Erling Haaland's long-term future has been a source of speculation for months and reports of a release clause in mid-2024 in his Manchester City contract have put Barcelona and Real Madrid on high alert.

The Norwegian was pursued by a host of clubs last off-season, with City winning the race ahead of Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Chelsea, Juventus, Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Haaland has since scored 25 Premier League goals in 21 appearances and 31 in all competitions after joining City.

TOP STORY – HAALAND SET FOR SPANISH SWITCH NEXT YEAR

Erling Haaland has decided he wants to leave England for Spain next year when the release clause in his City contract can be activated, reports Fichajes.

The report claims Real Madrid and Barcelona are the two viable options for Haaland, who will exit City at the end of the 2023-24 season, with playing in Spain a dream for the 22-year-old.

City's potential sanctions for alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial rules have also played a part in Haaland believing mid-2024 is the right time to leave.

ROUND-UP

- Big-spending Chelsea are set to join the race to sign Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, reports The Telegraph. Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid are already keen on the 19-year-old England international.

- Manchester Evening News claims Manchester United have "genuine interest" in a move for Roma's English striker Tammy Abraham in the next transfer window.

- Barcelona's Ansu Fati will resist overtures from Tottenham, Arsenal and Bayern Munich to remain with the Blaugrana, reports Mundo Deportivo.

- AS reports Tottenham will turn to Sevilla's Morocco international goalkeeper Yassine Bounou in their search for a long-term successor to Hugo Lloris.

- Leicester City have ramped up talks with James Maddison on a new contract amid interest from Newcastle United, Arsenal and Tottenham, claims The Telegraph.

- FotoSpor claims Turkish club Fenerbahce have reached out to Manchester United about signing Mason Greenwood, who is under club investigation despite criminal charges being dropped against him recently.

- Calciomercatoweb reports Massimiliano Allegri could leave his position as Juventus head coach to replace Roberto Mancini in Italy's top job.

Antonio Conte insisted Tottenham could turn around their first-leg deficit after a 1-0 loss at Milan in the Champions League.

Brahim Diaz made an early breakthough, scoring in the seventh minute at San Siro when he nodded in from close range after Fraser Forster made saves from the Spaniard and Theo Hernandez.

Milan could have stretched their lead in the second half but spurned chances, giving Tottenham reasonable grounds for optimism ahead of the March 8 second leg in London.

Former Inter boss Conte wants the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to radiate the same type of atmosphere Spurs experienced at San Siro, believing that could help Spurs through to the quarter-finals.

He told BT Sport: "You have to play two games. It was a fantastic atmosphere. I know San Siro, and I know the difficulty to play in this atmosphere.

"For sure in the second game we have to play in our stadium and for sure all the fans will create the right atmosphere to push us to overcome the Milan obstacle."

His injury-hit team were crushed 4-1 at Leicester City in the Premier League on Saturday, and Conte was without Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg due to suspension for Tuesday's last-16 first leg in Italy.

Pape Sarr and Oliver Skipp paired up in central midfield, with Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur sidelined due to long-term injuries, and Conte liked what he saw, to a point.

"I think it was better today – high intensity, and I think we played against a good team. Don't forget Milan last season won the league in Italy," Conte said.

"I think that to concede the first goal, we can do much better. We conceded a goal after maybe only five minutes.

"Then we tried to lead the game, we tried to create situations to score, but I think Milan defended very well. We had chances to score, but at the end we are talking about a defeat, a loss."

He said of Sarr and Skipp: "I'm really satisfied for both players. They played a really good game and showed the trust that we have in them, they repaid this.

"Don't forget we now have three midfielders and we have to continue maybe to the end of the season with these three midfielders, and to have this type of performance from Skippy and Pape Sarr makes me more relaxed because I know I can count on them 100 per cent.

"And then we have Pierre Hojbjerg who for us is a key player."

Skipp said of his first start in the competition: "It wasn't the result we wanted, but there's a second leg to come and we're still right in the game.

"There were things we could have done better, things we did well. It was nice to gain the manager's trust."

Stefano Pioli was "satisfied" with a 1-0 Champions League win over Tottenham but knows Milan face a stern test in the second leg.

Brahim Diaz's early goal at San Siro on Tuesday ensured the Rossoneri will take a slender advantage to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on March 8 in the battle for a quarter-final spot.

