Former Arsenal and Real Madrid midfielder Mesut Ozil has announced his retirement from football at the age of 34.

The former Germany international, who earned 92 caps for his country, also represented Schalke, Werder Bremen, Fenerbahce and Istanbul Basaksehir during his 17-year career.

Ozil was under contract with Turkish side Basaksehir until the end of the season, but he has called time on his playing career due to a number of injury issues.

Ederson believes there is "a big possibility" Carlo Ancelotti will take over as the next head coach of Brazil.

Real Madrid boss Ancelotti has been touted as a contender to succeed Tite, who stepped down as planned after Brazil's World Cup quarter-final defeat to Croatia.

Ancelotti is under contract with Madrid until the end of next season, while the Brazilian Football Confederation last month denied an agreement had been reached with the Italian.

However, speaking at a press conference ahead of Brazil's friendly with Qatar 2022 semi-finalists Morocco, Ederson said he would not be surprised to see Ancelotti take charge.

"I was discussing this with Casemiro, Vinicius Junior, [Eder] Militao. There is a big possibility that he comes," said Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson.

Ancelotti has won 25 trophies across his 28-year managerial career, including four Champions League titles, two for Milan and two in separate spells with Madrid.

"Just look at his CV. We will know shortly whether he will be here or not," Ederson said. "I hope we can have a new coach quickly.

"I feel the anticipation too because there's too much speculation. Is it a Brazilian or a foreign coach? We are also living that phase of anxiety."

Asked last month about the possibility of taking over from Tite, who spent six and a half years in charge of Brazil, Ancelotti said: "I have a contract with Real Madrid until 2024."

Under-20 coach Ramon Menezes will oversee Saturday's friendly with Morocco in Tangier.

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is garnering a lot of interest, sitting clear at the top of the Serie A scoring charts this term with 21 goals.

The 24-year-old Nigerian striker is contracted with the runaway Serie A leaders until 2025.

While they would love to retain his services long-term, the breakout star hinted that may not be in the cards after recently showing interest in a move to the Premier League.

TOP STORY – NAPOLI PLACE BUMPER PRICE TAG ON OSIMHEN

Foot Mercato reports Napoli have placed a €150million price tag on Osimhen, amid new interest from French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain.

PSG have entered to race for the Nigerian, with Manchester United and Chelsea both reportedly chasing his signature in the off-season.

But Napoli have moved to protect their prize asset and will not entertain a lower price.

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– However, Relevo claims PSG's off-season priority signing is Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva. The Portuguese is reportedly keen for a new challenge, although he is contracted until 2025 and City asked for £80m (€90m) for him last off-season.

– Manchester United are ramping up their interest in Monaco centre-back Alex Disasi, claims The Mail. The Frenchman is rated at £44m (€50m), with United boss Erik ten Hag keen to bolster his defensive ranks in the next transfer window with uncertainty over the futures of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof.

– Football Insider claims Liverpool have not been deterred by Borussia Dortmund's reported €150m demand for Jude Bellingham. The Reds are determined to land the English midfielder amid interest from Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United.

– Sport claims Chelsea may release Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from his contract after the season, with Mundo Deportivo reporting he is set to return to Barcelona as a low-cost option.

– Unnamed Saudi Arabian and Qatari clubs are interested in Luka Modric,  but the veteran Croatian midfielder remains in talks with Real Madrid on a new deal, according to Sky Sports Germany.

– Barcelona's veteran full-back Jordi Alba could have his contracted terminated in the off-season as the Blaugrana looks to trim their wage bill and focus on new signings, reports Sport.

Former Arsenal and Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor has announced his retirement at the age of 39.

The ex-Togo international also had spells with Real Madrid, Tottenham and Crystal Palace during a professional career that started in 2001 with Metz.

Adebayor departed Metz for Monaco in 2003 and it was there where he caught the eye of legendary Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, who brought him to the Premier League in January 2006.

City forked out a reported £25million fee for his services in July 2009 and he famously sprinted the length of the pitch to celebrate a goal in front of the Gunners' supporters in September that year.

He joined Real Madrid for a short loan spell in January 2011 after falling out of favour under Roberto Mancini and then moved to Tottenham – initially on loan – in August that year.

