Real Madrid are eager to rejuvenate their squad for coming seasons with investment set to come in the off season.

Los Blancos are set to finish second in the LaLiga title race to Barcelona who hold an 11-point lead with nine games to play.

The depth of the reigning European champions, who are in this season's quarter-finals, has been tested at times this term.

TOP STORY – MADRID BOSS TO SWOOP ON CHELSEA TALENT

Fichajes claims Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has identified Chelsea quartet Reece James, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount and Mateo Kovacic as potential targets.

The latter three are all out of contract in 2024, meaning Los Blancos could sign them for free if they do not re-sign.

Perez is plotting to capitalise on Chelsea's downfall this term, with the club to miss next season's Champions League.

Kovacic previously spent three seasons at Santiago Bernabeu, while Mount has attracted interest from several top clubs given his quality and contract status.

ROUND-UP

– Lionel Messi wants to return to Barcelona when his Paris Saint-Germain contract expire at the end of this season, reports Fichajes. Messi will overlook offers from Saudi Arabia and MLS club Inter Miami to return to his former club.

– Manchester United are in pole position to sign French defender Axel Disasi from Monaco in the off season, claims Football Insider. Disasi is out of contract in 2025, with Chelsea and Manchester City also said to be interested.

– Liverpool have turned to Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch as an alternative to Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham, claims The Times.

– Calciomercatoweb claims Arsenal are still in the race to sign Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic, despite stiff competition from Madrid and PSG .

– Toni Kroos is set to accept a contract extension offer from Madrid and re-commit to the club for another 12 months, reports Marca.

– Chelsea have met with ex-Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann as they look for their next permanent manager, according to The Times.

Kylian Mbappe took sole ownership of another piece of Paris Saint-Germain history on Saturday when he scored against Lens.

Mbappe's goal was his 139th for the club in Ligue 1, moving beyond former team-mate Edinson Cavani for a PSG record.

As with the all-competitions record, which was Cavani's until Mbappe passed him at the start of last month, it is an honour that has changed hands with some regularity in recent seasons.

Before Zlatan Ibrahimovic, nobody had scored 100 top-flight goals for PSG, with Mustapha Dahleb's tally of 85 the benchmark prior to the QSI era.

But Ibrahimovic overtook Dahleb and was then himself overtaken by Cavani. Now, Mbappe is the history man, and it appears highly unlikely that will change any time soon.

Neymar – seven years Mbappe's senior and regularly plagued by injuries – is his nearest rival in the current squad, having scored 82 goals in 112 games.

Mbappe needed 169 Ligue 1 matches to pass Cavani's goals total of 138, which he amassed over exactly 200 league games for PSG. As a result, the France World Cup winner has averaged a goal every 98 minutes versus every 109 minutes for Cavani.

The game against Lens saw Mbappe net in a 98th different Ligue 1 match for PSG, and the 24-year-old will surely continue to score for as long as he remains in Paris.

While Cavani's 138 goals almost exactly matched his 137.8 expected goals, Mbappe has outperformed his xG in all seasons but his first at the club.

A player of such talent still at such a young age, there are no Ligue 1 high marks that look beyond Mbappe.

Marco Verratti has won a record eight titles, but his PSG colleague is not far behind on five. Delio Onnis' overall Ligue 1 goals record stands at 299, unbroken since the 1980s yet well within Mbappe's reach.

However, would either of those two impressive feats change a great deal for Mbappe? His remarkable rate of scoring since joining PSG has already proven there is nothing he cannot do in Ligue 1.

Mbappe's legacy will instead be forged outside of France, as it has been so far. He won Russia 2018 as a 19-year-old, by that stage a back-to-back Ligue 1 champion with two different clubs.

Subsequent frustrations have centred on PSG's failed Champions League exploits. In France, even when PSG have ceded the title, there have been no doubts about Mbappe's status at the top of the game.

At this stage, goals at World Cups – he already has 12 – and in Champions League finals will mean far more to this superstar striker than adding another to his record PSG tallies.

It is the reason why doubts remain around Mbappe's future after this season's latest limp European exit against Bayern Munich.

