Lionel Messi hits 4, Cristiano Ronaldo passes 300 goals

Lionel Messi hit four goals for leaders Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed a hat-trick for Real Madrid as the two teams warmed up for their midweek King's Cup semi-final clash with crushing La Liga victories on Sunday.

Messi took his league tally in 21 games this season to an incredible 33, and to 202 overall, in Barca's 5-1 win at home to 10-man Osasuna while Ronaldo passed 300 club goals and now has 21 this term as Real thumped Getafe 4-0 at the Bernabeu.



Barca's return to winning ways after last weekend's 3-2 reverse at Real Sociedad, their first defeat of the campaign, put them 11 points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid who lost 3-0 at Athletic Bilbao.



Champions Real, whose hopes of a second straight title are effectively over with 17 matches to go, are four points behind Atletico in third spot. Ronaldo struck three times in 10 minutes, the first his 300th club goal.Mourinho, who turned 50 on Saturday, left several key players out of his starting lineup including Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira while goalkeeper Casillas was missing after breaking a bone in his hand in midweek.

The Portuguese, Cristiano Ronaldo who was substituted with 15 minutes left after a knock to his right ankle, scored five for Sporting Lisbon, 118 for Manchester United and now has 179 for Real thanks to his 20th career treble.



Malaga reclaimed Spain's fourth Champions League qualification berth from Andalusian rivals Real Betis when the Qatar-owned club survived the second-half dismissal of Martin Demichelis to win 3-2 at struggling Real Mallorca.



Malaga have 35 points, eight behind Real, and lead Betis on goal difference. Rayo Vallecano continued to defy their modest status and are a point behind Betis in sixth place after they beat the Seville-based side 3-0.



World Player of the Year Messi became the first player to score on 11 successive La Liga matchdays and, at 25, the youngest to reach 200 league goals.



He has scored more goals on his own than all the other La Liga teams apart from Real and Atletico and is on course to smash the record for the most in a season (50) he set last term.

Barça wants to offload Cuenca

Barcelona will try to make Isaac Cuenca accept a loan move until the end of the season before the end of the winter transfer window. The player, who was operated on the meniscus in his right knee on the 31st of May last year, only received the all clear last Monday, meaning he has been inactive for eight months without playing a minute. Starting from scratch at Barça, his chances will be almost inexistent in the forward role he prefers.



Vilanova already has Messi, Pedro, Villa, Alexis and Tello. Under the system in place this season, Messi is untouchable and Iniesta usually gets the nod to play wide on the left. This leaves just one position to share between the rest. Pedro is usually first choice for it, leaving Villa, Alexis and Tello to share the rest of the minutes available. These arguments have already been explained to the player and it has been suggested that he leave the club in a bid to get some games, before returning to start afresh from the beginning of next season.



However, the player is not convinced and is deciding whether to accept the situation or stay with the incentive of winning some medals, with the team on top of the league, favourites in the Champions and two rounds away from a Spanish Cup Final.

Tito Vilanova: 'I warned Gerard Pique at half time'

Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova has admitted that he told Gerard Pique to "be careful" before the defender was given a red card in their 3-2 defeat to Real Sociedad on Saturday.

The centre-back was dismissed in the second half for two bookable offences and Vilanova declared that he had warned the Spain international at the interval.



"At half time, I told Pique to be careful as his next foul would most likely result in a second caution," Vilanova told reporters after the game.



"Even if his sending off was for a clear foul, there must have been 200 other cases similar to his tonight. I don't have to add more."



The defeat ended a 19 game unbeaten run for Barca.


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Arsenal told to forget Villa

Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has said David Villa 'is ours and we need him' as he warns Arsenal to forget about signing the striker in the January transfer window.

Having already offloaded Marouane Chamakh, Arsenal are expected to strengthen their squad this month, with manager Arsene Wenger said to be keen on the Spain international.



Rosell, however, has said the 31-year-old, who signed for Barcelona in a £31m deal from Valencia in 2010, is strictly off-limits.