After having his contract terminated by mutual consent in September 2015, Adebayor had a nomadic end to his career, featuring for Palace, Istanbul Basaksehir, Kayserispor and Olimpia before returning to Togo with Semassi in July 2021.

Announcing his retirement with a video on Instagram, Adebayor wrote: "SEA, from the highs to the lows, my career as a professional athlete has been an incredible journey. 

"Thank you to my fans for being there every step of the way. I'm feeling so grateful for everything, and excited for what's to come!"

Liverpool are reportedly the most likely landing spot for Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic in the upcoming transfer window.

Milinkovic-Savic, 28, is in his eighth season at Lazio after arriving from Belgian side Genk ahead of the 2015-16 campaign. He has since racked up 330 appearances and 64 goals in all competitions.

A Serbia international with 39 senior caps, the central midfielder has been named Lazio's Player of the Season two years running but his only silverware to show from his stint in Italy is the 2019 Coppa Italia and a pair of Supercoppa Italiana victories in 2017 and 2019.

Milinkovic-Savic is expected to seek a new home next season at a regular Champions League contender, and compared to other in-demand central midfielders he will reportedly be available for an affordable fee.

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL LEAD THE RACE FOR MILINKOVIC-SAVIC

According to Calciomercato, Milinkovic-Savic will be available in the off season for a fee in the range of €50million (£44m).

There is only one more year remaining on his current deal, meaning Lazio would likely be on board with a sale if they cannot agree on an extension.

Liverpool are named as the main club with both the interest and the capabilities to facilitate a deal – having been open about their desire to reinforce their midfield – while he is also a "dream" for Serie A rivals Juventus.

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– Todo Fichajes are reporting Aston Villa are interested in making a move for Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku at the end of the season, as he is not expected to return to Stamford Bridge following his stint at Inter.

– According to Football Insider, Chelsea would like to bring in 23-year-old Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier to compete for the starting job with Kepa Arrizabalaga, and they are said to be more willing to meet the £30m asking price than fellow interested clubs Tottenham and Manchester United.

– United will look to part ways with club captain Harry Maguire and fellow defender Victor Lindelof after the season to make room and raise funds for incoming transfers, per Football Insider.

– Calciomercato are reporting Juventus and Inter are investigating the possibility of adding 32-year-old out-of-favour Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard.

– According to journalist Ekrem Konur, 27-year-old RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner could be heading back to the Premier League next season amid interest from unnamed clubs.

Xavi described Barcelona's 2-1 win over Clasico rivals Real Madrid as "a very important victory for us" as his team roared 12 points clear at the top of LaLiga.

A first league title since 2018-19 is within Barcelona's grasp now, with a dozen matchdays remaining and no end in sight to their dominance.

A 22nd win from 26 games in this season's championship was hard-earned at Camp Nou, where a freak own goal from Ronald Araujo gave Madrid a ninth-minute lead.

Barcelona's equaliser could hardly have been better timed, coming just before half-time from Sergi Roberto, who was given the nod to start in midfield ahead of Franck Kessie.

That gave Barcelona a huge lift to take into the interval and they struck at the death in the second half too, with substitute Kessie the man to send the home support wild in stoppage time.

Xavi celebrated on the touchline, all too aware of that goal's significance. Barring a staggering implosion over the remaining weeks of the season, Xavi's Barcelona will be champions in his first full season at the helm, dethroning their great rivals from Madrid.

"We dominated, we generated more chances," Xavi said. "I am leaving satisfied. The team emptied itself and worked in defence and attack. It is a very important victory for us. I think we have been good."

He was right about the chances, with Barcelona leading that count 17-11 over the course of the game, and the expected goals final reckoning, measuring the quality of chances and likelihood of scoring, was also firmly in their favour by a margin of 1.64 to 0.58.

Robert Lewandowski missed what was determined to be the best chance of the game, with his volley in the 67th minute flying over Thibaut Courtois' goal. That was given an xG rating of 0.377.

Madrid also had a goal chalked off after Marco Asensio beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the 81st minute but was ruled offside after a VAR check.

"I think we had more control," Xavi said. "I think we have been superior in general."

