Barcelona head coach Xavi believes "everyone is prepared" as he highlighted the importance of squad players after the 3-0 victory over 10-man Elche at Camp Nou.

Memphis Depay's strike and Robert Lewandowski's double saw Barca cruise to a fifth win in their opening six La Liga games, while adding a fourth consecutive league clean sheet.

The three points moved them top of the table ahead of Sunday's Madrid derby, and Xavi believes squad depth will be vital as Barcelona bid to land their first LaLiga title since the 2018-19 campaign.

"We are a broad squad, in which everyone trains well. Everyone is prepared and plugged in when the team needs it, and that's what's important," Xavi said.

"It's an atypical year with a tight schedule. We won't rest for a few weeks, and we need everyone. It's about making a group. Whoever plays, the team is up to the task.

"We have plenty to choose from, many options, and in the end the squads are the ones that win the titles, not the starting 11."

Two of Barcelona's best performers against LaLiga's bottom side were youngsters Alejandro Balde and Pedri, and Xavi was full of praise for the teenage pair.

"He [Pedri] is one of the best who's come through here. He understands the game, makes a difference with the pass, doesn't lose the ball. We have to take care of him," the 42-year-old Xavi said.

"They [Elche] did a lot of individual marking and Balde can generate superiority inside and out. It is surprising that an 18-year-old boy plays at that level.

"He's in great physical condition, and he's going to give us a lot."

Barcelona went top of LaLiga as a Memphis Depay strike and Robert Lewandowski's double saw them cruise to a 3-0 victory against 10-man Elche at Camp Nou.

Elche captain Gonzalo Verdu was sent off after just 14 minutes, before Lewandowski and Depay put Xavi’s side 2-0 up at the break.

Lewandowski grabbed his second of the game after the interval to make it 11 goals in all competitions since his arrival from Bayern Munich as Barca eased to victory.

Victory continued Barca's unbeaten start to the domestic season as they moved top ahead of Sunday's Madrid derby.

Verdu was dismissed for cynically dragging down Lewandowski after Frenkie de Jong put the striker through on goal.

Edgar Badia made numerous saves to keep the hosts out, but the Catalans eventually capitalised on their numerical advantage with 34 minutes gone when Lewandowski tapped in Alejandro Balde's cross.

Depay made it 2-0 soon after, lashing into the roof of the net after bamboozling John Donald with a brilliant turn.

Barca thought they were three up before the break when Pedri bundled in, but the midfielder was offside in the build-up.

Lewandowski scored his second just after half-time, rifling into the bottom-left corner after the ball fell to him in the box. 

The Poland international nearly had his hat-trick when seeing a drive saved by the legs of Badia, before skimming the crossbar with another attempt.

But those misses mattered little as Barca eased to another win.

Memphis Depay has pledged his immediate future to Barcelona and says he is committed to the club's "sporting success."

The Netherlands international has yet to feature for the Catalan giants this season, and had been linked with a move to Serie A side Juventus.

Premier League clubs Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle United were also rumoured to be interested in signing the former Manchester United and Lyon forward.

However, the 28-year-old took to social media on Thursday to confirm he will not be leaving Camp Nou, posting on Twitter: "I have decided to stay at Barca! Fully committed to contribute to the club's sporting success."

One player who did leave Barca on transfer deadline day was Martin Braithwaite, who joined LaLiga rivals Espanyol.

The 31-year-old joined the club from Leganes in February 2020, with Barca having been granted an emergency extension to complete the signing outside of the transfer window following an injury to Ousmane Dembele.

Braithwaite made an impact in the 2020-21 season, scoring a brace in the Champions League against Dynamo Kyiv, but an injury last term led to an extended absence.

It was confirmed earlier on Thursday that the Denmark striker's contract had been terminated.

Barcelona and Manchester City drew 3-3 in a thrilling friendly at Camp Nou as Premier League-linked Frenkie de Jong and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang both bagged for the hosts.