The Serie A champions beat Torino 1-0 last Friday to end a dismal run of seven games without a victory and they followed that up with a first win over Spurs in a competitive match at the fifth attempt.

Charles De Ketelaere and Malick Thiaw wasted glorious chances to extend Milan's lead in the last-16 tie, but a heavier defeat would have been harsh on Antonio Conte's side on the former Inter head coach's return to San Siro.

Rossoneri boss Pioli was content to be in front at the halfway stage in the clash, knowing the Premier League club will fancy their chances of coming from behind in London next month.

He told Mediaset: "It was a difficult, hard-fought match against a tough team. We played a good game, but we know how tough it will be. But tonight I'm satisfied."

Pioli added: "This performance will give us morale, but we have to be attentive, dynamic, ready. We've had a difficult month, but we're trying to overcome all the difficulties. I keep thinking and believing I'm coaching a truly special group."

Asked if he was disappointed not having a bigger lead, he replied: "Yes, for those two chances... De Ketelaere's and Thiaw's. But they, too, put us in difficulty and there are many positive aspects.

"It was only the first stage and the second will be even more difficult."

Brahim Diaz's first goal since October gave Milan a 1-0 victory over Tottenham in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie.

Diaz had gone 12 games without a goal for the Serie A champions but stunned Spurs with an early header on Tuesday.

Tottenham saw plenty of the ball but were unable to come up with an equaliser on former Inter boss Antonio Conte's return to San Siro.

Milan had been without a win in seven matches before beating Torino last Friday, but Diaz gave them back-to-back victories and a slender advantage to take into the second leg at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on March 8.

San Siro erupted when Diaz opened the scoring in the seventh minute, diving to nod in on the goal-line after Fraser Forster produced a brilliant double save to deny the Spaniard and Theo Hernandez.

Spurs responded well to that early blow, though did not create a clear-cut opportunity until Harry Kane rattled the crossbar just before the break, but an offside flag against Son Heung-Min meant the striker's effort would not have counted if it had found the back of the net.

There was concern for Milan when goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu appeared to go over on his ankle before Eric Dier was shown a yellow card that will rule him out of the second leg.

Conte introduced Richarlison with 20 minutes to go before Charles De Ketelaere and Malick Thiaw wasted glorious chances to extend Milan's lead with headers from close range.

Tottenham applied some late pressure, but lacked the quality to salvage a draw and have work to do next month.

Roses are red, violets are blue, have we got the perfect Valentine's Day content for you!

(Very) questionable rhymes aside, love is in the air as long-standing couples and newly formed relationships celebrate the day of romance on Tuesday.

The Premier League is certainly no stranger to the language of love, so while cracking open a bottle of red and exchanging cheap tat with your significant other, why not get some inspiration for love with our Valentine's Day facts with some help from Cupid!

Well, maybe not Cupid, but Opta – and the team at Opta are full of love!

MATT LE KISS-IER'S FOND VALENTINE'S DAY MEMORY

Valentine's Day is of course a day for love (and overpaying for those last-minute flowers and cards you almost forgot to buy…).

Three players who've enjoyed a particularly joyous February 14 in the past are Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier, ex-Liverpool striker Michael Owen, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who have each scored three times in the Premier League on this date – no one has managed more.

All three of those were Valentine's Day hat-tricks as well.

Le Tissier registered three against the Reds back in 1994; Owen took home the match ball with a treble for Liverpool versus Sheffield Wednesday four years later; Aubameyang broke Leeds United hearts in 2021 with Arsenal.

COUPLE GOALS

Sharing's caring, as they say.

Mutual support is a key component of any healthy relationship, particularly the relationship between a striker and their fellow forwards…

If there's any Premier League pairing that sums up "couple goals", it has to be Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

The Tottenham duo have directly linked up for 44 goals in the league, more than any other pairing in Premier League history.

No couple have ever combined for more than one goal on Valentine's Day, though Philippe Coutinho and the late Jose Antonio Reyes have shared the love on the most romantic day of the year – they have tallied two assists each on February 14, more than anyone else.

CARDS GALORE

Whether from a partner or a secret admirer, it's always nice to receive a card or two on Valentine's Day.

Unless of course you're playing in the Premier League, in which case you want to see the referees keep their cards in their pockets.

In this regard, Leicester City have been the most prolific, their nine yellow cards on Valentine's Day being more than any other team have received. Arsenal follow with six.