His team had 54 per cent of possession, having had just 35.2 per cent in their 1-0 win at the Santiago Bernabeu in the Copa del Rey at the start of March.

Sergi Roberto was named man of the match, and the goal justified his selection, with the experienced one-club man trusted for the big occasion. He featured at right-back last week, but with Araujo returning from suspension was handed a role further upfield, with Barcelona packing their midfield.

Former Milan star Kessie proved he can thrive in such a big occasion, too, with his intervention off the bench, and Xavi could hardly have been more delighted.

"I had doubts until the last moment between Sergi and Franck. In the end it turned out very well because they both scored," Xavi said.

Carlo Ancelotti insisted Real Madrid deserved to defeat Barcelona as the Los Blancos coach questioned the late VAR decision to rule out Marco Asensio's' goal in Sunday's 2-1 Clasico loss.

Substitute Asensio thought he had snatched a late winner at Camp Nou, turning home from Dani Carvajal's cross in the 81st minute before a lengthy VAR check adjudged the Spain international to be offside.

Franck Kessie coolly finished past Thibaut Courtois 11 minutes later as Barca grabbed a last-gasp victory to move 12 points clear at the summit of LaLiga.

Ancelotti was unconvinced by the decision to disallow the goal for Asensio, who was deemed to be in front of Jules Kounde, but lauded a resilient Madrid performance on Sunday.

The Italian said to Movistar: "You have to accept [the decision]. But I'm left with doubt. Surely there is nothing. We have the right to have that doubt.

"We played a good game, we deserved to win, it was won. Then there is the question of this goal that was disallowed.

"We tried everything at the end, we lost a bit of balance and they scored. The game was very good, we leave with the confidence that we can finish the season well."

With 12 league games left to play after the international break, and a two-legged Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea to follow in April, Ancelotti vowed Madrid will battle until the end.

"We are going to fight for all competitions, to the maximum," he added. "We have to try to play like this again. If we play like this we will win something, for sure."

Defeat to Barca came just four days after the Champions League last-16 victory over Liverpool and Ancelotti suggested Madrid are suffering from a gruelling schedule.

"We have a greater disadvantage than before and it is even more difficult, but we are going to play until the last game," he told reporters at his post-match press conference.

"The plan did not change with the substitutions we made, only the individual characteristics change, such as [yellow] cards, suspensions and fatigue."

Ancelotti also acknowledged Madrid's title charge was hampered by a disappointing return to club action after the mid-season World Cup break.

"January has cost us a lot because after the World Cup it was difficult for us to recover our condition," he continued.

"But we are going to finish the season well. Today the game was good, with a good approach, with good changes."

Thibaut Courtois vowed to continue fighting but acknowledged Real Madrid's LaLiga title hopes may be over after a dramatic defeat at Barcelona on Sunday.

Franck Kessie scored a last-gasp Clasico winner in a 2-1 win over fierce rivals Madrid at Camp Nou to send Xavi's side 12 points clear at the top heading into the international break.

Carlo Ancelotti's side had taken the lead through Ronald Araujo's ninth-minute own goal, only for Sergi Roberto to deservedly equalise on the stroke of half-time.

Courtois impressed with a fine individual display to keep Los Blancos in the game, though the goalkeeper conceded Madrid's defence of their Spanish crown will likely come to an end.

The Belgium international told LaLiga TV: "We have to be honest. We will continue fighting, but there are four games difference.

"We have the advantage on goals [on head-to-head record], but it is difficult. Nothing is impossible, but... we will have to come here to win in the Copa del Rey [semi-final]."

Kessie's late strike, timed at 91 minutes and two seconds, was the latest LaLiga winning goal Barca have scored in the Clasico since Lionel Messi's finish (91:48) in a 3-2 win in April 2017.

But Courtois believes Xavi's hosts would not have found a way back if Madrid could have withstood the pressure before the interval.

He added: "We played a great game. We both had chances. You go ahead, control and they strike before half-time. That affects us. With 0-1 at half-time, I don't think they would have won.

"In the second half we played well. We didn't have many chances but when they arrived we didn't take advantage of them. We were going for the victory, we left spaces and they scored a goal against us.