Speaking to Catalan radio station RAC, he said: "I completely rule out the transfer of Villa during the winter market.



"He is ours and we need him, there is a lot of the season left."



Other names reportedly on Wenger's hit list include Atletico Madrid frontman Adrian Lopez as well as Argentina midfielder Luca Biglia.



Wenger's men have been left to contend with a busy schedule over the next few weeks, with an FA Cup replay against Swansea as well as a rearranged Boxing Day fixture with West Ham among their regular league matches.



Defender Per Mertesacker feels the Gunners can meet their busy schedule head on.

He said: "We are in a good way but we have to keep our focus on these games [against Manchester City and Chelsea] and the knockout stages of the Champions League. We have to win those games now.



"We are always looking to win something and we can achieve something with this group. We have a lively group so our thoughts are now on the next match, that is the most important thing for us, not what's going to happen in May.



"We have a few targets in our team that are possible this year. We won't talk about it, we'll just see what happens in the next few important weeks on the pitch."

Villa, ready to pack his bags

David Villa’s future looks increasingly likely to be away from the Camp Nou.



The Spanish striker has barely played for Tito Vilanova this season and has already accepted that his time at Barcelona is drawing to an end.



If it were up to him the Spaniard would leave Barcelona during this winter transfer window. However, everything depends on an offer being made for him during January and the club accepting it. The latter is what makes it unlikely that the striker will leave the club right now.



There are a number of clubs interested in signing him. In England, Arsenal and Liverpool have expressed their interest. In Italy, Juventus is also looking at him in its quest to sign a striker in the winter transfer window.



Tito believes that the striker hasn’t regained his pre-injury form. Although fully recovered from his injury, he isn’t the same. Despite this, Vilanova also knows just how important his striker could prove to be in the coming months. The manager isn’t going to risk not having enough fit players should he sell Villa now and lose any of his strikers through injury. His plans would only change if an irresistible offer was received which the player wanted to accept.

Vilanova attends Barca training

Barcelona head coach Tito Vilanova has returned to the Catalan club's training base less than two weeks after undergoing surgery on a tumour in his throat.



The 44-year-old has temporarily stepped aside at the Nou Camp after it was confirmed he required a further operation on cancerous tissue near his parotid gland, having previously had saliva glands removed in November 2011.



Vilanova faces six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, with his assistant Jordi Roura assuming control of the first team, but the Barca boss was well enough to attend a training session on Wednesday.



A statement released on the Primera Division club's official Twitter feed read: "Tito Vilanova came to the Ciudad Deportiva this morning and greeted the players who trained there."



The news that their coach faced a second battle against cancer came on December 22, with Barcelona medical staff suggesting at the time that Vilanova could potentially combine his treatment with his first-team duties, should circumstances allow.



Club president Sandro Rosell revealed last week that he was optimistic Vilanova could return to work "within two or three weeks".



It remains unclear, though, whether Vilanova will be involved in preparing his players for Barca's home game with city rivals Espanyol this Sunday.

Wednesday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Liverpool target Alexis Sanchez will not be leaving Barcelona any time soon, according to his agent.



- Joe Cole is determined to keep his place at Liverpool amid reports he is to leave the club in January.



- Liverpool will unveil a new £18million strike force in January after taking significant steps to securing deals for Daniel Sturridge and Thomas Ince, according to Dailymail.



- Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is ready to hand Brad Jones a new contract - and save a major goalkeeping problem.



- Borussia Dortmund want to take Nuri Sahin back to Germany - but Brendan Rodgers could yet be tempted into keeping him permanently.



- Roberto Mancini has told Sky Sport Italia that Manchester City are no longer interested in signing Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi.



- Everton are ready to take England defender Joleon Lescott back to Goodison Park.



- Juventus are ready to approach Manchester City with a £6.5m offer for Aleksandar Kolarov, according to reports in Italy.



- Mancini also insisted he has no plans to try and sign Inter Milan playmaker Wesley Sneijder next month.



- Manchester United's move for Torino defender Angelo Ogbonna has been put on hold after he sustained a hernia problem that requires surgery.