Chelsea-linked Aubameyang should have given his side an early lead, but his close-range header from a Sergi Roberto cross was straight at Stefan Ortega.

The Spanish side started the game impressively but fell behind after 21 minutes. City new boy Julian Alvarez took advantage of a mistake from Barca keeper Inaki Pena to prod home. 

The lead lasted just eight minutes though, as Aubameyang made up for his earlier miss with a back-post volley that slipped underneath Ortega.

City should have restored their advantage early in the second half, with Alvarez missing a great chance to bag his second of the game after a couple of attempts were thwarted before Riyad Mahrez blazed wide.

De Jong, a target this window for the visitors' city rivals Manchester United, put Barca 2-1 up after 66 minutes with a smart finish past Ortega.

Pep Guardiola's men pegged them back moments later though, with youngster Cole Palmer tapping in at the back post after a powerful cross from Joao Cancelo.

Xavi's team were again in front with 11 minutes left as Memphis Depay found acres of space in the box to smash the ball into the back of the net.

They would not see out the remaining minutes for the victory though, as Andreas Christensen fouled Erling Haaland in the box before Mahrez lashed home the resulting penalty to earn his side a share of the spoils.

Fabio Capello does not understand why Juventus would want to sign Marseille forward Arkadiusz Milik before the transfer window closes.

Juve are reported to be keen to land Poland international Milik rather than Barcelona's Memphis Depay.

Milik scored 20 goals in 37 games for Ligue 1 side Marseille in all competitions last season, and the Bianconeri are said to have lined up a loan move for the former Napoli man, with the option to sign him permanently.

Former Juve boss Capello is not enthused over reports that Milik could be on his way to Turin.

"We need a player who has more quality. I hear about Milik, but he is not a player that makes the difference," Capello told Sky Sport Italia 

"It's not what the fans dream of seeing at Juve – he's a good player, who can be part of the squad, but nothing more."

Vice president Pavel Nedved confirmed that Depay is a target for Juve ahead of Monday's goalless Serie A draw at Sampdoria.

He told DAZN: "There is no need to speed up the process, that is never a good idea. We are evaluating; we are vigilant about what the market offers.

"We must evaluate well, looking at training and injuries; we are considering entering the market.

"Depay can play with with Dusan [Vlahovic] or in his place. He can play with [Moise] Kean and play as a winger, but he is only one of the names we are evaluating."

Pavel Nedved has confirmed Barcelona forward Memphis Depay is a target for Juventus.

Barca are reported to have agreed to terminate Depay's contract just over a year after he arrived at Camp Nou as a free agent.

The Bianconeri are the favourites to sign the Netherlands forward, who has also been linked with Premier League clubs Tottenham and Newastle United.

Juventus vice president Nedved says the Serie A giants are interested in Depay, but he is not the only target on their radar.

He told DAZN: "There is no need to speed up the process, that is never a good idea. We are evaluating, we are vigilant about what the market offers.

"We must evaluate well, looking at training and injuries; we are considering entering the market.

"Depay can play with with Dusan [Vlahovic] or in his place, I agree. He can play with [Moise] Kean and play as a wing, but he is only one of the names we are evaluating."

Depay was an unused substitute in Barca's goalless LaLiga draw with Rayo Vallecano and the 4-1 thrashing of Real Sociedad.

Manchester United are working overtime to land at least one of the Eredivisie's top stars, with their chase for Ajax's Antony and PSV's Cody Gakpo reportedly heating up.

Antony racked up eight goals and four assists in 23 league games last season, and has started the new campaign in hot form, collecting a goal and two assists from his first two fixtures.

Gakpo netted a brace in PSV's season opener against FC Emmen, and while the Telegraph claims United will only be able to afford one of the two wingers, a conflicting report from the Netherlands' De Telegraaf says that might not be the case.

