Chelsea have continued to struggle in recent weeks despite their busy transfer activity during the January window.

The Blues have failed to score in their past three games, all defeats, and won only once in their past 11 games in all competitions.

Chelsea have only scored four goals in those 11 games this calendar year, with the situation putting pressure on new manager Graham Potter.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA TO TURN TO TAMMY

Chelsea could turn to former striker Tammy Abraham from Roma in the off-season, according to Football Insider.

There is a £70.5million (€80m) clause in Abraham's Roma contract that would allow the Blues to bring him back to Stamford Bridge which they intend to trigger, according to the report.

Chelsea have struggled for goals lately and view Abraham as a cheaper alternative to Napoli's Victor Osimhen.

ROUND-UP

– L'Equipe reports Kylian Mbappe will still leave Paris Saint-Germain in the near future even if he extends his contract. Mbappe's deal expires next year, but there is talk that PSG are looking to seal an extension for financial purposes.

– Arsenal have submitted a £35m (€40m) bid to sign Sergej Milinkovic-Savic from Lazio, claims Calciomercato. Fichajes says the Gunners are also interested in West Ham's Lucas Paqueta as another midfield option.

– Real Madrid will rival Barcelona and Chelsea in the pursuit to sign Inter midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, reports Corriere dello Sport.

– Barcelona are interested in signing Julian Alvarez from Manchester City on loan, claims Mundo Deportivo, while the English champions have offered him a one-year contract extension until 2028 on improved terms, according to Fabrizio Romano.

– Liverpool's plans to overhaul their midfield next season mean they have Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham, Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat and Brighton and Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo in their sights, per Fichajes.

– Football Insider reports Liverpool are also monitoring N'Golo Kante's situation at Chelsea with talks ongoing over a contract extension.

Lionel Messi, Lionel Scaloni and Emiliano Martinez made it a clean sweep for Argentina in Monday's glitzy ceremony for the Best FIFA Awards in Paris.

Paris Saint-Germain forward Messi was crowned the Best FIFA Men's Player, Scaloni took the the Best FIFA Men's Coach and Martinez the Best FIFA Men's Goalkeeper.

The award period spans between the start of the 2021-22 season through to the end of the 2022 World Cup, which saw Argentina end their 36-year wait to win the competition.

Martinez, who plies his club trade for Aston Villa, finished ahead of Thibaut Courtois and Yassine Bounou of Real Madrid and Sevilla respectively in the voting – although Courtois made the cut for the FIFPro Men's World 11.

Scaloni was next to pick up an award after seeing off competition from Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti, who won a LaLiga and Champions League double last season.

La Albiceleste have lost just one of their 23 games since the start of last season, with their solitary loss coming in their opening Qatar 2022 group game against Saudi Arabia.

Messi made it three from three for Argentina by claiming the top prize at the ceremony in the French capital, which started with a poignant tribute to Brazil great Pele.

Madrid striker Karim Benzema and Messi's PSG team-mate Kylian Mbappe had also been in the running for the award.

Argentina's fans also claimed the FIFA Fan Award.

Their domination on the men's side was not quite matched by European champions England in the women's prizes.

While Argentina dominated the men's side of the voting, it was a clean sweep for England in the women's side of things.

Mary Earps was named the Best FIFA Women's Goalkeeper and Sarina Wiegman took the Best FIFA Women's Coach award for a third time.

But Beth Mead was pipped to the Best FIFA Women's Player accolade by Alexia Putellas, last year's winner.

Other winners included Luka Lochoshvili, then of Austrian side Wolfsberger, in the FIFA Fair Play Award category for potentially saving the life of opponent Georg Teigl during a game after the Austria Vienna player fell unconscious mid-match.

Polish amputee footballer Marcin Oleksy won the FIFA Puskas Award for the best goal for his perfectly executed bicycle kick for Warta Poznan against Stal Rzeszow.

Paris Saint-Germain and Argentina forward Lionel Messi has won the Best FIFA Men's Player award for a second time.

Messi saw off competition from club-mate Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid's Karim Benzema to collect the award at Monday's ceremony in Paris.