The Foxes also fare badly when it comes to red cards, having earned two on February 14 – Danny Simpson (2016) and Hamza Choudhury (2020) account for those dismissals.

The only other player to receive a red card on Valentine's Day is Everton hero Duncan Ferguson ... no, we weren't shocked either.

LOVE IS BLIND'S TEAM-MATE

Donald Love's name gets a good airing all over social media every February 14 given it's ripe for Valentine's Day punnery.

The defender, who now plays for Morecambe in League One, made his Manchester United debut the day before Valentine's Day in 2016, coming on as a substitute in a 2-1 defeat to Sunderland, who he would also go on to play for.

In that game, he slotted in on the right of a back four that also included another pun-magnet in Daley Blind. So, on Valentine's Day 2016, you could have legitimately said Love is Blind...'s team-mate.

Love never went on to play a Premier League game on Valentine's Day, which for obvious reasons is rather regrettable.

SHORT AND SWEET

Valentine's Days come and go, but in football as in life, not every relationship stands the test of time.

In the Premier League, there have been three players to make their only appearance in the competition on February 14.

Neil Cutler's brief fling with Aston Villa resulted in a one-off appearance in 2000; Shay Logan appeared for Manchester City seven years later; and in 2021 the fittingly named Niall Huggins got his sole outing for Leeds United.

It's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all… and our heart goes out to those in that singles club.

Jurgen Klinsmann heaped praise on Tottenham striker Harry Kane ahead of the Champions League last-16 tie against Milan.

Kane has been in excellent form for Spurs this season, scoring 17 goals in 23 Premier League games, though he only managed to find the net once in six Champions League group outings.

Klinsmann, who had two spells with the club in the 1990s, called Kane a "symbol" for club and country, and hopes he can win some silverware at some point in his career.

Speaking to Stats Perform, Klinsmann said: "Harry Kane is exceptional. He dedicated all his career to Tottenham and he is not only their symbol, but the symbol of English football.

"He breaks one record after the other, but unfortunately he didn't win anything so far and this is a bit sad because a player like him has to quit with at least a couple of trophies in his pocket.

"For Tottenham he is very important, he can energise the team, keep the spirit up in the changing rooms. He never hides away, as you could see in the World Cup when he stepped up on the second penalty [in England's quarter-final defeat to France]. He missed it but he always takes responsibility. Always. He has character and dedication to his club."

The former Germany striker believes the clash with reigning Serie A champions Milan will be "50-50", though also pointed to Spurs boss Antonio Conte's knowledge of his opponents as a potential difference maker.

"Milan are trying to get themselves together in this difficult period but their squad have quality with great players who need to bounce back," he said. "This game v Tottenham is 50-50, especially because Antonio Conte knows everything on Serie A and Milan, so that gives him the edge."

Neither team arrive in ideal form, with Milan's 1-0 win against Torino on Friday their first victory in eight games, while Spurs were on the end of a 4-1 hammering at Leicester City on Saturday.

"It must all come together, the spirit of the squad and the history of the club," Klinsmann added. "For example a couple of months ago we were all praising Milan's spirit and [head coach, Stefano] Pioli, underlining how that club has understood how to build a great team and now they are in a trough. It happens in football and it happens fast, like for Milan.

"Same thing for [Spurs] in England. You always have to be on the same page with the board, the manager and the squad. If they have any problem, and we don't know from here, so it is difficult for us to have an opinion."

Another of Klinsmann's former clubs, Bayern Munich, also play the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday when they travel to face Paris Saint-Germain, and he predicts it could be a contest decided by individual brilliance.

"When you hear those two names, you expect a show... especially with PSG and [Kylian] Mbappe, who is back training and so maybe he will play," he said.

"And [Lionel] Messi, of course, who is back from winning the World Cup, and then Neymar. You can't beat that as offensive players.

"But Bayern are always the same strong squad. Their spirit is always in their great belief in themselves. Even after a couple of bad games, it is not a problem because eventually they always find a way to be successful.

"It will be a very interesting fixture that can be decided by a small detail like a set piece or a corner. Or maybe a moment of brilliance from Messi, Neymar or Mbappe, or even from Thomas Muller who can smell something in the box and slashes it in the back of the net.

"Never underestimate Bayern Munich, they always find a way to advance in the Champions League. Just like Milan v Tottenham, this is another game of 50-50 where anything can happen."

Joao Felix has had a mixed start to his loan spell at Chelsea, but the Premier League club are eager to make his stay permanent.