Surely already PSG's greatest ever player, Real Madrid and the rest will justifiably believe they can give a generational talent the platform he requires to tick off the rest of the items on his bucket list away from the French capital.

No doubt that means another close-season of speculation then – and even Mbappe might struggle to chase down Onnis before May.

Christophe Galtier felt Paris Saint-Germain could have delivered a bigger victory after Kylian Mbappe made Ligue 1 history in their 3-1 win over Lens.

The forward became the club's all-time top goalscorer in the competition after he struck in the first half amid a ruthless purple patch at Parc des Princes.

Further goals inside a blistering nine-minute spell for Vitinha and Lionel Messi helped the hosts run rampant against their title rivals, who had Salis Abdul Samed sent off beforehand.

But even with a comfortable result, Galtier felt his side could have delivered a more impressive second-half performance to match the occasion.

"It was important [to get the win]," he told Canal+. It was a pleasure to win. We benefited from the numerical advantage [we had] in the first half.

"[But] as much in the second half, we let ourselves go a little bit. The positions were no longer respected. We should have been more serious. We have them a little hope."

Victory refocused matters for Galtier on the pitch following a week in which he had dominated headlines off it following allegations of racism during his time in charge of Nice.

The coach is taking legal action over the claims which he denies, which stems from an email allegedly sent by former Nice football director Julien Fournier at the end of last season.

PSG have given their unreserved backing to Galtier, and touching on the matter, he thanked fans for their messages of goodwill and solidarity.

"It is important to have a lot of support, both [in] public, but also on a personal level," he added. "It is a great pleasure.

"All the messages that I have received publicly, it warms my heart, as much for me as for my family, my name. All my life I have been enriched by diversity, that's for sure."

Kylian Mbappe became Paris Saint-Germain's all-time top scorer in Ligue 1 as he helped them to a crucial 3-1 win over 10-man title rivals Lens on Saturday.

The forward made the most of Salis Abdul Samed's 19th-minute dismissal to net his 139th top-flight goal for PSG and overtake Edinson Cavani's haul, beating Brice Samba inside the box.

Further goals from Vitinha and Lionel Messi helped Christophe Galtier's side refocus on the pitch at Parc des Princes amid a week of off-field distractions.

Most importantly, it sees them open up a nine-point gap over Franck Haise's visitors, who face a monumental task to rein in the champions with seven games to go.

A cagey opening quarter exploded into life when Lens found themselves abruptly a man down, after Abdul Samed was shown a straight red for crunching into Achraf Hakimi's ankle.

PSG wasted little time in making their advantage count, with Mbappe driving his history-making goal in off the right post in the 31st minute as the prelude to a purple patch.

Vitinha buried a 25-yard rocket past Samba in the 37th minute to double the lead, before Messi played a one-two with Mbappe and slotted past the keeper three minutes later.

Hopes of a further rout did not come to fruition following the break however, and Lens were gifted a penalty lifeline when VAR cited Fabian Ruiz for a handball shortly before the hour mark.

Przemyslaw Frankowski duly sent Gianluigi Donnarumma the wrong way, and from there the visitors proceeded to punch above their weight in a lively last half-hour.

But there was to be no great comeback, and with three more points in their back pocket, it is PSG who hold all the cards heading into the final stretch of the season.

Christophe Galtier is in need of a lift from his Paris Saint-Germain players when they face Lens in a huge Ligue 1 clash on Saturday following such a turbulent week.

It emerged on Friday that Galtier has initiated legal proceedings after the PSG head coach was accused of making racist comments about players during his time as Nice boss.

Galtier, who denies the allegations, has been faced with calls for him to resign just over nine months after he took charge.

The 56-year-old has expressed his gratitude for the support he has received as leaders PSG prepare to face second-placed Lens on Saturday, when a victory at Parc des Princes would put them nine points clear.

Stats Perform pick out the standout Opta data for the big showdown in the French capital.

PSG must focus to gain revenge over Lens 

Lens beat the champions 3-1 at home on New Year's Day courtesy of goals from Przemyslaw Frankowski, Lois Openda and Alexis Claude Maurice.

Les Sang et Or are unbeaten in three matches against PSG, who responded to back-to-back home defeats at the hands of Rennes and Lyon by winning 2-0 at Nice last time out.