- Interim Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez has hinted the club need to sign a defensive midfielder in the January transfer window.



- West Bromwich Albion are keeping tabs on Kidderminster Harriers hotshot Jamille Matt, despite the striker only making five appearances all season.



- Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill will move out Fraizer Campbell and Titus Bramble as part of a major overhaul in the window.



- Wigan are hoping to keep James McCarthy for as long as possible, but would not stand in the way of a big move.



- QPR are ready to spend in the January transfer window – and Marseille forward Loic Remy is the man at the top of manager Harry Redknapp’s wish list.



- QPR and Reading are tracking Udinese and Ghana defensive midfielder Emmanuel Badu.



- Barcelona is confident that it can wrap up Xavi's contract renewal in two to three weeks - the talks are progressing well after the most recent meeting between the club's Vice-President, Josep Maria Bartomeu, and the player's agent, Ivan Corretja.



- Iker Casillas will not follow in the footsteps of Sergio Ramos who on Monday said that he wanted to retire while with Real Madrid. The 'Blancos' goalkeeper does not see himself at the club in four to five years. In fact, he sees his future in the US.



- Inter Milan have entered the chase for Manchester United target Robert Lewandowski, according to reports from Italy.



- Mikael Lustig is aware of speculation regarding his future but insists he has no intention of leaving Celtic.



- Borussia Dortmund have offered encouragement to admirers of Robert Lewandowski by hinting they could be prepared to listen to offers for the star striker.



- Schalke have played down speculation that Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who has been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool, will be sold next month.



- Atletico Madrid are ready to make Radamel Falcao the highest paid player in the club's history in a desperate attempt to stop him leaving for Chelsea or Real Madrid.



- Real Betis have admitted for the first time that Benat Etxebarria could join Manchester City - but only if they meet the £17m release clause in his contract.



- Juventus are lining up a £90,000-a-week deal to persuade Theo Walcott to join them in January



- Lionel Messi's dad has said only a 'catastrophe' would ever lead his son away from Barcelona.



- Lille have managed to tie Manchester United and Real Madrid target Lucas Digne down to a new contract, ending chances of a move.



- Fernando Llorente says he would be interested in a move to one of the Premier League's big boys next summer.



- Mikael Lustig is aware of speculation regarding his future but insists he has no intention of leaving Celtic.



- Dynamo Moscow defender Gordon Schildenfeld claims to be mulling over an offer from a Premier League club.

Messi relieved after injury scare

Lionel Messi says the knee injury picked up against Benfica on Wednesday night is not as serious as first feared, and he could be back in action for Sunday night's La Liga game at Real Betis.



Messi was stretchered off following a challenge with Benfica goalkeeper Artur during the 0-0 Champions League draw at the Camp Nou, with tests carried out immediately after the game discovering bruising on the outside of his left knee.



Concerns among Blaugrana fans - and hopes among Real Madrid supporters - that the Argentine might face some weeks on the sidelines were eased on Thursday morning as he worked out in the gym at Barca's Ciutat Esportiva.



He was then also able to attend a post-training commercial event as scheduled, where he told the assembled reporters he had feared a more serious injury as he was leaving the pitch.



"I feel fine, luckily it was only a bang," Messi said. "At the time I thought the worst because of the pain. When they examined me and discarded the idea of a serious injury, I was calmer."



Messi, a substitute in the game, said the collision with Artur had been painful, but he had still tried to complete the move and score.



"I thought it would be the last ball I would touch for a long time," he said. "Despite the pain I tried to play on and hit (the ball)."



Barca fans need not worry should he not make it back in time for Sunday's game at the Estadio Benito Villamarin and miss a first game through injury since sitting out two matches in September 2010 with an ankle knock, Messi said.



"I do not know if I will be there on Sunday, it depends on how it improves," he said. "The team will go on the same with or without me. We have plenty of other players."



Messi dismissed a suggestion that, with Barca already sure to top the group, he had only played to try and score the two goals he needs to pass Gerd Muller's calendar-year record total of 85.