The 23-year-old Portugal forward joined Chelsea on loan from Atletico Madrid in January, getting sent off on debut before scoring on his Premier League return against West Ham on Saturday.

Felix signed for Atletico from Benfica in 2019 on a seven-year contract for a transfer fee of €126 million and extended his deal until 2027 prior to the move to Stamford Bridge.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA WANT PERMANENT JOAO FELIX STAY

Chelsea want to make Joao Felix's stay at Stamford Bridge permanent, according to Relevo.

The Portuguese is on loan with the Blues for the rest of the season from Atletico Madrid, with Chelsea willing to pay €100 million (£88.3m) for his services.

The Spaniards were originally asking for more, believed to be around €130m-140m (£115m-£124m) but may be willing to accept a reduced fee.

Meanwhile, Christian Pulisic could be heading in the opposition direction with Atletico considering a cut-price bid for Chelsea's United States international, according to Fichajes.

ROUND-UP

- Real Madrid are monitoring Tottenham forward Richarlison and Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, reports ESPN. Los Blancos are looking for long-term replacements for 35-year-old Karim Benzema.

- Neymar's future at Paris Saint-Germain is uncertain with the French champions to place him on their transfer list in the upcoming off-season, claims Foot Mercato. PSG paid a staggering €222m for Neymar in 2017 but are set to move on.

- Chelsea's pursuit of West Ham midfielder Declan Rice could lead them to sell Conor Gallagher and Ruben Loftus-Cheek to raise funds for the deal, claims Football Insider.

- Barcelona have reached a verbal agreement with Eintracht Frankfurt centre-back Evan Ndicka for a free transfer at the end of this season, claims German journalist Christopher Michel.

- Bayern Munich want to sign Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo for a reduced fee, rather than trigger the €70 million buy option, reports 90min. The report claims a fee around €60m is more realistic.

Antonio Conte urged Tottenham to find "stability" as his side search for a response to their Premier League hammering when they face Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Spurs overcame second-placed champions Manchester City in the English top flight but were stunned 4-1 by strugglers Leicester City a week later on Saturday.

Tottenham's next challenge sees them go to out-of-form Milan in the Champions League last 16 and Conte called on Spurs to recover at San Siro.

"I think we will get this answer tomorrow; it will be much easier finding the right answer tomorrow," Conte said at his pre-match press conference when asked why Spurs have struggled.

"Trying to forecast the future today is impossible. I think we are lacking that stability, which is always crucial. You need stability, you need consistency, you can't have these ups and downs.

"I am trying to work on this and focusing on not having ups and downs. England is not like Italy, the Premier League is not like Serie A, we have different cultures in these two leagues.

"In England, it is much more difficult to be focused and stay focused for every game. In Italy, it is easier.

"This stability is lacking this year. I always talk about it with my players. It is tough to keep concentration, it is challenging to stay focused all the time.

"We are working on that. Playing under pressure all the time is good for some players and bad for others. Sometimes players feel motivated other times feel so much under pressure that they can't perform.

"Maybe for a period they have a good performance, and then they collapse all of a sudden if they feel too much pressure."

Head coach Conte said his side are "working on" dealing with the increased pressure, though injuries are another crucial factor to Tottenham's success.

"We want to make our players more resilient but there are also external factors like injuries for very important players for us," Conte said after losing Rodrigo Bentancur, Yves Bissouma and captain Hugo Lloris to injury.

"Those injuries influence the team, influence the growing evolution of the league.

"You can be prepared for everything, you can be a tactical man, good strategies, good line-ups, you can have high-quality players but then if those high-quality players get injured then you need to change things. Every manager wishes to have the best players available."

Milan ended a seven-game winless run across all competitions with a 1-0 league victory over Torino on Friday to somewhat ease the mounting pressure on coach Stefano Pioli.

However, an unfavourable result in Europe will only add to calls for the removal of Pioli, who ended Milan's 11-year wait for the Scudetto last season with triumph in Serie A.

Conte believes managing in England and Italy comes with many different challenges and pressures, given his home country consider football not only a sport but as "war".

"I sometimes think also in my previous experience with Chelsea, the pressure is different between Italy and England," he added. 

"In Italy, you speak about football from Monday and you finish on Sunday. You speak only football and then you have a lot of television that speaks football and puts a lot of pressure.