"I'm happy to help the team, but we haven't achieved victory. We mustn't give up. I'm sure we can come to win in the Copa del Rey and do well in the Champions League."

While Courtois suggested the LaLiga title was destined for Barcelona, Sergi Roberto refuted that message as he referenced the resilience of Madrid.

"You can never say it. There are many games left and you can never say Madrid are dead," he said. "12 points is a difficult distance to let go, but it depends on us, which is good."

Madrid thought they had snatched a late victory before Kessie's winner, with substitute Marco Asensio seeing an 81st-minute strike ruled out for offside after a lengthy VAR review.

That late drama made the victory even sweeter, according to Roberto, who added: "We came back from a goal by Asensio that we hadn't realised was offside.

"Then we scored and it tastes better winning like that, at the last minute."

Questions may have been raised by some after Sergi Roberto was preferred to start over Kessie in midfield, though the Spain international felt he repaid the backing of Xavi with his performance.

"Today it was either Franck or me and in the end we both scored," he continued.

"I am very happy to continue in the club of my life. I have only played in this club. I thank Xavi, the board, the president. It is my way of returning my love. Now we can rest during the break."

It all came down to this. El Clasico at Camp Nou on Sunday was Real Madrid's final realistic hope of reigniting LaLiga's title race, but Franck Kessie's dramatic late winner puts Barcelona practically out of sight.

While Barca coach Xavi had been keen to downplay the idea of this contest being in any way "definitive", only going as far as suggesting victory would be a "strong blow", it's difficult to imagine him actually believing those comments now.

Kessie's neat strike secured Barca a thrilling 2-1 win and their celebrations said it all. This was no standard Clasico victory – it was a win that should bury Madrid's title hopes once and for all, putting the Blaugrana a massive 12 points clear with as many games to go.

Were it any other team then perhaps Madrid might still retain a modicum of belief, but this is a Barca side that have only conceded five LaLiga goals all season to teams not named 'Real Madrid'.

What hope do they really have of Barca dropping at least 12 points? After all, no team has ever even overturned a nine-point lead at this stage in a season, let alone a 12-point deficit.

Yet it had all started so well.

It was particularly fitting to see the opening goal involve the two men routinely identified as the key battle in Clasicos these days.

Vinicius Junior has become a talismanic figure for Madrid, while Ronald Araujo has developed into one of the most dependable and formidable defenders in Europe.

Their tussles are now something of a feature in El Clasico, and this instalment produced a major early flashpoint.

Vinicius was allowed to run with the ball in the Barca box, and although he initially moved away from goal, he then jinked right towards the byline, his clipped left-footed cross hitting the head of Araujo and glancing past the helpless Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

While fortuitous, it was a swift reminder of the danger posed by Madrid's Brazilian winger after Barca had begun the game with a flourish.

The game's other Brazilian winger looked Barca's best bet to get on the scoresheet. A brilliant header – pushed away by Thibaut Courtois – a few moments before Araujo's own goal was Raphinha's first involvement.

He then produced a series of crosses before the half-hour mark, causing plenty of problems in the Madrid defence as Raphinha looked to test their suitability against an aerial bombardment.

Vintage Barca? Perhaps not, but there were signs of encouragement at least, with Andreas Christensen heading one such delivery agonisingly wide.

Raphinha's new-found influence and confidence was clear to see, and he then looked to take matters into his own hands as he shook off Nacho Fernandez and forced Courtois into a fingertip save.

So, just as it was unsurprising to see Vinicius instigate the opener, Raphinha playing a part in the equaliser was similarly predictable.

Well, sort of. Initially he drew cackles of derision from Madrid fans and simultaneous groans of bewilderment from the Barca supporters as his air shot saw a glorious chance go begging. But a few seconds later, on the stroke of half-time, it was his effort that was blocked right to Sergi Roberto, who coolly slotted out of Courtois' reach – 1.1.

It was a goal that seemingly restored real poise to Barca at the start of the second half, with Madrid initially looking even less of a threat than before the interval.

Part of Los Blancos' problem appeared to stem from a lack of invention. Everything went through Vinicius, and he was – for a while – the only Madrid player who looked likely to worry Barca.