"When we go out on the pitch we always have the risk that something might happen," he said. "Muller's record is not an obsession for me. It would be nice to break it, because the record has been there for many years. If it happens then good, but there is no problem if not."







There was other good fitness news for Barca with Andres Iniesta and Jordi Alba returning to normal training with the group after minor niggles earlier in the week, and Alexis Sanchez, Marc Bartra and Dani Alves all stepping up their recoveries from injuries which have seen them miss recent games.

Barca's players have Friday off, but are back at the Camp Nou on Saturday morning, when Messi's knee will be evaluated and a decision taken on whether he travels with the squad to Sevilla on Sunday.

Messi will sit out next two training sessions

Lionel Messi will sit out Barcelona's next two training sessions after leaving the Nou Camp with his heart in its mouth on Wednesday night against Benfica.

Messi has 84 goals this calendar year - just one behind Gerd Muller's 1972 record of 85 - and Barcelona will need him on Sunday having won only one of their last 10 visits to Betis' Benito Villarmarin stadium.



The Argentine has a bruised bone in his left knee after a collision with goalkeeper Artur and will stay in the gym while his team-mates prepare for Sunday's game against Betis.



Club doctor Richard Pruna will then decide, along with the player and his coach Tito Vilanova, if he can train normally on Saturday and then travel to Seville for Sunday night's match with fourth placed Betis.



The Nou Camp were calling for Messi just before the half time whistle of last night's draw with Benfica and Villanova gave in to their demands early in the second half only for the No 10 to go down holding the back of his knee five minutes from time.



Drama was heightened when the player was carted to the far corner of the ground, because the electronic car carrying his stretcher wouldn't fit down the tunnel, and whisked away for tests.



Messi suffered several long-term injuries at the start of his Barcelona career but has not broken down since March 2008 when he injured a thigh muscle against Celtic keeping him out for six weeks.



His four years under Pep Guardiola were almost injury-free with the then Barcelona coaching bringing in podiatrists and dieticians to help prevent injuries.



One of the doctors used by Guardiola Xavier Gasso was important in linking the player's frequent muscle injuries with his feet and remedying the situation by adusting the sole inserts in his boots.



Last night Barcelona fans feared the old problems had returned but a medical report issued at half-past midnight local time calmed those concerns.



The good news also got coach Vilanova off the hook with critics ready to blame him for bringing Messi on in what was a dead rubber game for Barca.



He said: 'I would not do anything differently. We had spoken before about the possibility of him playing for 30 minutes.





'He is a player who always wants to play, and not because he is about to break a record – something which everybody else is talking about but that he never mentions.

'If we were concerned about the record then I would have played him and all the other first team players from the start.'

Thursday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Santos striker Neymar, who has been linked with the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United and Real Madrid, has been told to snub a move to the Premier League.



Pele was quoted as saying by The Sun: "Neymar would be better in Spain or France."



Barcelona are widely seen as favourites to win the race to sign the £40million-rated forward.



- Didier Drogba has been denied a request to leave Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua on loan ahead of the transfer window.



- Fulham goalkeeper David Stockdale has joined Hull on loan after manager Steve Bruce missed out on signing Shay Given from Aston Villa.



- Aston Villa are locked in a two-way battle with Fiorentina to sign France Under-21 left-back Massadio Haidara.



- Real Madrid rejects Everton offer for Denis Cheryshev.



- Tottenham are increasingly hopeful they can lure Danish wonderkid Christian Eriksen to White Hart Lane in January, according to Dailymail.



- Tottenham have failed in a second bid to sign Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic, according to Mirror.



- Arsenal are still showing interest in Toulouse defender Aymen Abdennour, according to reports in France.



- Arsenal are ready to make a move for Schalke striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in the January transfer window, according to Dailymail.



- Leeds have signed Swansea centre-half Alan Tate on an emergency loan until 1 January.



- Leeds have signed West Brom winger Jerome Thomas on loan until January.



- Nottingham Forest have signed Aston Villa defender Alan Hutton on loan until January.



