosecutors that attempted to incriminate the club and two former presidents as part of the ongoing Negreira case.
It has been claimed Barcelona made payments in excess of €7million to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira's company – DASNIL 95 SL – for written reports and DVD assessments of referees for the club prior to games. The payments were allegedly made between 2001 and 2018, when Negreira was vice-president of Spanish football's refereeing committee.
According to the report, the documents issued by Tebas were part of another case, not linked to either of Barcelona's former presidents and were decades old, something the LaLiga chief called "false" on social media.
However, Barca are keen for a deeper explanation from Tebas and want him to issue his resignation.
"Barcelona, as president Joan Laporta has said in recent weeks, feel the victim of a media lynching based on events that have never occurred: Barca have never bought referees," a statement read.
"It is not the first time the president of LaLiga has used his media machinery to attack Barcelona but, aside from his usual nonsense, we could never have imagined he would have hoped to incriminate our club with false evidence.
"The news published by La Vanguardia is of such severity that it should alert all LaLiga clubs, as they are practices that should have no place in the functions attributed to the president of LaLiga. For this reason alone, but also out of dignity and respect for the presidency of LaLiga, Mr. Tebas should resign from his position.
"However, knowing his obsession with persecuting Barcelona and constantly showing his aversion and antipathy towards our club, we understand that he will persist in his behaviour of continuing to harm our club."
Barcelona called for the resignation of LaLiga president Javier Tebas after it was alleged he provided false evidence against them.
La Vanguardia reported on Monday that Tebas gave documents to prosecutors that attempted to incriminate the club and two former presidents as part of the ongoing Negreira case.
It has been claimed Barcelona made payments in excess of €7million to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira's company – DASNIL 95 SL – for written reports and DVD assessments of referees for the club prior to games. The payments were allegedly made between 2001 and 2018, when Negreira was vice-president of Spanish football's refereeing committee.
According to the report, the documents issued by Tebas were part of another case, not linked to either of Barcelona's former presidents and were decades old, something the LaLiga chief called "false" on social media.
However, Barca are keen for a deeper explanation from Tebas and want him to issue his resignation.
"Barcelona, as president Joan Laporta has said in recent weeks, feel the victim of a media lynching based on events that have never occurred: Barca have never bought referees," a statement read.
"It is not the first time the president of LaLiga has used his media machinery to attack Barcelona but, aside from his usual nonsense, we could never have imagined he would have hoped to incriminate our club with false evidence.
"The news published by La Vanguardia is of such severity that it should alert all LaLiga clubs, as they are practices that should have no place in the functions attributed to the president of LaLiga. For this reason alone, but also out of dignity and respect for the presidency of LaLiga, Mr. Tebas should resign from his position.
"However, knowing his obsession with persecuting Barcelona and constantly showing his aversion and antipathy towards our club, we understand that he will persist in his behaviour of continuing to harm our club."
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin dubbed the refereeing scandal involving Barcelona as one of the "most serious" situations he has ever seen.
The LaLiga leaders are subject to a UEFA investigation regarding alleged payments made to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, the former vice-president of the refereeing committee in Spain.
It has been claimed the total payments from Barcelona exceeded €7million, dating from 2001 to 2018, with newspaper El Pais reporting Negreira's company – DASNIL 95 SL – produced written reports and DVD assessments of referees for the club prior to games.
Barcelona maintain their innocence as prosecutors pursue charges against the Catalan side for alleged corruption, though LaLiga president Javier Tebas admitted the league is unable to sanction the club due to a statute of limitations in place.
However, Ceferin confirmed no such restrictions exist for UEFA and spoke about the significance of the allegations.
"The situation is extremely serious. It is so serious that, in my opinion, it is one of the most serious [situations] in football that I have ever seen," he told Slovenian newspaper Ekipa.
"I cannot comment directly on this for two reasons. Firstly, because we have an independent disciplinary committee in charge of this. And secondly, because I have not dealt with this matter in detail.
"At the level of [LaLiga], of course, the matter is time-barred and can have no competitive consequences, but the proceedings are ongoing at the level of prosecutors. But as far as UEFA is concerned, there is nothing time-barred."