As lively as he was, their dependency on him made Madrid largely one-dimensional, and unfortunately for them Vinicius couldn't do it all on his own.

For a moment that looked irrelevant. Substitute Marco Asensio stroked into the bottom-left corner in the 81st minute after meeting Dani Carvajal's pass. Suddenly Madrid's title challenge was reignited, only for those hopes to be brutally extinguished by a VAR check – Asensio was fractionally offside.

The sheer gut-wrenching disappointment sweeping across the visiting team was almost tangible. They'd gone from bedlam to broken in a matter of seconds, and what followed was a further, and surely fatal, body-blow.

Kessie finished from Alejandro Balde's cut-back to essentially leave Madrid needing two goals in stoppage time to salvage any semblance of hope.

That was beyond them.

Madrid will now have to carry on pretending to believe the near-impossible is plausible. In reality, it's game over.

Franck Kessie scored a dramatic late winner as Barcelona took a significant step towards LaLiga glory with a 2-1 Clasico victory over Real Madrid on Sunday.

Blaugrana midfielder Kessie stroked home in the 92nd minute at Camp Nou to send Xavi's side 12 points clear of Madrid, who thought they had won it earlier when Marco Asensio saw an 81st-minute strike ruled out.

A somewhat comical Ronald Araujo own goal had offered Madrid an early lead before Sergi Roberto restored parity in the 45th minute.

Kessie's late intervention, placing past Thibaut Courtois, arrived after Asensio's finish was ruled out for offside as Barca closed on the title with 12 league games left to play.

Courtois produced impressive stops to thwart Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha but Madrid struck first after nine minutes.

Araujo inexplicably headed into his own net at the near post when attempting to defend Vinicius Junior's hopeful left-wing centre.

Courtois kept a Barca response at bay, denying Andreas Christensen's inventive flick and a fizzing Raphinha drive, although Xavi's men finally fought back on the stroke of half-time.

A desperate Eder Militao block against Raphinha saw the ball fall to Sergi Roberto, who fired into the bottom-right corner after a slight deflection wrong-footed Courtois.

Another deflected effort almost undid Madrid again after the interval, though Lewandowski's attempt off Eduardo Camavinga whistled wide to Courtois' left.

Asensio thought he had snatched victory when turning home Dani Carvajal's right-wing cross, only for a VAR review to adjudge the substitute offside.

More late drama was to follow when Kessie coolly finished into the bottom-right corner from Alejandro Balde's low centre as Barca edged closer towards a first top-flight crown since 2019.

Xavi entrusted Sergi Roberto with a key midfield role for Barcelona as the LaLiga front-runners took on Real Madrid in a titanic Clasico.

Barcelona went into Sunday's match at Camp Nou with a nine-point lead over second-placed Madrid, making the fixture hugely significant given just 12 rounds of games remain after the international break.

The hosts were without Pedri due to fitness concerns, and this was an occasion where Barcelona boss Xavi opted on the side of pragmatism, packing his midfield as Sergi Roberto stepped up from right-back, where he featured in last week's win over Athletic Bilbao.

Although Sergi Roberto has come in for criticism at times, Xavi is a former team-mate of his and considered him the right man for the big occasion, with Franck Kessie, another midfield option, named on the bench.

Ferran Torres was a starter against Athletic but dropped to the bench this time as Barcelona fielded a front two of Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, with massed ranks behind them.

Sergi Roberto was joined in midfield by a fellow veteran campaigner in Sergio Busquets, with Frenkie de Jong in there too, along with teenage livewire Gavi.

Ronald Araujo returned from suspension at right-back, and his battle with Madrid winger Vinicius Junior was widely expected to be a key contest.

Madrid won 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu when these sides met in the league earlier in the season, but Barcelona snatched a 1-0 victory at the same venue in the Copa del Rey in early March.

Carlo Ancelotti's visitors were captained by Karim Benzema, with Eduardo Camavinga preferred to Aurelien Tchouameni in midfield, where Luka Modric and Toni Kroos also featured.

Barcelona came into the game having lost five of their last six league Clasicos, with Madrid winning on their last two LaLiga visits to Camp Nou.