The award spans the period between the start of the 2021-22 season through to the end of the World Cup, which saw Messi end Argentina's 36-year wait to win the competition.

Former Barcelona superstar Messi claimed the Golden Ball award in Qatar – given to the best player of the tournament – after scoring seven goals and assisting three more.

Those 10 direct goal involvements were matched by Mbappe, who finished as top scorer, but that was not enough to see the France forward win his first Best FIFA award.

Messi made a slow start to life at PSG by his own personal high standards, scoring 11 goals and assisting 14 in 34 games in his maiden campaign at the Parc des Princes.

However, the 35-year-old – who has also won a record seven Ballons d'Or – matched those figures in his first 18 games this season ahead of the World Cup.

Messi, who previously won the Best FIFA award in 2019, joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski as two-time winners, having also finished as a runner-up three times.

Real Madrid goalkeeper Lucas Canizares has signed a new deal with the LaLiga giants.

Canizares is yet to play a senior game for Madrid, but he has been named among their substitutes 10 times this season and was part of their Club World Cup-winning squad.

The 20-year-old, who is the son of former Madrid and Spain keeper Santi Canizares, finds himself behind Thibaut Courtois and Andriy Lunin in the pecking order.

He was reportedly close to leaving the club in January in order to seek regular football, but he confirmed on his Instagram page on Monday that a new contract had been signed.

"I'm very happy to expand my link with Real Madrid," Canizares said. "Eager to return with work the trust deposited. Let's go!"

Robert Lewandowski is set to miss Barcelona's Copa de Rey semi-final first leg at Real Madrid on Thursday due to a hamstring injury.

Barca on Monday revealed Lewandowski has sustained a strain of his left hamstring.

The league leaders stated that the prolific striker "is out and his recovery will determine his availability" three days before another Clasico showdown at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Lewandowski's injury is another blow for Xavi on the back of a shock 1-0 defeat at Almeria on Sunday.

That was only a second LaLiga defeat of the season for the Catalan giants, who are seven points clear of Madrid at the summit.

Barca also suffered the blow of being knocked out of the Europa League by Manchester United last week, losing the second leg at Old Trafford 2-1 after Lewandowski had opened the scoring with his 25th goal of the season.

Xavi's side face Los Blancos at Camp Nou in LaLiga on March 19 following clashes with Valencia and Athletic Bilbao. The second leg of their Copa semi-final takes place on April 5.

Atletico Madrid chief executive Miguel Angel Gil has accused Real Madrid of pressurising officials and questioned the "integrity" of LaLiga after Angel Correa was sent off in Saturday's derby.

Correa was shown a straight red card midway through the second half of a 1-1 draw between the Madrid rivals at the Santiago Bernabeu, following a seemingly innocuous push on Antonio Rudiger.

Atletico have now had a man sent off in all three meetings with Madrid this season, with Correa following in the footsteps of Mario Hermoso and Stefan Savic. 

While Diego Simeone's men made light of their numerical disadvantage to deal a blow to Madrid's title hopes, the decision left a sour taste for Gil Marin.

"I said it a few weeks ago and I stand by it, word for word," he said in a statement on the club's website. "Yesterday was more of the same, it's regrettable! 

"We always suffer this kind of behaviour against this team because of the permanent pressure on the refereeing staff.

"After the last derby I decided to share my opinion publicly and, just for that, I received a lot of criticism and disqualifications from different groups.

"However, from many groups I received private expressions of support. I especially liked those that came from media professionals and former referees, because they understood better than anyone else my denunciation of a system that is not fair and that tries to influence the decisions of people who should be impartial judges.

"We cannot normalise what is abnormal. I refuse to get used to these situations, even though they have unfortunately become a habit over the years. We are fed up with it.

"The integrity of the competition cannot be in doubt."

Diego Simeone believes Real Madrid receive preferential treatment from referees after Atletico Madrid's Angel Correa was red carded during Saturday's derby draw.