TOP STORY – UNITED TO ADDRESS WINGER SHORTAGE WITH EREDIVISIE RAID 

The report from De Telegraaf says "it is not a question of [Antony or Gakpo], but the club wants to contract both players", which would mean well over £100million in transfer fees after their last offer of £68m for Antony was rejected.

Ajax have no interest in letting Antony leave, with the Brazilian's contract tying him to the club through 2025, but Goal is reporting he has missed recent training sessions, and the reason he was absent from his side's 1-0 win against Sparta Rotterdam on Sunday was due to him trying to force his way out.

The Telegraph claims United are "expected" to complete a £34m deal for Gakpo, but it remains to be seen if they are willing to pull the trigger on the Dutchman while they still believe they can land Antony.

ROUND-UP

– According to The Sun, United will block any moves for captain Harry Maguire after Chelsea expressed interest earlier in the week.

– Calciomercato is reporting Milan have approached Tottenham about a potential transfer for 23-year-old English centre-back Japhet Tangana.

– Tottenham and Newcastle United are waiting to see if Juventus secure Barcelona's Memphis Depay, with the two Premier League clubs hoping to swoop in if the Bianconeri's deal falls apart, according to The Sun.

– Free agent Andrea Belotti has rejected an offer from Wolves, according to Calciomercato, instead preferring to wait for Roma to make room for him.

– Sport1 is reporting Paris Saint-Germain are planning a move for RB Leipzig defenders Josko Gvardiol and Mohamed Simakan, but the German side hope to retain both. 

Barcelona head coach Xavi has called for the transfer window to close before the start of the LaLiga season in the future amid uncertainty over a number of players in his squad.

Despite their delicate financial situation, the Catalans have moved to sign Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen this window.

Barca's focus is now on offloading players to help balance the books, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Memphis Depay and Frenkie de Jong all being linked with moves away.

According to widespread reports on Saturday, Chelsea are engaged in talks with Barca over a deal for Aubameyang, who only arrived from Arsenal earlier this year.

De Jong continues to be touted as a target for Premier League sides, meanwhile, and Depay is reportedly closing in on a switch to Juventus.

However, Xavi confirmed at a press conference ahead of Sunday's game with Real Sociedad that he intends to continue selecting those players while they remain at the club.

"It's not a comfortable situation," Xavi said when asked about the final two weeks of the transfer window. "The market should be closed before the competition starts.

"I think it's poorly organised. In the end, nobody can work in peace. You prepare for a match with a player and he may end up leaving, so it's clearly not an ideal scenario."

When probed on rumours that Chelsea are closing in on a deal for Aubameyang, Xavi said: "The market ends on August 31 and we don't know what will happen.

"We'll have to see. Right now he's our player and I'm counting on him. For now he's an important player for us, but let's see what happens.

"At the moment nobody mentioned has left. Tomorrow we can use Memphis and Aubameyang. If an offer arrives for either of them, we'll assess what to do.

"Right now the priority is to sign up Jules [Kounde]. From there we can decide if we need to make a move or not."

Kounde is the only new signing yet to be registered by Barca, who have been forced to sell off non-playing assets and activate various 'levers' to meet LaLiga's salary rules.

Providing an update on Kounde's situation ahead of the trip to Anoeta, where Barcelona are unbeaten in their past six visits, Xavi said: "We are waiting. We have time. 

"Tomorrow we will give the list, but right now everything is on stand-by. There is nothing new to tell you.

"I've spoken to Jules and given him my idea of the game. He is a very classy centre-back and has experience, leadership and can win duels. He is an extraordinary footballer."

Barca started their season with a goalless draw at home to Rayo Vallecano last week and will be looking to hit back against Sociedad. 

The Catalan club's 21 shots on matchday one were the most they have registered in the league without scoring since a stalemate with Malaga in November 2016 (29 shots).

"The match against Rayo was a football disgrace," Xavi said. "We deserved to win the match and played well, but we lacked effectiveness.

"Now we face Sociedad, who are a team that can do a lot of good things. They have talent in midfield and fast attackers, while their defenders and goalkeeper are strong."