"You are born in this way and you grow in this way, with this pressure, and you are used to living with this type of situation.

"In England, I think that there is an atmosphere that brings to enjoy football without a lot of pressure, because football is a sport and in Italy sometimes football is not only a sport, it is a war between the teams and the fans."

Stefano Pioli is relishing Tuesday's meeting with old foe Antonio Conte as Milan prepare to host Tottenham in their first outing in the Champions League knockout stages since 2014.

Milan finished second to Chelsea in Group E to progress to the last 16 for the first time since the 2013-14 season, when they were hammered 5-1 on aggregate by Atletico Madrid.

Conte's Tottenham stand between Milan and a spot in the last eight, with the former Juventus and Inter boss one of five Italian coaches still present in the competition.

Conte has won eight of his last nine games against Milan (L1) in a run dating back to 2013, and he joins Pioli, Inter's Simone Inzaghi, Napoli's Luciano Spalletti and Real Madrid's Champions League specialist Carlo Ancelotti on an impressive list of Italian bosses to escape the group stage.

Asked who was the strongest of those coaches at Monday's pre-match press conference, Pioli said: "Ancelotti is a symbol but so are Conte and Spalletti. 

"There are lots of good coaches, we have a good school and important characteristics. 

"Conte is a great coach and one of the few colleagues who called to congratulate me on the Scudetto last season.

"It will be a difficult challenge, inevitably it will be like this for a quarter-final place. A week ago they beat Manchester City. It will be a great game that we will have to play well."

Despite Milan's absence from the latter stages of the competition in recent years, only Real Madrid (14) can better the Rossoneri's tally of seven European Cup/Champions League titles.

Asked whether Milan's illustrious history in the competition could present a psychological barrier for Spurs, Pioli said: "I can't know what our opponents are experiencing, I know what we feel. 

"We are highly motivated and it's normal. We only think up to Tottenham. Winning the Champions League is a dream today but it's useless to think about it now."

With Milan 18 points adrift of Serie A leaders Napoli and suffering defeats in the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana last month, their Champions League tie against Spurs will go a long way to dictating whether their season is deemed a success.  

Speaking to Sky Sport ahead of his press conference, Pioli described the tie as the most crucial occasion of his career.

"They will be the two most important matches of my career, having never played in a Champions League round of 16. We have prepared ourselves in the best possible way," he said.

"Our aim is to play with more pace and intensity, you can't ignore that in these competitions. We have prepared ourselves to be up to it."

Nicolo Zaniolo would have been willing to accept a lower wage to secure a move to Milan or Tottenham in the January transfer window.

That is according to the player's mother, who revealed Zaniolo wanted to move to either San Siro or north London after Roma head coach Jose Mourinho made it clear he was happy for the midfielder to leave.

Neither Milan nor Spurs were willing to match Roma's asking price for Zaniolo, however, with only Bournemouth initially willing to do so.

Francesca Costa said her son had even agreed to join the Premier League strugglers before the closure of January's window, but by that time they had already signed Hamed Traore on loan from Sassuolo.

The 23-year-old finally sealed a move to Turkish Super Lig leaders Galatasaray for a reported fee of €16.5million last week.

"I want to clarify one thing, Nicolo would have reduced his salary or would have asked for the same money as at Roma for a move to Milan or Tottenham, but those clubs didn't find an agreement with Roma," Costa told Corriere dello Sport.

"At that point there was Bournemouth... Later, he accepted Bournemouth's offer, but when we called them back they had already taken another player."

Zaniolo joined Roma from Serie A rivals Inter in 2018 and went on to score 24 goals in 128 appearances for the club, though he spent significant periods on the sidelines after suffering two long-term knee injuries during his time in the Italian capital.

The last 16 of the Champions League gets underway on Tuesday with two potentially fascinating encounters.

Milan host Tottenham in the Rossoneri's first Champions League knockout game since the 2013-14 season, while two of the favourites in this year's competition, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, face off in the French capital.

Neither Milan nor Spurs come into their first leg in the best form, with Stefano Pioli's side getting their first win in eight games on Friday against Torino, while their English opponents were thrashed 4-1 by Leicester City.

PSG are also faltering, having lost 3-1 at Monaco at the weekend, leading to fan protests and Presnel Kimpembe having to calm them down through a megaphone.

Bayern will hope to add to the problems of Christophe Galtier's men, who seem likely to be without Kylian Mbappe, but Julian Nagelsmann admitted his own players are "not in the flow" in spite of their 3-0 win against Bochum on Saturday.