Lens are the only team the Parisian giants have not beaten in Ligue 1 since the start of last season.

PSG will be looking to avoid losing three consecutive home matches in the French top flight for the first time since April 2021.

Lens on a roll

With four consecutive Ligue 1 victories, Lens will arrive at Parc des Princes riding on the crest of a wave and knowing they must continue their excellent run to stay in the hunt for the title.

A tally of 63 points from 30 games this season is their best to date in the competition.

This is Franck Haise's side's longest winning run in Ligue 1 this season, and a double over PSG will have Galtier's men looking over their shoulders.

Mbappe on the brink of making more history

Kylian Mbappe will become PSG's leading all-time goalscorer in Ligue 1 if he finds the back of the net this weekend.

Level with Edinson Cavani on 138 goals, the France forward will also become the leading scorer for a Ligue 1 club in the 21st century with his next strike.

PSG's record goalscorer has not netted against Lens in three games against them, so this would be a great time for him to set that record straight.

Messi to emulate Mbappe and Hazard?

With 14 goals and as many assists in Ligue 1 this season, Lionel Messi continues to deliver time and again.

The Argentina captain could become the third player to score at least 15 goals and provide 15 assists in a Ligue 1 season since Opta starting records began (2006-07) after Eden Hazard in 2011-12 (20 and 16) and Mbappe in 2021-22 (28 and 17).

Paris Saint-Germain coach Christophe Galtier has initiated legal proceedings after he was accused of making racist comments about players during his time as Nice boss.

The allegations, which Galtier strenuously denies, came in an email allegedly sent by former Nice football director Julien Fournier at the end of last season.

According to The Athletic, the email's recipient was Dave Brailsford, director of sport at INEOS, the company that owns Nice.

The contents of the email were first reported on Tuesday, with Galtier alleged to have told Fournier – in Fournier's words – that the club "could not have so many blacks and Muslims in the team".

Fournier and Galtier both left Nice after the end of last season. The latter's lawyer, Olivier Martin, has said the 56-year-old PSG coach "contests with the greatest firmness" the accusations made against him.

French media reported on Friday that police in Nice had launched an investigation.

Ahead of PSG's crucial Ligue 1 meeting with second-placed Lens, Galtier confirmed he was taking legal action.

In a prepared statement, Galtier told reporters: "I cannot accept my name and my family's name being tarnished in this way. I have therefore decided to take legal action against anyone damaging my reputation.

"I have confidence in the legal system in France. I have just found out that legal proceedings are beginning and I will not be making any further comments on this matter.

"PSG have a very important match tomorrow. All my energy and focus is on that game."

Galtier said he was "very shocked by the allegations that some people have irresponsibly made".

He has reportedly received threats this week since the email came to light, with PSG ensuring he has been allocated added protection.

Galtier added: "These allegations hurt me in the deepest part of my being. I grew up in the inner city and was brought up in a mixing pot, with the overwriting values of sharing and respect for others, regardless of their origin, skin colour or religion.

"My whole life as a man, footballer and coach has been underpinned by constantly looking out for, sharing life with and living happily alongside others."

Asked how the allegations had affected PSG's preparations for Saturday's clash, Galtier said: "It has been very tough, I have focused on my work with the players and staff, to prepare for a big match as well as possible.

"It is not pleasant, but the times I have had with the players, preparing for this really big game, have allowed me to forget for some periods. We have been working hard, my players are determined and committed."

Galtier disclosed he had not discussed the matter directly with his squad, but said the players "have given me the best responses by the way they have been training".

His comments came after PSG's press officer outlined the club's support of their coach.

"Christophe has clearly responded by denying them and he is going to take legal action," the press officer said. "The club supports Christophe in the face of these unacceptable threats and this matter will be dealt with legally.

"In a bid to protect the security and safety of everyone, the club asks everyone to take responsibility. PSG, the board, players and all employees have no tolerance for any form of discrimination on and off the pitch.

"The fight against racism and all forms of discrimination is a fundamental part of the club's ethos. The club has been shocked by this episode and everyone remains fully focused on Saturday's game."