Barca, who are without the suspended Sergio Busquets, have failed to win or score in their last three LaLiga matches – never before have they fired four blanks in a row.

Manchester United's transfer market activity appears to be getting increasingly desperate.

The English giants have added only Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez to their first team in this window.

United have been linked with a host of other players but missed out, including Benjamin Sesko, while no deal has transpired despite their attempts to sign Frenkie de Jong.

TOP STORY – MAN UTD BOSS TEN HAG KEEN ON ZIYECH

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has identified Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech as a target, according to the Manchester Evening News.

However, United's hierarchy are not convinced and have offered resistance to the Dutchman's plans to sign the Moroccan, whom he worked with previously at Ajax.

United have been priced out of their move for Ajax's Antony, and Ten Hag views Ziyech as a good alternative.

ROUND-UP

– SPORT1 claims Bayern Munich will attempt to bring Kai Havertz to the club from Chelsea. The Germany international, who moved to Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen two years ago, is seen as someone who can offset Robert Lewandowski's departure.

– Juventus are still keen on Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Leandro Paredes, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Bianconeri are ready to swoop once Adrien Rabiot's move to Manchester United is sealed.

– The Athletic reports Newcastle United may target Chelsea's United States international Christian Pulisic.

– West Ham have entered the race for Barcelona's Memphis Depay, submitting a "big-money" offer to the Blaugrana, according to Football Insider.

Real Madrid are the latest side to enquire about the availability of 20-year-old Chelsea striker Armando Broja, but the Premier League club are maintaining that he is not for sale.

The Albania international has been the subject of significant interest after a successful loan spell at Southampton last season, netting nine goals in 38 appearances.

Chelsea reportedly turned down a £30million offer from West Ham for Broja, and although Thomas Tuchel is said to be a fan, Madrid are eager to land the youngster.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA'S RISING ALBANIAN DRAWS REAL MADRID'S INTEREST

Since Romelu Lukaku departed from Chelsea on a season-long loan to Inter, questions have been asked about what the London club's plans are to bolster their attack.

The Evening Standard's report claims Carlo Ancelotti is on the hunt for young strikers to find a potential successor to 35-year-old Karim Benzema, although with Timo Werner potentially on his way back to RB Leipzig, Chelsea may have simply decided that Broja must stay.

West Ham have also reportedly not been driven away yet and remain interested, as do Everton and Newcastle United.

ROUND-UP

– According to Bild, Bayern Munich full-back Benjamin Pavard would be willing to join Chelsea if they make a serious offer.

– The Telegraph is reporting RB Salzburg want £55m for 19-year-old Slovenian striker Benjamin Sesko, who is a Manchester United target, according to Manchester Evening News.

– Sky Sports Italia claims Juventus would like to acquire Barcelona forward Memphis Depay on loan, however the Catalan giants wants to make it a permanent deal.

– 90min say Everton are in advanced discussions with Chelsea to bring Ross Barkley back to the club, and they also have interest in Michy Batshuayi and Billy Gilmour.

– According to Talksport, West Ham are willing to meet the £17.5m release clause for 25-year-old Burnley winger Maxwel Cornet.

Newcastle United are planning a move for out-of-favour Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Julian Draxler, with the Germany international's price tag believed to be in the range of £25million (€29.5m).

Draxler, 28, has spent the past six seasons with the French giants, but his last campaign was mostly from a bench role, with 13 of his 18 Ligue 1 appearances coming as a substitute.

He also had two separate injuries that forced him to miss over a month each time, but with 58 senior caps for Germany and a World Cup right around the corner, he could be a savvy purchase for a club desperate for a marquee signing.

TOP STORY – NEWCASTLE ENQUIRE ABOUT VERY AVAILABLE DRAXLER

According to French publication Le 10 Sport, Draxler is on Paris Saint-Germain director of football Luis Campos' "blacklist" of players who have no future at the club.