- Bristol Rovers have signed defender Guy Branston on a one-month loan deal from fellow League Two strugglers Aldershot.



- Sky Sports understands Blackpool have agreed a deal to sign Bournemouth striker Wes Thomas on loan.

Messi double downs Spartak

Lionel Messi moved to within five goals of Gerd Muller's scoring record as Barcelona qualified for the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League with a 3-0 victory over Spartak Moscow.



The Argentinian scored twice to go to 80 goals so far in 2012, just five behind Muller's record number of goals scored in a calendar year from 1972.



Dani Alves gave Barcelona the lead before Messi's double strike with all the goals coming before half-time.



It was tough on Spartak who showed first but Kim Kallstrom fired over before Pedro almost put the Catalan side in front, but his instant shot was superbly parried by goalkeeper Andrei Dykan who showed his quick reactions in the centre of the goal.



Barcelona went ahead in the 16th minute through Alves when he struck a half-volley cleanly past the goalkeeper after the ball was laid off by Messi at the edge of the area.



The visitors then wasted a great chance to equalise when Emmanuel Emenike's cross from the right found Marek Suchy who had got ahead of his marker but he did not even get a shot on target from less than 12 yards, instead ballooning the ball over.



They were left to rue that when shortly after Barca took a two-goal lead.



Andres Iniesta's shot from a narrow angle brought a parry from the goalkeeper but Messi pounced on the rebound and although he half snatched at the shot the ball bounced into the bottom right-hand corner.



Spartak were still creating chances, Emenike firing over although he was at full stretch.



Messi scored his second of the night and Barca's third six minutes before the break when he timed his run perfectly and latched on to Pedro's superbly weighted pass, got ahead of the defence and rounded the keeper before slotting the ball home.



Emenike shot over at the start of the second half but Barca were weaving the ball around. Yevgeni Makeev completely miscontrolled the ball when well-positioned and the game was clearly beyond the hosts who had failed to take any of their chances.





Dykan thwarted Messi and Pedro as the game played itself out without further score as Barca breezed through.

Puyol: Elbow injury was the most painful experience

Barcelona centre-back, Carles Puyol spoke about the devastating dislocated elbow he suffered almost two months ago and despite the serious injury, will not change his style of play.

Puyol described the injury suffered in Barça’s 3-1 Champions League win over Benfica as the most painful experience he`s ever had and is described to be back in action.



“I’m pleased to be back and I’m pleased that we won, I’m happy that I’m getting back into the rhythm of things, the elbow injury was my worst experience as far as injuries go. It was very painful. I didn’t think it would be that bad.



“The only positive thing about an arm injury is that you can start physical training sooner. I just need to gain a bit of mobility and strength.



“You can’t think about what has happened to you in the past, If I stop myself from heading the ball or making tackles, it’s time to leave the sport. I always try to help the team and that was just an unfortunate play.”



The Catalan captain will be back in the starting line-up when the Blaugrana take on Spartak Moscow in Tuesday evening`s Champions League clash in Russia.




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Jeffren's agent confirms Liverpool interest

The agent of winger Jeffren Suarez has confirmed Liverpool's interest in taking him from Sporting Lisbon.

The Reds have long been linked with the former Barcelona wide-man, who moved to Portugal last year.



His time with Sporting has not been hugely successful as he has been beset with a number of injuries and this season he has started just one game.



Now he is back on Liverpool's radar, together with a number of other Premier League clubs.



His agent Jorge Llagostera told Portuguese radio station Antena 1: "Yes. Liverpool and other Premier League clubs are monitoring the kid.



"But, formally, we have still not received an offer to negotiate with Sporting."



Any prospective deal could be hampered by the fact Barca have a buy-back option - but they would need to pay £9.6million to activate that.

Messi delighted by La Liga honour

Lionel Messi said he was proud after his peers voted him La Liga's best player for the fourth successive season.

The 2011-12 Premios LFP winners, voted for by players and coaches at each Spanish club, were announced in Madrid on Tuesday.