Galtier has received support from some of his former players, such as Burak Yilmaz and Jose Fonte, as well as fellow coaches.

"I have received many messages, many pleasant ones, supportive ones," he said. "I have seen the public support from certain people, coaches, club officials, players, and have had many messages to my phone. These are very difficult moments.

"This is a matter away from football. When you become coach of PSG, you know that there will be a lot of pressure, comments, analysis, criticism. This is something away from sport, but that's how it is, it's what I am living through. I have to face up to it."

Heavyweight clubs including Manchester City, Liverpool, Napoli and Milan are reportedly closely monitoring the exciting Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga due to his affordable release clause.

Veiga, 20, is enjoying the best season of his young career, with the skilful central midfielder forcing his way into manager Carlos Carvahal's best XI.

Playing mostly as an attacking midfielder, Veiga has racked up nine goals in 26 LaLiga appearances, earning his first call-up to the Spain Under-21 team along the way.

His play in one of the top leagues in the world has caught the eye of midfielder-hungry Champions League sides, with his release clause providing a more affordable alternative to some of the other top central midfielders on the market in the upcoming transfer window.

TOP STORY – PREMIER LEAGUE AND SERIE A GIANTS CLAMOUR FOR VEIGA

Veiga is said to have a €40million (£35m) release clause, which Galician newspaper Atlantico says has caught the attention of Manchester United, City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle United, Napoli and Milan.

The report states Celta Vigo are prepared for a big club to come and activate that clause in the off-season, and they will not budge or negotiate a lower figure.

The emergence of Veiga provides another option for clubs who have been closely following Brighton and Hove Albion 21-year-old Moises Caicedo, who is believed to be valued around £80m, or £100m-plus teenager Jude Bellingham of Borussia Dortmund.

ROUND-UP

– The Guardian is reporting Liverpool, Chelsea and United are the leading candidates in the chase for 24-year-old Brighton and Argentina standout Alexis Mac Allister, with Puroboca.com quoting the player's father, Carlos, as saying: "It is most likely that Alexis will already be playing in another team next July."

– According to Foot Mercato, Nice are hoping to receive a €60m (£53m) fee in return for 22-year-old midfielder Khephren Thuram, with Paris Saint-Germain, Dortmund, Liverpool and City all said to be circling the France international.

– Roma are reportedly in advanced talks with 24-year-old Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar ahead of his contract expiring in a few months, although they will face competition from Real Betis and Eintracht Frankfurt, per Fabrizio Romano.

– 90min is reporting Chelsea are confident they will be able to sign 24-year-old Mason Mount to a new long-term contract.

– According to CBS Sports, Al Nassr are targeting either Zinedine Zidane or Jose Mourinho as their future manager after the club where Cristiano Ronaldo plays fired Rudi Garcia.

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Christophe Galtier has found support after being accused of making racist comments about players during his time as Nice boss.

The allegations came in an e-mail allegedly sent by former Nice football director Julien Fournier at the end of last season.

According to The Athletic, the email's recipient was Dave Brailsford, director of sport at INEOS, the company that owns Nice.

The contents of the email were first reported on Tuesday evening, with Galtier alleged to have told Fournier – in Fournier's words – that the club "could not have so many blacks and Muslims in the team".

Fournier and Galtier both left Nice after the end of last season, with Galtier cherry-picked to be coach of champions PSG.

Galtier's lawyer, Olivier Martin, said the 56-year-old PSG coach "contests with the greatest firmness" the accusations made against him. In a statement to AFP, Martin said Galtier "learned with amazement of the insulting and defamatory remarks".

Fournier allegedly also mentioned John Valovic, the agent and adopted son of Galtier, in the e-mail.

Valovic responded on Instagram, writing: "Thanks to everyone for your support. The accusations against me are false and intolerable. They will not remain without consequences."

Veteran Turkish striker Burak Yilmaz, who played under Galtier at Lille, said the claims of racism did not tally with his own experiences.

In a message posted on Instagram on Wednesday evening, Yilmaz wrote: "I read the news today and I felt like I have to say something. I worked with Galtier and never felt any negative behaviour from him about my religion or nationality.