Los Blancos have only ever won three successive league games at Barcelona, between January 1963 and February 1965, but their title hopes for this season arguably rested on them repeating that feat.

Didier Deschamps wants to put a lid on the public spat with Karim Benzema that has rumbled on since the World Cup.

France head coach Deschamps lost Benzema from his Qatar 2022 squad on the eve of the tournament when the Ballon d'Or winner and Real Madrid captain suffered a thigh injury.

According to Deschamps, Benzema said he would not be able to return to the France camp to take part in the latter stages of the tournament.

As it turned out, Benzema was back in training with Madrid in early December, and that led to speculation he might make a dramatic return for Les Bleus, as they chased a successful trophy defence.

That did not happen, with Benzema absent as France lost on penalties to Argentina in the final on December 18.

Deschamps told Le Parisien this month that he had spoken with Benzema after the striker had an MRI scan after his injury blow, and the then 34-year-old declared his World Cup hopes to be over.

According to Deschamps, the coach told Benzema there was no need to rush his departure, but the next day he made an early exit.

"When I wake up, I learn that he is gone," Deschamps said in the newspaper interview. "It's his decision, he won't tell you otherwise, I understand and respect it."

Benzema, who announced his international retirement on the day after the World Cup final, also his 35th birthday, swiftly attempted to counter Deschamps' version of events.

He responded in a series of posts on his Instagram stories, posting a clown emoji alongside the comment: "What audacity."

In another message, he posted "Sacred Didier" alongside a video of a well-known French social media figure repeatedly accusing someone of being a "liar".

Speaking on TF1 show Telefoot on Sunday, Deschamps refused to nudge the saga along.

Deschamps said: "I am not in the controversy. I needed to speak to say what had happened. But that is a thing of the past for me."

Benzema was set to be involved for Real Madrid against Barcelona in Sunday's LaLiga Clasico at Camp Nou, and he will then have a break while internationals take place over the coming fortnight.

It was claimed by RMC Sport on Sunday that Benzema will play no part when France mark a number of international retirements on Friday, when Les Blues host the Netherlands in a Euro 2024 qualifier.

Those whose careers for Les Bleus are expected to be celebrated include Hugo Lloris, Raphael Varane and Steve Mandanda.

Meanwhile, France have lost two players for the Netherlands game and a trip to face the Republic of Ireland on the following Monday, with Arsenal's William Saliba and Chelsea's Wesley Fofana pulling out of the squad due to injury.

Monaco's Axel Disasi and Nice's Jean-Clair Todibo have been called up as replacements.

Toni Kroos does not "pity" out-of-favour Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard, insisting: "I don't feel sorry for anyone in football".

Hazard's Madrid career has been blighted by injuries, and the former Chelsea man has only started one game in LaLiga this season.

The 32-year-old, who has only played 98 minutes in the Spanish top flight all campaign, revealed earlier this week that he and Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti "don't talk to each other".

While Hazard is keen to see out the remainder of the five-year contract he signed when joining Madrid in 2019, the chances of him forcing his way into Los Blancos' plans appear remote. But Kroos has little sympathy for his team-mate.

"Compassion is out of place in football. I don't think Eden has a bad life," he told Belgian broadcaster Eleven Sports.

 "You can sympathise with people who are having a clearly worse time. It's not about money, I just don't feel sorry for anyone in football.

"Of course, the situation has been difficult for a long time, but after all, everyone is responsible for their own situation to some extent.

"That's why I think pity is misplaced. I know Eden very well, we talk often, but I only sympathise with people who are in very bad situations and Eden is not one of them."

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has won plenty of admirers with 13 goals and 15 assists for runaway Serie A leaders Napoli this season.

The 22-year-old Georgian joined Napoli in July 2022, penning a contract until 2027 for a for a reported fee of €10–12 million from Dinamo Batumi.

Kvaratskhelia has helped Napoli into the Champions League quarter-finals, while winning the Serie A's Player of the Month twice.

TOP STORY – PSG TO TABLE LUCRATIVE OFFER FOR NAPOLI STAR

Paris Saint-Germain are ready to go all-out and offer Khvicha Kvaratskhelia a whopping €180m deal, claims Le10Sport.