Messi was named as best player and best forward, with his Barcelona clubmates Andres Iniesta and Carles Puyol picking up the prizes for best attacking midfielder and fair play. Former Barca boss Josep Guardiola was again named best coach.



Real Madrid were also honoured, with Iker Casillas named best goalkeeper, Sergio Ramos best defender and Xabi Alonso best holding midfielder, while Malaga's Isco, 20, was chosen as the revelation of the season.



Messi, whose 50 goals saw him pip Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo to take the overall best player award, said he was grateful to those who had voted for him.



"I want to thank the coaches who voted for me as best forward and my fellow players who made me the best player," the Argentine said. "It gives me a lot of pride, excitement and joy."



Madrid captain Casillas was named ahead of Barca's Victor Valdes and Real Zaragoza's Roberto in the goalkeeper category.



"I want to thank the coaches who thought of me as the best keeper last season," Casillas said. "I am happy with this recognition and hope to win again next year, which would be a third time for me."



Iniesta saw off Santi Cazorla (now of Arsenal, but then of Malaga) and Mesut Ozil (Real Madrid) to win his third attacking midfielder award.



"This is something very special, because your own work has been recognised and that makes you very happy," he said. "I hope I will have more opportunities to be back here in the coming years, because that would say I am still growing as a player. That is what I am most concerned about."



Benat Etxeberria, of Real Betis, and Barca's Sergio Busquets were runners-up to Alonso in the holding midfielder category. "I am proud to be honoured with this prize in a league as competitive as the Liga BBVA," Alonso said.



"Obviously this is the fruit of the league title won last year by all of [Madrid's] team. I am very happy."



Prizes for last season's Segunda Division were also announced, with 2011-12 champions Deportivo picking up awards for best coach (Jose Luis Oltra), player (Juan Carlos Valeron), goalkeeper (Dani Aranzubia) and attacking midfielder (Andres Guardado, now at Valencia).



Depor's fellow Galicians Celta Vigo were also recognised with awards for best defensive midfielder (Alex Lopez) and forward (Iago Aspas).



Barcelona's Marc Bartra won La Segunda's best defender award for his performances with Barca B last season, while Javi Hervas, who has since joined Sevilla from Cordoba, was named the revelation of the campaign.



The best player and best coach award are chosen by all footballers who played in Spain's first and second tiers last season, while the best in each position are chosen by all coaches using criteria laid down by the LFP's technical committee. Official supporters' associations choose the fair play awards.

Monday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has put Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United on alert after indicating he is ready to return to management, according to the Sunday Mirror.



- Stephan El Shaarawy is set for a new contract at AC Milan amid continued interest from Manchester City in the striker.



- Manchester City are ready to join the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Manchester United in the race to sign Santos striker Neymar, according to The People.



- Shakhtar Donetsk playmaker Willian should only join Arsenal, Chelsea, or Manchester United should he move to the Premier League, according to team-mate Eduardo, who doesn't believe Tottenham are a big enough club for the Brazilian.



- Liverpool are hopeful of signing Schalke striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in January for just £6million, according to the Sunday Mirror.



- Galatasaray want to sign Joe Cole in loan in January - and are willing to pay the majority of his £100,000 a week wages, writes The Sunday People.



- Emmanuel Adebayor is wanted by Atletico Madrid as he looks for a way out of Tottenham – just 10 weeks after sealing a move to White Hart Lane, writes The Sunday People.



- Ajax midfielder Christian Eriksen, who continues to be linked with a move to Liverpool, insists he was right to snub a move to Premier League champions Manchester City, telling the Daily Mirror: "I remember my agent calling me to tell me that they had come in for me, but I told him straight away that I did not see any point in ­moving to ­Manchester City – and I still don’t. At the end of my career, we will see if I took the right decision."



- Zenit St Petersburg are ready to enter the race for Liverpool target Fernando Amorebieta.



- Schalke midfielder Lewis Holtby has brushed aside speculation linking him with a move to Arsenal.



- Marouane Chamakh says he is facing a make-or-break season at Arsenal - and has hinted at a return to former club Bordeaux.