"He is a great coach as well as a great person."

Defender Jose Fonte, who along with Yilmaz won the 2020-21 Ligue 1 title under Galtier at Lille, also stressed the claims came as a surprise.

"In three years working with Mr Galtier, he was always close to his players and above all, very respectful," Fonte wrote. "It is upsetting reading some news today. I have only good things to say about this man."

Jean-Michel Aulas, the long-standing president of Lyon, said he was "very sorry" for Galtier.

According to the Nice-Matin newspaper and other French media, security around Galtier has been tightened up since the allegations came to light.

Aulas, quoted by RMC, said: "I am very shocked and very sorry for Christophe, whom I know personally.

"I cannot imagine this kind of thing, but it's not for me to pass judgement. We see things happening in the public square that are so different from what we advocate in football.

"From the moment Christophe expresses his refusal to accept this type of information, he has every right to do so."

Nice issued a statement on Wednesday that read: “The facts related concern two people who no longer work for OGC Nice. This situation was treated with the utmost seriousness at the time of the events. The club will not comment further."

Fournier has firmly denied leaking the email, saying in a statement to Nice-Matin: "I am in no way responsible for the dissemination of this year-old internal information at the time of my departure from the club. The timing of these revelations revolts me as much as their content."

Galtier is expected to make a routine appearance at a PSG pre-match press conference on Friday, ahead of his team's top-of-the-table Ligue 1 game against Lens the following day.

Kylian Mbappe scotched the prospect of an early escape from his Paris Saint-Germain contract by declaring he still wants to win the Champions League with his home city club.

The newly installed France captain signed an extension to his PSG contract last May, keeping him with the Ligue 1 champions potentially until the end of the 2024-25 season.

That staved off strong interest from Real Madrid in the player who went on to be top scorer at the Qatar World Cup, hitting a hat-trick in a losing cause against Argentina in the final.

For Mbappe, triumphing in the Champions League with the French capital giants would be the crowning glory of his career.

PSG went close in 2020, losing out 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the final, but they have been bundled out at the last-16 stage in the last two seasons, with Real Madrid taking their scalp last year and Bayern Munich their conquerors this time around.

"The next level? To win the Champions League, I think," Mbappe told France 3 show Tout Le Sport.

"I've already made a final, semi-final, quarter-final, round of 16… I have done everything except winning.

"That's all I need. I hope it will be as soon as possible.

"Where? At Paris Saint-Germain. I'm Parisian and under contract. So it's Paris Saint-Germain."

Mbappe also dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal with France, so it is possible the 24-year-old could double up next year and compete at Paris 2024 after representing Les Bleus at the European Championship.

"I don't know if I'll be there," Mbappe said. "But, in any case, I hope to be there.

"Everyone knows that I've always dreamed of playing the Olympic Games. It doesn't depend on me. There are a lot of parameters that come into play, and we will have to study them all.

"There is a club, a national team with a Euro before. So we have to talk before. These are all parameters that must be taken into account.

"But of course it would be a dream for me to compete in the Olympics, even more so in Paris."

Ronald Koeman has welcomed the idea of Lionel Messi making a return to Barcelona and believes the Argentina star is still the best player in the world.

The former Barcelona boss was in charge during Messi's last season with the Catalan club before he made an emotional exit on a free transfer to French giants Paris Saint-Germain.

Barca sacked the Dutchman in October 2021 after a poor run of form with the 60-year-old now returning to manage the Netherlands national team following the retirement of Louis van Gaal after the World Cup in Qatar. 

Koeman himself will not be returning to Barcelona any time soon, but he still holds out hopes that Messi will make a romantic return to the club, amid speculation such a move is in the works.

"Messi is the best player in the world and when he left it was difficult," he said at the Koeman Cup, a charity golf and paddle event. 

"The team that has him is going to be stronger. His departure from Barca was a very bad day.

"If I see Leo with another shirt it hurts me. It's his home, where he needs to be. It was not good that the board did not give him the possibility to stay, but I am in favour of Messi being a Barca player."

Since his sacking, Koeman's successor Xavi has led Barcelona on an inspired league run this season with the side 13 points clear at the top of LaLiga with just 10 games remaining.