The report says he has been asked to find a way out, and with a relatively low price tag – around half the £40m demanded by Lyon in Newcastle's reported pursuit of Lucas Paqueta – the stars could be aligning for the Magpies to land an established international on a cheaper deal.

Draxler was left out of PSG's pre-season squad for the recent tour of Japan, indicating he already has one foot out the door, but it remains to be seen if Newcastle will be his landing spot.

ROUND-UP

– Chelsea are reportedly willing to part ways with Timo Werner, with Foot Mercato claiming the forward was included in an offer to former club RB Leipzig  in exchange for defender Nordi Mukiele, who appears to be PSG-bound.

– Sport believes Chelsea will block Barcelona moves for Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso due to the Spanish club's chase of Blues target Jules Kounde.

– The Guardian is reporting that Gianluca Scamacca will have his medical this week before confirming a £35.5m move from Sassuolo to West Ham.

– According to Calciomercato, Milan have increased their bid for Club Brugge midfielder Charles de Ketelaere to €32m, and are also trying to secure a move for Chelsea's Hakim Ziyech.

– Barcelona have told Memphis Depay to find a new club after Robert Lewandowski's arrival, according to AS.

West Ham are reportedly confident they will be able to land 20-year-old Lille midfielder Amadou Onana after increasing their bid for the Belgium international.

Onana, who made his senior international debut on June 3 against the Netherlands in Nations League action, enjoyed a terrific first season in Ligue 1 after leaving Hamburg in Bundesliga 2 for a £6million fee.

The defensive midfielder totalled 41 club appearances in the season, including eight games in the Champions League, but the Hammers may face some competition for his signature from within the Premier League.

TOP STORY – WEST HAM SET SIGHTS ON LILLE'S BIG BELGIAN YOUNGSTER

According to The Athletic, West Ham had a £25million bid rejected by the French club, but the Evening Standard claims that the English side are confident an increased bid of £30m plus add-ons will get the job done.

However, The Athletic's report states that there is also interest in Onana coming from Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle United, which could throw a wrench in West Ham's plans.

West Ham appear to still have plenty of business to take care of, with the Evening Standard also linking them with a £30m move for 20-year-old Chelsea striker Armando Broja, as well as trying to convince Jesse Lingard to return after a successful loan stint in the latter half of the 2020-2021 season.

ROUND-UP

– According to Sport, Barcelona are trying to attach Memphis Depay to their offer for Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde after not meeting the €65m asking price, while Marca claims Chelsea have already agreed to personal terms with him and have offered Sevilla €55m.

– AS is reporting that Atletico Madrid have enquired with Cristiano Ronaldo's representatives about the superstar's interest in joining the club.

– Leeds United and West Ham are said to be competing for £34m Rennes striker Martin Terrier, according to L'Equipe.

– Calciomercato claims Paris Saint-Germain have been offering Georginio Wijnaldum to Roma and Milan in an effort to move him on from the club, despite arriving on a free transfer 12 months ago.

– Fabrizio Romano claims Manchester City have a bid ready to go for 23-year-old Brighton fullback Marc Cucurella to replace the outgoing Oleksandr Zinchenko.

Roma's project under Jose Mourinho may have approached a fork in the road, despite winning the Europa Conference League last season.

Confirming the departures of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pau Lopez, while bringing in Zeki Celik and Nemanja Matic, the squad is slowly starting to look more like Mourinho's.

They still need a creative talent to tie it all together, though, and it appears they might land one of the biggest free agents on the market.

TOP STORY – ROMA MAKE MOVE FOR DYBALA

Paulo Dybala could make a shock move to Roma, reportedly accepting their offer for him to join the club on a free transfer, according to Gianluca di Marzio.

After Inter backed out of the race to secure his signature following the expiry of his contract at Juventus, Napoli and Roma emerged as potential destinations for the 28-year-old.

The Argentina international has reportedly accepted Roma's offer, a three-year deal worth a gross salary of €6million a season plus bonuses.