- Schalke midfielder Jermaine Jones is ready to make a return to England if he is not given a new deal at the German club.



- Juventus are hoping to persuade Mehdi Benatia to turn down both Chelsea and Barcelona to stay in Italy, according to talkSPORT.



- Aston Villa are already looking at replacements for Darren Bent – and are ready to chase Saint-Etienne striker Pierre Aubameyang, writes The Sunday People.



- Bradford have signed Sunderland defender John Egan on loan until the new year, subject to Football League clearance.



- Roma's sporting director Franco Baldini admits the club will always listen to offers for Daniele De Rossi - but that does not mean they will sell.



- Santos have confirmed their interest in signing Paris Saint Germain midfielder Nene.



- Sky Sports understands Hull City have agreed a deal to re-sign Manchester United starlet Robbie Brady on loan

Friday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Barcelona are set to offer Lionel Messi a two-year contract extension, according to Barcelona-based radio station RAC 1.



- Santos striker Neymar, who is understood to be a target for the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Manchester United, has insisted that he has not agreed to move to Europe until 2014.



- Partizan Belgrade insist Lazar Markovic, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea, will not be sold in January.



- Liverpool teenager Suso has signed a new long-term deal after establishing himself in the first-team squad this season.



- Everton have confirmed the signing of German midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger on a short-term deal until January.



- Birmingham goalkeeper Jack Butland, who has been linked with the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool, could be sold in January, according to the Daily Mirror.



- Andre Ayew, who has been linked with a number of clubs including Arsenal and Chelsea, has told the official Ligue 1 website that he is unaware of any plans for Marseille to sell him in January.



- Anderlecht general manager Herman Van Holsbeeck has admitted that midfielder Lucas Biglia, who has been linked with a move to Arsenal, could be on the move in January.



- Liverpool are showing interest in PSV Eindhoven striker Jurgen Locadia, according to the Daily Mail.



- Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger insists he will not be looking to enlist the services of an emergency loan goalkeeper after he was plunged into a goalkeeper injury crisis earlier this week.



- Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has dismissed the latest suggestions that Yaya Toure is looking to leave the Etihad Stadium.



- Manchester City have seen an offer rejected for Portuguese starlet Bruma, according to talkSPORT.



- Tottenham look set to beat Juventus to the signature of Russia star Alan Dzagoev, according to sources in Russia.



- PSG are ready to rival Manchester United and Real Madrid for the signature of Porto star James Rodriguez.



- Montenegro star Stevan Jovetic insists he is happy at Fiorentina after hinting that he spurned interest from Manchester City and Juventus in the summer.



- Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill has revealed that James McFadden is about to sign a short-term deal with the club.



- The agent of Fulham starlet Alex Kacaniklic claims there are a number of clubs interested in his client - but says the young Swede is committed to life at Craven Cottage.



- Newcastle boss Alan Pardew says he has a list of seven central defenders he will be looking to choose from when the January transfer window opens.



- The agent of Alex Kacaniklic claims his client remains fully committed to Fulham as reports link him with a move to Italy.



- Manchester United and Chelsea are both tracking promising Italian defender Mario Sampirisi, according to reports in Italy.



- Jose Mourinho believes Nuri Sahin's loan spell at Liverpool will help Real Madrid get a larger transfer fee when the Spanish club go on to sell him.



- Christian Eriksen's agent says his client will remain at Ajax despite more interest in the talented playmaker.



- Radamel Falcao is a player who could make a difference to Manchester City and may be their top target in January, according to the club's chief scout.



- Bayern Munich chairman Uli Hoeness believes Holland international winger Arjen Robben will end his playing days at the Allianz Arena.

Tello left out of Barca squad

Cristian Tello has not been given a first-team squad number by Barcelona just weeks before the Liga season starts.

The former Espanyol forward featured heavily toward the end of the last campaign for Barca, making 22 appearances for the club in all competitions between January and the end of the 2011/12 season in May.



Despite this increased involvement, the youngster is yet to be assigned a first-team squad number for the new season, and does not appear on the first-team squad profile on the club's official website.