The match finished 1-1 with 18-year-old Alvaro Rodriguez coming off the bench to score a late equaliser after Jose Gimenez had headed Atleti in front.

Despite Simeone's men putting yet another dent in their rivals' LaLiga title hopes, he was aggrieved not to pick up all three points and highlighted what he perceives as refereeing bias towards Madrid after Correa was sent off for an elbow to the chest of Antonio Rudiger.

"A contact is not a blow," Simeone told DAZN. "Football is a physical game.

"If I'm not mistaken, Rudiger measures 1.94 metres and if it was apparently such a brutal blow, it would have left him sitting down, but he immediately gets up.

"It may be a yellow [card] but sending a player off for that, there would be no players left on the field.

"It's the same story. It is normal, and it has become normal [referees favouring Madrid] and that's not right and it would be nice if we could all compete in the same way."

Correa's dismissal was Atleti's third in three meetings with Madrid this season after Stefan Savic's red card during a 3-1 extra-time loss in the Copa del Rey quarter-final and Mario Hermoso's sending off in September's league defeat.

Simeone is frustrated by favouritism towards Carlo Ancelotti's men, especially at the Santiago Bernabeu, saying: "In the Copa del Rey, they could have sent off Dani Ceballos for a foul that was a red.

"Today, Angel's foul they saw it that way. You have all seen it, there are things that are very clear.

"[VAR] can go either way, sometimes in your favour, sometimes against you.

"However, every time we come here [to the Bernabeu], it goes against us."

Despite ending a run of four straight games away from home against Madrid without scoring, Simeone felt his team should have picked up all three points, declaring: "We are left with the feeling that we could have won the game.

"We knew that Madrid at the end of games are very dangerous.

"We overcame Reinildo's injury, also recovered from Correa's sending off and took the lead. We could have defended better so as not to concede the equaliser, but we must continue on this positive path."

Marcus Thuram will leave Borussia Moenchengladbach at the end of this season when his contract expires.

As a result, the 25-year-old French forward is garnering plenty of interest from top European clubs.

Thuram has scored 14 goals in all competitions this season for Gladbach, having been part of France's 2022 World Cup squad.

TOP STORY – THURAM OFFERED TO BARCELONA

Marcus Thuram's agent has offered the French forward to Barcelona as an off-season signing, according to Mundo Deportivo.

Thuram has interest from Chelsea, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid and Inter.

Barcelona's economic challenges mean they have prioritised signing players on free transfers in recent times with Thuram offering that plus flexibility in attack.

ROUND-UP

– Fichajes claims Cristiano Ronaldo wants Sergio Ramos to join him at Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, with the defender's contract with PSG to expire at the end of this season. Ramos will leave it late to make a decision, holding out hope for a PSG extension.

– Liverpool will battle Bayern Munich in the off-season for the signature of Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, reports Calciomercatoweb.

– Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea are all interested in Inter's Marcelo Brozovic, with the Serie A club open to selling him, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

– Manchester United are weighing up a move for Bayer Leverkusen right-back Jeremie Frimpong, reports Football Insider. Fabrizio Romano claims numerous top clubs are interested in the Dutch defender.

– La Gazzetta dello Sport claims Liverpool are tracking Inter's Nicolo Barella as they look to bolster their midfield options.

– West Ham, Fulham, Crystal Palace and Brentford are all circling for Milan forward Olivier Giroud,  who is open to a return to England, claims The Sun.

Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged it will be "difficult" for Real Madrid to win LaLiga after Los Blancos were forced to fight back in a frustrating 1-1 draw with 10-man rivals Atletico Madrid.

Madrid would have fancied their chances of moving within five points of leaders Barcelona when Atleti substitute Angel Correa was controversially sent off with Saturday's derby poised at 0-0.

Atleti then looked set for a memorable win when Jose Gimenez headed them in front at the Santiago Bernabeu, only for 18-year-old forward Alvaro Rodriguez to spare Madrid's blushes late on.

With the stalemate handing Barcelona the chance to go 10 points clear when they visit Almeria on Sunday, Ancelotti is aware of the size of Madrid's task.