Chelsea sacked Graham Potter on Sunday after barely seven months as their manager.
Potter, who took over from Thomas Tuchel in September, led the Blues to 12 wins, eight draws and 11 defeats.
His demise comes amid numerous changes of managers at Premier League clubs, with Tottenham last week parting with Antonio Conte.
TOP STORY – CHELSEA APPROACH TOP CANDIDATE NAGELSMANN
Chelsea have identified ex-Bayern Munich head coach Julian Nagelsmann as their top candidate and approached him already, claims Fabrizio Romano.
Romano said talks will be ongoing before a final decision, while he added the Blues hierarchy are admirers of Sporting boss Ruben Amorim.
However, Sky Sports Germany claims Nagelsmann is not interested in taking over at Chelsea.
TalkSPORT claims the dismissed Potter could be offered an immediate return to management by Leicester City who sacked Brendan Rodgers earlier on Sunday.
ROUND-UP
– AS claims that Paris Saint-Germain winger Kylian Mbappe has told the Real Madrid board that he intends to join Los Blancos as a free agent in 2024. According to the report, Madrid are not willing to negotiate a transfer fee with PSG, following their long-running interest in Mbappe, with the player needing to get out of his contract to move to the Spanish capital.
– Liverpool will consider an off-season move for Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, reports The Independent.
– Fichajes claims Liverpool are also weighing up a surprise move for Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.
– Football Insider claims Arsenal have identified three midfield targets in Everton's Amadou Onana, West Ham's Declan Rice and Brighton and Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo.
– Manchester United's hopes of signing Eintracht Frankfurt forward Randal Kolo Muani have been set back with the Frenchman keen to join Bayern Munich in the off-season.
Carlo Ancelotti professed his love for Real Madrid and appeared to allay worries about his future at the club after Sunday's 6-0 demolition of Real Valladolid.
The experienced Italian has been strongly linked with the vacant head coach role with the Brazil national team, who have been searching for a new boss since Tite's exit at the end of the World Cup.
Several Brazil players have publicly backed Ancelotti for the job with the Selecao in recent weeks, and Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) president Ednaldo Rodrigues also confirmed an interest.
Ancelotti declared a desire to stay with Madrid on Friday, but then caused a little concern in some circles when adding that "the future is unknown".
After seeing Karim Benzema inspire a big win on Sunday with a hat-trick, Ancelotti showed no signs of stress.
Speaking to Los Blancos legend Guti – who revealed that Friday's comments left him anxious – on DAZN, Ancelotti said: "Do I look worried about my future, Guti?
"I love Madrid as much as you do."
Madrid may be well adrift of LaLiga leaders Barcelona but Sunday's victory – during which Karim Benzema scored a first-half hat-trick – was a reminder of just how devastating they can be when in the mood.
Success cut Barca's lead back down to 12 points, and while that will in all likelihood prove an insurmountable gap, Ancelotti was keen to emphasise how crucial he believed the win to be.
"[It was] key. At first, we suffered a bit, and they had chances. But as soon as we made it 1-0, everything was easier," he said.
"The transitions were spectacular and Karim was at his best level. Everything went well."
The game included a second-half cameo for Eden Hazard, who was making just his fourth LaLiga appearance of the season.
It was the 32-year-old Belgian's first league outing since September, and although his introduction was greeted by jeers, he looked fairly sharp.
In 25 minutes, he registered four key passes – bettered by only Marco Asensio's five – and set up Lucas Vazquez's stoppage-time goal, with Ancelotti adamant Hazard can be a useful option during the run-in – assuming he stays fit.
"I heard [the whistles], yes," Ancelotti said. "Eden has trained well this break. He has played very little, but he has done well and has given an assist. He's training well, he can have opportunities."
Karim Benzema scored an exceptional first-half hat-trick to inspire Real Madrid to a 6-0 LaLiga win over Real Valladolid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.
Los Blancos' title chances may resemble little more than a pipe dream with Barcelona 12 points clear, but Benzema's heroics at least helped ensure they did not fall even further behind this weekend.