Jordi Alba, the club's only new arrival of the off-season to date, has been given the No.18 shirt, the same jersey he wore while representing Spain at Euro 2012.



Both Alba and Tello were part of Luis Milla's Spanish Olympic squad which crashed out of the football competition at the London Games in the group stages last week following a surprise defeat to Honduras.



Barca's first Liga match is against Real Sociedad on August 19.

Afellay staying at Barça

Ibrahim Afellay's agent says that the Dutch midfielder will not be leaving Barcelona this summer.

A knee injury and excellent form of others meant the 26-year-old has struggled to break in to the first team at Camp Nou.



Afellay has made just eight league starts since signing from PSV for £2m in December 2010, leading to the player being linked with Arsenal and Inter Milan.



"People should not take all these rumours about an imminent transfer too serious," agent Rob Jansen told Voetbal International. "Leaving Barcelona is not an option at this point. Ibrahim is feeling very well at Barça and is getting playing time.



"It's true that there's plenty of interest, but that's always been the case. There's absolutely no reason for him to leave the club.



"Can we completely rule out a summer exit? You never know in football, but it's highly unlikely that he will leave Barcelona."

Ancelotti admires Barcelona character

Carlo Ancelotti believes Paris Saint-Germain's pre-season friendly against Barcelona on Saturday will be an important test for his players.

The Parisian outfit take on Tito Vilanova's side at the Parc des Princes ahead of the new Ligue 1 season, and the 53-year-old wants his side to take note of their opponents' ambition to win matches.



"This match against one of the best teams in the world will be a good test for us," Ancelotti said.



"What we like about Barcelona is their mentality. We will try to make our own journey in time with the qualities we possess."



When asked about the club's new striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Italian said: "Ibrahimovic is one of the best strikers in the world, and he will be an asset to the team.



"French football is not very different to Italian football. Ibrahimovic will not have a problem adapting."



Javier Pastore, who was present alongside Ancelotti at the press conference, was equally complimentary about his side's next opponents.



"We always want to play beautiful teams like Barca. I'm very happy to go up against them. It's the first time in three years that I've had a full pre-season - that must have had an effect on my debut season," he said.



Meanwhile, defender Mamadou Sakho told the club's official website that he too is enthused by the prospect of facing Barca at the Parc des Princes.



"This is the type of game that everyone dreams about. We're at home, hosting Barca, the best team in the world," he said.



"What more can you say? To play against those players, those artists who are the best of the best ... it will be a great chance for us to measure ourselves as a team.



"On a personal level, to play against those forwards can only make you a better player."

Pornstar makes music video to help former Barcelona President Joan Laporta get re-elected

During Joan Laporta's seven-year reign as President of Barcelona, he brought in Ronaldinho, Deco, Samuel Eto'o, and appointed Pep Guardiola as first team manager. Despite these successes, the Spanish politician was ousted in a storm of controversy by former cohort Sandro Rossell in 2010, and has since become a member of Catalan parliament.



Laporta is now said to be seeking re-election at Barcelona, and he's clearly taking the campaign seriously. So seriously, in fact, that he's been supported with a music video from Spanish pornstar Maria Lapiedra. That's the same Maria Lapiedra who earned him ridicule by backing his parliamentary campaign.



It's also the same Maria Lapiedra with whom Laporta is romantically involved, and who reportedly enjoyed a recent 'pre-wedding honeymoon' with the divorced father of three.



If you're impressed by the classy production values (sweet choreography, practise field and old Barcelona shirts guys!) then wait until you see some of the lyrics to 'Laporta, mi hombre' ('Laporta, my man'). Here's some excerpts:

The man who brought glory and honor and victory, prestige and value.

The man who punched the Whites with that 6-2 win.

The man who moved my bed, with Catalan fury, manhood and love.

Well, two of those three sentences will probably help his re-election.



There are plenty of extraordinarily inappropriate clips of Maria on YouTube, but I'll close this bizarre post with one that's just plain creepy: her Marilyn Monroe-styl birthday ode to Senor Laporta...