Asked about the title race by DAZN, Ancelotti said: "It was already very difficult before this match, now it's more. We are going to fight until the end, that's what I can say.

"We lacked a bit of freshness. But mentally more than physically. At 1-0, it took us 10 minutes to compose ourselves, to reposition ourselves.

"In the first half there was a lack of intensity and in the second, we reached it at the end, but we didn't fully take advantage of the numerical superiority."

However, Ancelotti did reserve praise for Alvaro, who became the youngest player to score in a Madrid derby in LaLiga this century (aged 18 years and 226 days).

"It was very important for him, a young man with an enormous dream of playing for Real Madrid," Ancelotti said of the Uruguayan forward. "This will be a special night in his life."

Alvaro's 85th-minute header denied Diego Simeone a famous victory on the day he matched Luis Aragones' record tally of 612 games in charge of Atleti, and the Colchoneros boss opted to focus on Correa's red card – issued for an innocuous push on Antonio Rudiger – in his post-match interview.

"Those who have played know that contact is not always a blow. Rudiger is 1.94 metres tall and such a brutal blow left him sitting down… then he immediately gets up," Simeone told DAZN.

"It may be a yellow, but taking out a player for that... there would be no players left on the field. 

"It repeats itself, it is becoming normal and that is not right, and it would be nice if we could all compete in the same way.

"I think that VAR exposes errors much more. Every time we come here, it is never our turn to be in favour."

The result saw Atleti halt a run of three successive league defeats at the home of their cross-city rivals, though Madrid have now lost just one of their last 14 matches against Los Colchoneros in LaLiga (W6 D7).

Teenage forward Alvaro Rodriguez came off the bench to rescue Real Madrid in a dramatic 1-1 derby draw with 10-man Atletico Madrid, heading a late equaliser to cancel out Jose Gimenez's goal.

Despite half-time substitute Angel Correa controversially seeing red for a push on Antonio Rudiger, Atleti looked set for a famous win at Santiago Bernabeu when Gimenez headed them into the lead with 12 minutes left.

However, 18-year-old Rodriguez rose to nod Luka Modric's corner beyond Jan Oblak with five minutes remaining, scoring his first senior goal for Los Blancos in dramatic fashion. 

While Madrid will be relieved to have avoided a surprise defeat, they are now seven points adrift of LaLiga leaders Barcelona, who could extend that gap to 10 points when they visit Almeria on Sunday.

Former Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli has reiterated his support for a European Super League, predicting fans "will move away from football" if the project fails.

Agnelli, who left Juve last November amid an investigation into their financial dealings, has been one of the most vocal supporters of the Super League.

Juventus, along with Barcelona and Real Madrid, remained committed to the controversial project after fierce opposition from fans, media and players caused an attempted 2021 launch to fail.

Speaking to De Telegraaf in his first interview since leaving the Bianconeri, Agnelli laid out his reasons for supporting a breakaway European competition with a league format.

"UEFA's monopoly must be broken to give clubs a financially stable future," he said. "A future in which clubs don't fall if they don't qualify for European competitions once.

"This is a problem for any club. "With such uncertainty, it's not possible as a club to make sustainable and sound long-term decisions.

"This is why I'm in favour of a league system at the top in European football, with more financial and sporting opportunities for every club. It's necessary, because if it remains predictable like now, the public will move away from football."

Agnelli said that of the clubs he has spoken with, "many are in favour" of a new-look football landscape.

The future of the Super League depends largely on the Court of Justice of the European Union, which will soon rule on whether FIFA and UEFA would be breaching EU competition law by sanctioning clubs for taking part in breakaway tournaments.

With the competition's supporters awaiting that judgement, Agnelli says the predictable nature of many domestic competitions necessitates change.

He said: "Whether it eventually catches on will partly depend on the European Court of Justice.

"Why didn't I fight for change in UEFA from within? Internally it was a war that I failed to win. Even knowing that the current system does not offer a future to Ajax, Anderlecht, Celtic, Benfica, Panathinaikos and Red Star Belgrade and many others."