ROUND-UP

– Frenkie de Jong is opposed to joining Manchester United and has imposed on Barcelona his preference for Bayern Munich, Sport is reporting.

– The same publication is also reporting Tottenham are prepared to pay £14.4m (€17m) for Memphis Depay but the 28-year-old is also reluctant to leave Barcelona.

– Meanwhile, Barca have turned their attention to signing Sevilla defender Jules Kounde, per Marca.

– Chelsea striker Armando Broja will join West Ham on a season-long loan, according to the Daily Mail.

Chelsea have marked Sevilla's Jules Kounde as their centre-back of the future after a deal for Manchester City's Nathan Ake fell apart.

An agreement had been taking shape to bring 27-year-old Ake back to Stamford Bridge – where he began his Premier League career – before City decided to retain the services of the Netherlands international.

Instead, 23-year-old Kounde is now in Chelsea's sights, likely as a long-term solution after also securing 31-year-old centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli for a fee reportedly just shy of £34million.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA ENTER THE KOUNDE RACE

Kounde has already racked up 150 games of top league experience between his time with Bordeaux in Ligue 1 and Sevilla in LaLiga, and is expected to cost in the range of £56million, according to ESPN.

The France international, with 11 senior caps for his country, also has an impeccable injury history, tallying 184 appearances in all club competitions in just the past four seasons, with no significant injuries.

Chelsea will be mainly competing against Barcelona, with the Spanish giants reportedly already agreeing to personal terms with Kounde, and reports claim they are willing to exchange Memphis Depay or Sergino Dest to get a deal done.

Barcelona may be unable to afford the move unless Sevilla are willing to take back a player, as their £65m deal for Raphinha and their chase of Robert Lewandowski could restrict their financial flexibility

ROUND-UP

– Aston Villa have placed a £20million price tag on 18-year-old midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka to try to fend off interest from Manchester United, Manchester City and Newcastle United, according to Talksport.

– The Athletic is reporting that 29-year-old Jesse Lingard is considering a highly paid move to Saudi Arabia.

– According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are set to agree to personal terms with Manchester City's Oleksandr Zinchenko.

– Sky Sport in Germany claims Bayern Munich are close to securing Juventus centre-back Matthijs de Ligt for around €80million.

– The Independent is reporting that William Saliba will try to push his way out of Arsenal if he is not guaranteed a place in Mikel Arteta's starting line-up, with Marseille and Atletico Madrid named as interested parties.

Louis van Gaal was adamant the Netherlands "were entitled to the win" after a late Memphis Depay goal secured a 3-2 victory over Wales.

The hosts looked to be cruising after first-half goals from Noa Lang and Cody Gakpo put them 2-0 up after just 23 minutes.

However, the Dragons appeared to have snatched a point after a Brennan Johnson strike was added to by Gareth Bale's stoppage-time penalty.

Wales were to be left heartbroken, though, as Depay went straight up the other end and scored the winner with a few seconds remaining.

That condemned Wales to their 10th straight defeat against the Dutch, conceding 29 in the process.

It also extended the Oranje's unbeaten streak to 13 games in all competitions as they prepare for the World Cup in Qatar.

Van Gaal, who was left frustrated by some refereeing decisions, felt his team got what they deserved.

"Great that it all turned out like this, I think it's nice to see the way we mentally resisted at 2-2. Although I thought we were entitled to the win. It wasn't a penalty at all for Wales either. I can't believe the referee gave it," Van Gaal told NOS.

Turning his attention to the winning goal, which came after a long ball forward straight from kick-off after Bale's penalty, Van Gaal refused to take the credit.

"They had agreed that they were going to do this, I hadn't said anything. It's fantastic that it works out like this," he added.

Depay then applauded the team's mental fortitude as they secured another result against the odds, having come from 2-0 down to draw with Poland and beaten Wales with a stoppage-time winner in their previous two matches.

"It says a lot about the team. We want to win. Once again we showed a great mentality," the Barcelona forward said.