"With Xavi they have improved and will surely win the league," Koeman said of the head coach. 

"It's a much-improved squad. A coach is good or bad depending on his players. For me, we have to celebrate this league in a big way because we are talking about several previous seasons that Barca has not won anything. 

"Barca are there for their own quality and for their defence. It should be noted that they have only conceded nine goals. It is deserved and if the others have not been at this level, it is their problem."

Paris Saint-Germain defender Nordi Mukiele will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing an operation on his damaged hamstring.

The one-cap France international has featured in 25 of PSG's 42 games in all competitions since arriving from RB Leipzig last August, starting 14 of those.

However, the 25-year-old has not played since sustaining the injury in the second leg of PSG's Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich last month.

The Ligue 1 leaders confirmed on their official website on Tuesday that Mukiele will not figure in the eight league games they have left this season. 

"Nordi Mukiele is suffering from a serious hamstring injury. To minimise the risk of recurrence, the Paris Saint-Germain medical staff opted for an operation," the statement read.

"The operation will be performed in Finland today and will keep him out of action until the end of the season."

PSG also said midfielder Renato Sanches will miss between three and four weeks with an adductor injury sustained in last weekend's win over Nice.

Christophe Galtier's side are six points clear of closest challengers Lens, who they host in their next match on Saturday.

Bayern Munich have reportedly fallen out of love with the idea of Tottenham striker Harry Kane and are instead prioritising Eintracht Frankfurt frontman Randal Kolo Muani.

Kolo Muani, 24, has been one of Europe's breakout forwards this season. After arriving on a free transfer ahead of the current season, he has scored a career-high 19 goals in 38 appearances.

The explosive striker was rewarded with an international call-up by France for the World Cup in Qatar, scoring his first senior goal in the semi-final against Morocco before having his potential tournament-winning strike saved by Argentina's Emiliano Martinez deep into extra-time in the final.

His rise onto the world stage has not gone unnoticed, and now Bayern view him as one of their top targets at the position.

TOP STORY – BAYERN NOW VALUE KOLO MUANI ABOVE KANE

According to Sky Sports Germany, Bayern are desperate to recruit a new star striker in the upcoming transfer window, but since the departure of Julian Nagelsmann "Harry Kane is no longer very popular" internally.

Another target mentioned is Napoli's Victor Osimhen, but an asking price well over €100million makes that an unrealistic proposition, while Benfica's Goncalo Ramos is also mentioned as a potential alternative.

But Kolo Muani is now supposedly at the top of the list, even though Frankfurt have informed them that they will have to fork out around €100m to pry away the talent after he recently signed an extension – with no release clause – tying him to the club until 2027.

ROUND-UP

– Football Insider is reporting Aston Villa have strong interest in 27-year-old Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who would reportedly cost a club-record £45million.

– According to Foot Mercato, Paris Saint-Germain are big fans of 23-year-old Nice centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo and will make a run at him in the next transfer window.

– Brighton and Hove Albion are confident 18-year-old striker Evan Ferguson will sign a new contract with the club despite interest from Manchester United and Tottenham, per the Daily Mail.

– Sport is reporting Barcelona's 19-year-old left-back Alejandro Balde is close to signing a new four-year contract that will include a £1billion release clause.

– According to Sport Bild, Arsenal and Chelsea are both investigating the price of 24-year-old Wolfsburg right-back Ridle Baku.

Alessandro Bastoni, 23, is a player on the rise at Inter, having made his Italy debut in 2020 and winning the Scudetto in 2021.

But the central defender's future with the Nerazzurri is uncertain amid an inability to come to an agreement with the club on a new contract.

Bastoni's contract expires in 2024 and he has been in talks with Inter on a new deal, but two of European football's giants are reportedly circling.

TOP STORY – BASTONI IN PSG AND CITY'S SIGHTS

Powerhouse clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City will both attempt to sign Alessandro Bastoni from Inter in the off-season, reports Tuttosport.

The report claims Bastoni has been offered an improved deal by Inter but it does not meet his salary expectations, meaning no agreement has been reached.

PSG and City are both known to have endless pockets and could swoop to sign the talented Italian defender.