He added: "Apart from the lack of financial stability, the winners of many championships, national and international, are practically known in advance. Especially thanks to the income that clubs get from the transfer market.

"England lead the way in this respect, and you can see how sumptuously the Premier League is represented in the final stages of European cup tournaments, with Spain close behind and some clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

"But in a sporting competition it is important that every participant has the chance to win. So also Ajax, Feyenoord and Juventus.

"As a football fan, I strongly support such an international competition, unlike the international federations. As rulers, they want to keep everything as it is. They oppose any change. That's why the system isn't future-proof."

It remains to be seen whether Agnelli could have any personal involvement in a Super League – though the 47-year-old has not ruled out a return to Juventus.

He was suspended from football for two years by the Italian FA (FIGC) in January after the investigation into the Turin club's finances.

Carlo Ancelotti said the "issue of age is the same for veterans as it is for youth" in expressing empathy for Sergio Ramos following his international retirement from Spain.

The veteran defender announced he was calling it a day from international football earlier this week after a hugely decorated Spain career, saying head coach Luis de la Fuente had left him no choice.

Ramos racked up 180 appearances for La Roja - making him their most-capped player - while he played a vital role as they lifted the European Championship trophy in 2008 and 2012 either side of becoming world champions in South Africa in 2010.

But the Paris Saint-Germain centre-half, who turns 37 next month, last played for Spain in March 2021 and was left out of Luis Enrique's squad for Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup.

Although Luis Enrique's replacement De la Fuente initially said the door was open for Ramos to potentially return to the team, the defender indicated the new head coach had changed his stance when announcing his decision to call it quits.

Real Madrid boss Ancelotti, who coached Ramos during his first spell with Los Blancos between 2013 and 2015, said he can understand the frustration.

The veteran coach also highlighted notable examples to demonstrate that age is not important when determining a player's impact.

"The issue of age is the same for veterans as it is for youth," he said. "If a player complies, he does not have to look at the passport.

"If at 17 he deserves to play, let him do it. He doesn't have to play if he doesn't deserve it or if he's not better than another, the same with a 37-year-old player.

"A coach has to evaluate what happens on the field every day, in each training [session], if the player is well and can meet, no matter the age. Through thick and thin, it never has to be something to make a decision, in my opinion.

"Sometimes, they tell me I don't use the academy and forget that I put [Gianluigi] Buffon in at the age of 17 at the beginning of my career. It was because he was very good, better than others.

"The Champions League has been won by a 39-year-old player like [Paolo] Maldini, who trained once a week and played because he was better than others, period. If you are better than others, you have to play." 

Liverpool reportedly view Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch and Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham as their ideal central midfield pairing of the future.

Liverpool's interest in 19-year-old Bellingham has been well-documented, and they are believed to be one of the front-runners to secure his services, along with Real Madrid.

Gravenberch, 20, arrived at Bayern prior to the season from Ajax for an €18.5million fee, but he has made only one start this Bundesliga campaign, along with 12 appearances as a substitute.

Liverpool are due for a midfield overhaul this off-season with 33-year-old Jordan Henderson and 32-year-old Thiago reaching their primes, and the club appear to be preparing for an injection of youth.

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL ENVISION GRAVENBERCH AS KEY COG OF FUTURE MIDFIELD

According to Sport 1, Liverpool are "closely following" Gravenberch's situation in Munich, and have begun gathering background information about the young Netherlands international.

The report claims that Bayern are not looking to ship him off after just one season, but Gravenberch himself may indicate he wants out if his playing time situation does not start trending in the right direction.

With his contract tying him to the Bundesliga side until 2027, Gravenberch has no leverage to force his way to the Premier League, but that will not stop Liverpool from dreaming about potentially moving forward with Gravenberch, Bellingham and breakout talent Stefan Bajcetic all aged under 21.

ROUND-UP

– Planeta Real Madrid is reporting Paris Saint-Germain will look to secure Vinicius Junior if Kylian Mbappe leaves for the Spanish capital.