Stats Perform has taken a look at some Opta numbers ahead of the first pair of Champions League knockout games.

Milan v Tottenham

This will be the fifth competitive meeting between Milan and Tottenham, with the Premier League side unbeaten across each of the previous four (W2 D2).

They last played each other in the 2010-11 campaign at the same stage of the Champions League. Spurs won 1-0 on aggregate, with Peter Crouch scoring the only goal of the tie.

Spurs boss Antonio Conte has won eight of his last nine games as a head coach against Milan (L1), between 2013 and 2021. Indeed, he has seen his side win and keep a clean sheet in each of his last three trips to face the Rossoneri away from home (2-0 in 2014, 2-0 in 2019 and 3-0 in 2021 – all in Serie A).

Conte will be looking to win consecutive away games in the Champions League for just the second time in his managerial career, having last done so in the 2012-13 campaign when he was at Juventus (1-0 v Shakhtar Donetsk and 3-0 v Celtic).

Olivier Giroud has been directly involved in six goals for Milan in the Champions League (four goals and two assists) – the last player with more in a single campaign in the competition for the club was Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the 2011-12 season (nine – five goals and four assists).

Ivan Perisic has three assists in five appearances for Spurs in the Champions League, already his joint-most for a club among the four he has played for in the competition: three in 10 games for Bayern, one in 20 for Inter and none in 11 for Borussia Dortmund.

The three players to have recovered possession most often in the middle third of the pitch in the Champions League this season all play for either Milan or Spurs: Rodrigo Bentancur (34), Ismael Bennacer (32) and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (31), though Bentancur will be missing after suffering a season-ending knee injury at the weekend.

Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich

PSG have faced Bayern on 11 previous occasions, with all of them coming in the Champions League. The teams are separated by just one victory (six for PSG and five for Bayern), while they have scored the same number of goals (15 each).

Among teams who have faced Bayern on 10+ occasions in the Champions League, PSG are the team with the highest win percentage against them (55).

Bayern won all six of their group games this season, scoring 18 goals and only conceding twice. The only previous occasion in which they won their first seven matches of a Champions League campaign was in the 2019-20 campaign, when they had a 100 per cent record (11/11) in the competition.

PSG have only failed to score in one of their last 32 home games in the Champions League (averaging 2.6 goals per game), though the exception was in a 1-0 defeat against Bayern in the 2020-21 quarter-final second leg.

Joshua Kimmich has won 76 per cent of his matches for Bayern in the Champions League (50/66). Among all players to make 50+ appearances in the competition, he is the only player to have featured on the winning side in more than three quarters of his games.

Since the start of the 2017-18 season – his first at PSG – Mbappe has been directly involved in 57 goals in 50 appearances in the Champions League (34 goals and 23 assists). Indeed, he is the only player with both 20+ goals and 20+ assists during this period. He will be a big miss should he not recover from injury in time, though he did train on Monday.

In the last two Champions League campaigns, only Robert Lewandowski (21), Mbappe (20) and Mohamed Salah (18) have been directly involved in more goals than Leroy Sane (17 – 10 goals, seven assists).

Lionel Messi has generated more shots following a carry (moving five or more metres with the ball) than any other player in the Champions League this season (14 – six shots and eight chances created).

Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering knee ligament damage.

The Uruguay international opened the scoring for Spurs in their eventual 4-1 Premier League loss to Leicester City on Saturday before limping off.

Bentancur collided with Leicester counterpart Nampalys Mendy shortly after the hour mark and required oxygen on the pitch.

Tottenham confirmed on their official website on Monday that the 25-year-old "ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and will be out of action for the remainder of the campaign." He will undergo surgery before beginning his rehabilitation.

Bentancur has played in 26 of Tottenham's 32 games this season, forming a strong midfield partnership with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

The former Juventus man's lay-off has come at a bad time for Spurs, with fellow midfielder Yves Bissouma out indefinitely after undergoing ankle surgery on Friday.

Captain Hugo Lloris is also out for two months, while Hojbjerg is suspended for Tuesday's Champions League last-16 first leg away at Milan.

Tottenham's defeat to Leicester leaves them two points behind fourth-placed Newcastle United, who also have a game in hand.

Antonio Conte's side are still in the FA Cup, with a last-16 tie against Sheffield United to come at the start of March.

