New York City FC confirmed they pursued Xavi last summer and intend to make another offer again this year.

Xavi said in December he was close to leaving Barcelona for NYCFC before deciding to stay.

David Villa, a former teammate of Xavi on Barcelona and Spain, is NYCFC's biggest star. Frank Lampard is due to join the club in the summer.

"We are very interested in 'franchise' players, like Xavi," said sporting director Claudio Reyna. "The door is not closed. We will see. For sure we will need to bring in a third 'franchise' player in the summer."

Xavi has started 14 of Barca's 30 games in all competitions, but has played in just four of the club's 13 fixtures since a poor display at Real Sociedad in January.

Kevin De Bruyne has told Sport Bild that José Mourinho never offered any explanation for his lack of playing time at Chelsea and said: "Maybe it would have all gone differently if Chelsea had paid €45 million for me instead of €8 million."

De Bruyne left Chelsea for Wolfsburg in January 2014 and has gone on to establish himself as a leading star in the Bundesliga, scoring eight goals and providing 12 assists this season.

De Bruyne joined Chelsea from Genk in 2012 but, despite impressing during a loan spell with Werder Bremen in the 2012-13, he was given little opportunity to impress.

Mourinho had suggested during De Bruyne's time at the club that he was unimpressed with his application in training.

"I trained well," De Bruyne told Sport Bild. "Jose Mourinho never explained why I was rarely allowed to play. Maybe it would have all gone differently if Chelsea had paid €45 million for me instead of €8 million to Genk back in 2012. I would have had a different standing, and got more chances."

He added: "In the end, I have to say that, at that time, Chelsea were not good for me. The club is a different world. I was only 22 years old. But I am not mad at anyone."

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud has told L'Equipe he does not suffer from "an inferiority complex" in comparison to other Premier League strikers such as Sergio Agüero and Diego Costa.

Giroud's goals have come from just 10 starts, meaning his goals-per-minute ratio is better than Chelsea's Costa and does not lag far beyond Manchester City's Agüero.

"I don't have an inferiority complex. I don't have their name, but -- in terms of stats -- I am just behind Costa and Aguero," said Giroud.

"When people are talking about a player to come and take your place, you take it personally because it's your position. I hear people say, 'They have Giroud and Welbeck but they need a world-class striker.' Meaning, us, we're not world-class forwards.

"It spurs you on. Recently, there was a buzz around [Porto striker] Jackson Martinez. The coach has said good things about him, the player has said he would like to come. I learned that before the Middlesbrough game [a 2-0 win]. It gave me added motivation. I was very happy to score those two goals."

Giroud acknowledges the arrivals of Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sánchez have helped him.

"I'm less isolated. Before, I was the center-forward and it was up to me to score. Now, the attention is no longer focused on a single player," he added.

"There's more pace, more penetration. We're less predictable and there is more diversity. Danny likes to cut inside. Alexis can make the difference with the ball at his feet. He brings zest and a personality that we didn't have. He's a Duracell battery. He never stops. His hunger is infectious."

Ariedo Braida, Barcelona's new international sporting director, was in attendance to scout Juventus' match against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

Barça reportedly has interest in Paul Pogba and Marco Reus.

Barça are studying the possibility of registering footballers in the summer and playing them when the sanction ends in January 2016.

The process is also further complicated by elections at Camp Nou this summer.

Raheem Sterling has indicated that his is close to signing a new contract with the Merseyside club.

The process of getting the 20-year-old to sign a new long-term deal with Brendan Rodgers' side has been drawn-out.

It is believed a breakthrough in negotations has happened.

"We're working on it and hopefully it will be sorted soon," Sterling said.

The deal will likely be worth approximately £100,000 per week.

Lionel Messi has never requested his close friend, Sergio Agüero, join him on a transfer to Barcelona.

Regular speculation has suggested they could end up playing together at club level, at Barça or even at City.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu told Radiogaceta that talk of Messi making such demands was untrue.

When asked: "How many times has Messi asked for the signing of 'El Kun'[Aguero]," Bartomeu laughed and replied: "No, he has never asked us. Aguero is a great player -- he has a contract with City, and we have a lot of respect for players with a contract. Messi does not ask for signings.

"It is not true that Messi asked for the head of the coach. Luis Enrique has one more year on his contract, and will be Barça coach next season."

Eric Abidal believes former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi could be interested in a move to Paris Saint-Germain if he wants "a different challenge."

Abidal and Messi were teammates for six seasons at Barcelona.

The pair have remained close since Abidal's departure from the Camp Nou in 2013.

"Having won everything with Barcelona, perhaps he would like a different challenge, being able to win trophies with another club, that remains a possibility," Abidal, who announced his retirement in December, said.

"It's true that PSG have, for a while now, been able to put a good squad together, a good team with an attitude, a desire, a determination and objectives to be achieved. It's perhaps a club that he would like."

Radamel Falcao could return to Monaco as they await a decision from Manchester United.

Falcao is on a season-long loan from Monaco and United has a reported €55 million option to make the move permanent.

Falcao has started just 11 matches in the Premier League.

Monaco vice president Vadim Vasilyev told Canal Plus: "Never say never -- we're awaiting a decision from Manchester on Falcao.

"He wanted to leave, he wanted a challenge. With Manchester he had a challenge, because Manchester United are a bigger club than us.

"I'm not worried about Falcao. He's a great striker with great qualities and mentality. We're waiting for a decision from Manchester United. We're not going to start talks.

"The only thing I can promise is that the team will be competitive and will challenge for a top-three finish next year."

Thorgan Hazard has signed for Borussia Monchengladbach from Chelsea on a permanent deal.

Hazard is the younger brother of Eden Hazard.

Hazard joined Chelsea in 2012, but he's since been loaned out to Zulte Waregem and Gladbach.

"Thorgan has already hinted what a huge talent he is in the last few months," sporting director Max Eberl told the club's official website.

"We are delighted that we achieved signing him on a permanent transfer and that he has opted to play for Borussia in the next few years."

Chelsea has a buy-back option on Hazard.

Manchester City won just one match in its five matches while Yaya Toure was playing for Ivory Coast in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Agent Dimitri Seluk has said that the midfielder would like to retire at City and that the club’s owner Sheikh Mansour would never sell his prized midfielder.

"Sheikh Mansour wouldn’t sell Yaya – not even for £250 million ($385 million)," said Seluk.

"He is their most important player – as their results when he was at the African Cup of Nations proved.

"The only game they won was at Stoke – and before that their last win in the Premier League without Yaya was in April last year."

Seluk added: “City have some great players. But Aguero scores goals because of Yaya and Silva plays well when he has Yaya. He organizes the entire team and gives them control of games.

"Even if Pellegrini wanted to sell Yaya, the Sheikh and Khaldoon (Al Mubarak, City’s chairman) would not allow it.

"Barcelona have Messi and Madrid have Ronaldo. Manchester City have Yaya Toure.”