ROUND-UP

– Karim Benzema has turned down an offer from Saudi Arabia and instead wants to stay with Real Madrid for at least one more season, according to Marca.

– Juventus are weighing up a move for Valencia skipper Jose Gaya, reports Calciomercato. Gaya extended his contract with Los Che until 2027 last October.

– Football Insider claims Tottenham have registered their interest in signing Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech.

– Calciomercato reports Milan are tracking Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun, who has impressed this season on loan with French club Reims.

– Ex-Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch has opted against taking up Leicester City's offer to become their new boss, claims The Telegraph.

Marquinhos is hoping to play another 200 times for Paris Saint-Germain after confirming he is in advanced talks with the Ligue 1 giants over a new contract.

The centre-back played his 400th match for PSG in Saturday's 2-0 win over Nice and is fast closing in on Jean-Marc Pilorget's club record of 435 appearances.

Brazil international Marquinhos is into his 10th season at the Parc des Princes since arriving from Roma, but he has just one year left to run on his existing deal.

Marquinhos has previously stated he wants to extend his stay in the French capital, though, and an agreement between the long-serving player and club may soon be reached.

"We're on the final details," he is quoted as saying by RMC Sport. "Playing my 400th match for Paris was incredible. I didn't imagine this when I arrived at a young age.

"Back then I was just thinking about having fun and playing. We've had good times and difficult times, but as I've said before, I've always had the same passion to give my best.

"Now I hope to play another 100 or 200 games... the most possible!"

Most of Marquinhos' games have been in Ligue 1 (262), followed by the Champions League (81), Coupe de France (31), Coupe de la Ligue (20) and Trophee des Champions (6).

The 28-year-old has captained PSG since February last year and has won 27 trophies, including seven Ligue 1 crowns.

"PSG always shows me a lot of gratitude, the fans too, everyone in the club," Marquinhos added. "I am very very happy in Paris."

Marquinhos played a full part in the win over Nice, which maintained PSG's six-point lead over Lens at the top of Ligue 1 as they aim to keep hold of their title.

The Parisians have collected 69 points after 30 matches – no team in Ligue 1 history has failed to finish top after accumulating as many points at this stage.

It was far from a vintage display against Nice, however, with Gianluigi Donnarumma's seven saves the joint-second most he has made in a game this season.

"We know we can do much better, but in the current context, we must not be too angry, we must take things step by step," Marquinhos said. "We've had some difficult moments. 

"Today, even if it wasn't our best game, we won. It was very important to take these three points, to gain confidence, to regain a good dynamic, to find a good atmosphere.

"It was important to win here tonight. It's a very positive point for us because in the last few games, in the difficult moments, we gave away goals, and that changed the game. 

"I think there are several points to remember, not just the result, but yes, the result is the most important."

Christophe Galtier discussed his hostile return to Nice and hailed Paris Saint-Germain's resolve following their 2-0 victory on Saturday.

Goals from Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos ensured a return to winning ways after back-to-back losses for the Ligue 1 champions.

Defeats against Rennes and Lyon had seen the league leaders slip up in their title pursuit, marking out their trip to Galtier's old club as a must-win.

The former Nice boss was greeted with offensive banners upon his return – one of which targeted his mother to his understandable frustration.

"I went to thank them for this wonderful welcome," he told Canal+, before explaining his gesture towards the supporters.

"Why did I react like this? Did you see? Did you read? Did you hear? My mother, she's 83 years old, recovering from cancer."

On the match, Galtier added: "We obviously had a lot of pressure on our shoulders.

"[With] our underperformance, with the victory for [second-placed] Lens and especially against Nice, coming to win here was important.

"We didn't have our best game of the season, but we had a lot of solidarity and fighting spirit. We have three important points [as a result]."

Victory at Allianz Riviera saw PSG restore a six-point cushion between them and Lens, who they face next weekend in what is set to be a decisive clash in the title race.

Galtier stressed he will need his side to up their game against their rivals for the Ligue 1 crown, adding: "Next week, it will take as much fighting spirit, but we must be better on the ball.

"[We are] six points ahead. It's better to have them than to chase after them. We have an important game on Saturday."