Real Madrid are also reportedly monitoring the winger's status although he has previously shown no interest in exiting Napoli. It has been claimed Napoli would not accept anything below €100m for their emerging star.

The lucrative deal is plausible given PSG hold the record for the two most expensive transfers in world football, signing Neymar for €222m in 2017 and Kylian Mbappe for €180m in 2018.

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– Mundo Deportivo reports Borussia Dortmund have placed a bumper €125m (£110m) minimum price tag on midfielder Jude Bellingham as a long list of clubs chase his signature including Real Madrid, Liverpool and Manchester United.

– Manchester United are willing to pay the €50m (£44m) release clause in Ousmane Dembele's Barcelona contract as they look to sign the French winger, reports Fichajes. The report claims the Blaugrana may be open to that as they look to sort their financial challenges.

– Chelsea are interested in an off-season move for Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier, reports Football Insider. The report claims Blues boss Graham Potter wants a new stopper, with Meslier seen as a cheaper option if Leeds go down. Fichajes claims Chelsea are keen on Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana to take over from Kepa Arrizabalaga.

– Newcastle United have revived their interest in Bayer Leverkusen pair Moussa Diaby and Mitchel Bakker claims 90min. Arsenal have been linked with Diaby in the past, with the French winger reportedly worth €70m (£62m).

– Juventus are still pushing to sign Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante as a free agent despite reports he will re-sign with the Blues, according to Calciomercato.

– The Mirror reports Manchester United are set to hand manager Erik ten Hag a new three-year extension, despite the ongoing uncertainty around the sale of the club.

Pedri believes that Barcelona completing the LaLiga and Copa del Rey double this season would represent the start of a new era in Spain. 

The Blaugrana are nine points clear at the LaLiga summit with 13 matches remaining ahead of Sunday's blockbuster clash with second-placed Real Madrid.

Xavi's side are also a goal to the good in their Copa del Rey semi-final with Los Blancos, who they face in the second leg on April 5.

Pedri, 20, is one of several youngsters to play an instrumental role for Barca this season, scoring six times in 22 appearances with only Robert Lewandowski (15) netting more in the Spanish top flight.

And the midfielder, who will miss the latest Clasico after suffering an injury setback, feels a Barca double would represent a changing of the guard.

"The younger generation is coming up at a global level," said the midfielder, who was speaking as a global TCL Mobile brand ambassador.

"And as for us, we are seeing many of these young players emerging with a drive to succeed all without fearing the pressure of playing for Barca. If we win those two titles, [a new era in Spain] would be confirmed a little bit.

"For me, it would be a dream to win my first LaLiga. Any child dreams of that, and even more so for the club you love. That would be crazy."

Barca would take a giant step towards domestic glory with victory over Madrid at Camp Nou, where the Blaugrana have not beaten their rivals in five years.

While Pedri does not think the result will determine the destination of the title, he has urged his team-mates to deliver for the supporters.

"It’s only three more points," he said. "It's a huge turning point because it's against a direct rival. It will be a very difficult game, Real Madrid is always a very challenging opponent. Let's see what happens.

"Hopefully this year, we can bring joy to our fans. They have deserved it for a long time. Barca are used to playing and winning at Camp Nou, so we have to go for the victory."

Despite their favourable position, it has been another disappointing campaign for the club on the European front.

Barca were eliminated from the Champions League group stages for the second successive year – finishing third behind Bayern Munich and Inter before bowing out of the Europa League following their knockout play-off defeat to Manchester United.

Pedri thinks fortune went against the Blaugrana, but is confident they can provide a greater challenge in Europe's premier club competition next term.

When asked if they could genuinely challenge for the trophy next season, the 20-year-old said: "I think yes. Barca must fight for every title, and we have great potential.

"This year, apart from putting in more effort and getting chances until the end, we lacked a little luck in the key moments. Luck was often on the other side, and we suffered because of it

"The level of the teams is much higher. We have had to measure ourselves against very strong teams like Inter, Bayern Munich, Manchester United. They are three of the best teams at the moment. I am convinced that next year, we will perform really well."