Real Madrid are eager to bolster their forward options, with a quality striker wanted to deputise for Karim Benzema.

Benzema, who is now 35-years-old, has battled injuries this season and played in 12 of their 20 LaLiga games.

Los Blancos have been regularly linked with Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe, while there have been reports of a big-money bid for Eintracht Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani in recent days.

Instead of signing another French forward though, there is a report that Madrid are eyeing up a Brazilian.

TOP STORY – ANCELOTTI WANTS FIRMINO

Real Madrid want to sign Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino on a free transfer at the end of this season, claims Gazzetta dello Sport.

Liverpool are bullish on re-signing Firmino but no extension has yet been agreed, with his contract due to expire in June.

According to the report, Atletico Madrid and Inter are also interested in the 31-year-old, who has been battling a calf injury in recent months.

ROUND-UP

- Barcelona president Joan Laporta is determined to sign Julian Alvarez from Manchester City, reports Fichajes. The report claims "Laporta will do everything in his power" to land the Argentinean World Cup winner.

- Manchester City are monitoring Southampton full-back Tino Livramento, claims the Evening Standard. The English 20-year-old is viewed as a long-term successor to Joao Cancelo, who is currently on loan at Bayern Munich.

- Tuttomercatoweb reports that Bayer Leverkusen will compete with Juventus to sign Alex Grimaldo from Benfica. The Bianconeri want the left-back as a replacement for the departing Alex Sandro.

- Chelsea have joined the contenders to sign Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, writes Football.London. Raya's contract expires in 2024, with interest also from Tottenham and Manchester United too.

- West Ham United are circling for Brazil international striker Pedro, who plays for Flamengo, according to Fichajes.

- Former Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch is being considered for the vacant Southampton job following Nathan Jones' dismissal, claims The Athletic. Football Insider reports Southampton and Leeds both want Marcelo Gallardo, while the Mail adds that Saints are also interested in Torino boss Ivan Juric.

Highly rated Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie has signed a contract extension that will keep him at the Bundesliga club until 2027.

The Ecuador international has impressed since his move from Argentinian side Talleres ahead of the 2021-22 season and was linked with a move to Premier League outfit Tottenham in the January transfer window.

He 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.

Leverkusen are keen to hold onto the player and have extended his existing deal by a year to ward off any potential suitors.

Hincapie said: "They didn't promise me too much here, but as a young player at the highest level they gave me the playing time I wanted.

"I was able to establish myself here and also consolidate my position in the national team.

"It's a huge motivation for me to confirm my achievements in the coming years and to aim for titles with Bayer Leverkusen."

Cristian Stellini has questioned the mentality of Tottenham's players and accepts "something has to change" after a 4-1 loss at Leicester City.

Spurs failed to build on last weekend's 1-0 win over Manchester City as their hopes of finishing in the Premier League top four suffered another setback.

Rodrigo Bentancur gave Tottenham the lead, but Leicester responded with goals from Nampalys Mendy, James Maddison and Kelechi Iheanacho before half-time.

Harvey Barnes added a late fourth at the King Power Stadium to inflict a fourth league defeat on Spurs in seven matches since the turn of the year.

Tottenham assistant Stellini, who took press duties despite Antonio Conte returning to the dugout following gallbladder surgery, was not pleased with what he saw on Saturday.

"To be consistent is a long process; it's a mental process," he said. "You have to be better mentally and better with the approach. After we scored the goal, something changed.

"We struggled a lot and we are disappointed for that. There's not an explanation because if you know what happened you can change this. 

"It happened last season, after we beat Manchester City we lost to Burnley. We are a team, and in the team something has to change, not individually. It's about the desire.

"It's about recovering the mental energy. After a game against City, maybe we used all the energy we had. To recover that is like a battle. You have to recreate the same energy."

Conte returned to Tottenham's training ground on Thursday, eight days on from undergoing surgery, but Stellini explained the head coach is still recovering.

"It's good for the club, the team and everyone to have Antonio back," he said. "He has to take it easy a bit. 

"He cannot use his energy 100 per cent and we have to give something more to cover the gap. We know we have to be more responsible."

Tottenham are two points behind fourth-place Newcastle United, who played out a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth later on Saturday and have a game in hand.

Conte's side host London rivals West Ham and Chelsea in their next two league games, but first is a Champions League last-16 first-leg tie away at Milan on Tuesday.