– According to The Mirror, Sergio Aguero claims Lionel Messi is strongly considering a move back to childhood club Newell's Old Boys.

– Atletico Madrid loanee Joao Felix would like to make his move to Chelsea permanent, per Fichajes.

– Marca is reporting Cristiano Ronaldo's team Al Nassr have been sounding out Sergio Ramos' interest in a move to Saudi Arabia.

– According to Fabrizio Romano, after rejecting an advance from Newcastle United, Flamengo have handed 18-year-old midfielder Matheus Franca a new contract that includes a €200m release clause.

Former Real Madrid defender Marcelo has returned to boyhood club Fluminense, signing a contract through the end of 2024.

The veteran left-back, who started his career with the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A side, returns to Brazil after more than a decade away.

Having come through the youth ranks with the Rio de Janeiro outfit, he made his senior debut for them in 2005 and remained there until 2007.

He subsequently signed for Madrid, where he spent the following 15 years as a key figure, becoming Los Blancos' most decorated player in their history.

The 34-year-old signed for Greek side Olympiacos in September following his exit from the Santiago Bernabeu, but terminated his contract last week.

That has paved the way for his return to Fluminense, who are looking to build on last year's third-placed finish in Serie A as they head into the 2023 campaign.

The club previously expressed an interest in signing the defender last month, with Thiago Silva also mooted as a target.

Marcelo celebrated the announcement with a post to social media, simply writing: "Back to the place where it all started."

During his time at Madrid, the defender won an unmatched 25 honours, including six LaLiga titles and five Champions League crowns, winning the double during his last campaign.

At international level, he won 58 caps for Brazil between 2006 and 2018, and was a member of the squad that claimed victory at the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013.

In addition, he was a two-time Olympic medallist with their under-23 squad, taking bronze at Beijing 2008 and silver at London 2012.

Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone is plotting to bring Real Madrid back down to earth when he makes history in Saturday's derby at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The former Argentina midfielder will take charge of his 425th LaLiga game as Atleti boss, which is more than any other coach has overseen for one club in the Spanish top flight.

Simeone will also match Luis Aragones' record tally of 612 competitive matches in the dugout for the capital club, taking in all competitions.

Los Blancos could ensure Simeone is no mood to celebrate after maintaining their impressive form by coming from two goals down to hammer Liverpool 5-2 in the Champions League at Anfield on Tuesday.

Ahead of kick-off, Stats Perform previews the big game with a healthy serving of Opta data.

Derby delight in short supply for Atleti

Atleti have only won one of their last 13 LaLiga meetings against their city rivals, Yannick Carrasco's penalty securing a 1-0 victory last May.

Los Blancos have come out on top in six and drawn as many times in the other dozen encounters.

Simeone's side have suffered three consecutive LaLiga losses at the home of their rivals without scoring a goal.

Carlo Ancelotti's men have already beaten Atleti twice this season, most recently a 3-1 Copa del Rey triumph after extra time last month.

Ruthless champions firing on all cylinders

Madrid have one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals after putting sorry Liverpool to the sword on Merseyside in an incredible first leg.

Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema helped themselves to doubles as the holders stormed back from sliding two goals down inside 15 minutes.

The LaLiga and European champions, who also won the Club World Cup this month, have won five games in a row and scored 20 goals in the process.

Second-placed Madrid are eight points behind leaders Barcelona and 10 better off than Atleti, who occupy fourth spot.

Atleti building momentum

Simeone's side have also improved of late, winning three times and drawing with Getafe since losing the Copa del Rey derby tie.

All three of those wins were by 1-0 margins, and Atletico have not been beaten in six LaLiga matches.

That is their longest unbeaten run in the competition this season, moving them two points behind third-placed Real Sociedad.

Beware Benzema

Madrid captain Karim Benzema's double against the Reds ensured he has scored five goals in his last three matches.

The Ballon d'Or winner has 17 goals in all competition this season despite enduring injury frustration.

Benzema has enjoyed facing Atleti, scoring in three of his last four derbies in LaLiga. He will be looking to find the back of the net against Simeone's side in a third consecutive game.