It did not always look likely to yield such a one-sided scoreline, but Madrid's slow start subsided for a glut of four goals in under a quarter of an hour – Benzema's seven-minute treble coming after Rodrygo's well-worked opener.
Carlo Ancelotti's men continued their domination in the second half, Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez getting in on the act to cap off an empathic win.
Madrid had been under pressure during a breathless opening, though.
Roque Mesa struck Thibaut Courtois' left-hand post and Monchu fired agonisingly wide of the bottom-left corner.
Los Blancos' response was devastating.
Rodrygo raced on to Asensio's pass into the right side of the area before slamming home in the 22nd minute, and Benzema soon took over.
He stooped to head in Vinicius Junior's teasing delivery to open his account, then added a spectacular second when picking out the top-right corner from 20 yards.
Benzema's third was the pick of the bunch, however, meeting Lucas Vazquez's cross with an improvised overhead kick.
Valladolid hit the post again through Kike Perez early in the second half.
But Madrid continued to dominate, having a Rodrygo goal disallowed just past the hour due to handball by Vinicius.
Asensio had no such misfortune, guiding home from 10 yards after Rodrygo's cut-back, and Vazquez capped off a fine day late on when converting from Eden Hazard's throughball.
Josko Gvardiol won plenty of admirers during Croatia's run to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals.
The 21-year-old central defender is contracted until 2027, but has a hefty release clause that will become active in 2024.
As a result, clubs are likely to be competing to secure the Croatian's services in the next transfer window.
TOP STORY – CITY AND REAL PRIORITISE GVARDIOL SIGNING
Manchester City and Real Madrid have both made RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol their priority centre-back target for the next transfer window, according to 90min.
The report claims Leipzig wants £75m (€85m) for the Croatian defender, who almost joined Chelsea last off-season.
City and Real are also both in contention to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, complicating the Gvardiol move.
The report also claims City are willing to offload Aymeric Laporte to help facilitate any move.
ROUND-UP
– Liverpool are the favourites ahead of Manchester City in the race to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount in the off-season, reports Football Insider.
– Manchester United are keeping an eye on Joao Felix 's situation with the Atletico Madrid forward currently on loan at Chelsea, claims Mundo Deportivo. Chelsea have been linked with a permanent deal for the Portuguese.
– The Sun claims Leicester City are keen on re-signing Harry Maguire on loan from Manchester United amid talk he will exit Old Trafford.
– Arsenal 's desire to land Dusan Vlahovic from Juventus could see the Gunners offer up Granit Xhaka and Nicolas Pepe as part of a deal, reports Calciomercatoweb.
– Fichajes claims Manchester City and Chelsea will battle it out to sign Milan full-back Theo Hernandez.
– Barcelona have prioritised a move for Liverpool winger Luis Diaz in the next transfer window, according to Fichajes.
Xavi highlighted Barcelona's success as a team effort rather than down to individual performances after a comfortable 4-0 win in LaLiga over Elche.
A Robert Lewandowski double, plus goals for Ansu Fati and Ferran Torres, saw the Blaugrana swat aside their rock-bottom hosts at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero.
Against a team who look almost certain to be relegated, there were few doubts about Barca's superiority.
But Xavi was quick to praise his side's unsung heroes as much as their headline-makers, stating his belief that it is a balance of both that will bring them the title.
"It has been a rounded night," he said. "[It was] a very good game, from start to finish. We have a team with players who do not necessarily participate too much.
"[But] they performed at a high level. This is [the definition of] a team. We have taken one more step [towards the championship], we are closer. We have shown that we are a unit."
The coach highlighted the versatility of several of his players, including Eric Garcia, who played in midfield, and Marcos Alonso, who fulfilled a centre-back role.
On Fati, Xavi was happy to see the player put his off-field distractions behind him, following a week where his father complained about his lack of minutes for the club.
"Ansu made a difference," he added. "It has left him exhausted, but he has done a great job for the team. His goal comes because of his work ethic and talent.
"He has that, and it will come out. If he continues to work like this, he will end up playing more often."
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