Morata: "I'm staying at Madrid - I only want to play here”

Striker Álvaro Morata has stressed his desire to remain at Real Madrid: "The club want me to stay, and so does Carlo Ancelotti."

Real Madrid striker Álvaro Morata faced the media on Thursday lunchtime. The Spain Under-21 player, linked with a move to Sevilla on Wednesday, spoke of his determination to stay with ‘Los Blancos’ and stake his claim for a first-team spot. He also remained unconcerned over speculation that Paris Saint-Germain forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic could arrive at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Carlo Ancelotti: “He has told us to look after the ball, play quick football and create our own playing style.”

Future: “I’m training well and I want to stay at Madrid. The club and the coach want me to stay too."

Offers: “I don’t have to reject offers because I haven’t received any. I only want to play here.”

Playing time: “It’s important to score goals and get minutes on the pitch. And the more playing time I get, the more chances to score I’ll have.”

Possible departure of Gonzalo Higuaín: “It’s in the club’s hands, but ‘El Pipa’ seems as up for it as ever. Jesé and I will fight hard to play.”

Cristiano Ronaldo: “I can’t imagine him at another club. He’s the best player in the world and he has to be at the best club in the world. I’m an admirer of his.”

World Cup chances: “First I have to play [at Real Madrid], and if I do well, then why not?”

Ancelotti and former Madrid coach José Mourinho: “It wouldn’t be right for me to make comparisons. I have great memories of the previous coach.”

Potential signing of Zlatan Ibrahimovic: “I’ll fight for my place with whoever comes to the club. This club is always going to bring in the best players.”

Spanish summer signings: “The club is showing its faith in Spanish players. Together with the ones already here, the club is building a great squad.”

...But Arsenal could use first-option clause

Arsène Wenger has confirmed Arsenal have a first-option clause to buy Cesc back - but believes he will stay at Barça for another year at least.

Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger has acknowledged that the ‘Gunners’ are keeping a close eye on Cesc Fàbregas' potential exit from Barcelona.

On Monday, the Spain international was the subject of a bid from Premier League champions Manchester United. However, the Arsenal boss has revealed that the London club have first refusal to buy him back from Barça: "We have the [first-option] clause in the contract so we will be on alert." 

Nevertheless, Wenger believes he will stay at Barça for another year at least. "At the moment, Fàbregas has decided to stay one more year at Barcelona," he said. "Unless he has changed his mind, I don't know ... but that's what I've been told."

Álvaro Morata turns down move from Real Madrid to Sevilla

The Andalusian club offered 10 million euros for the player, who chose not to leave the Spanish capital.

Sevilla made an offer to Real Madrid for Álvaro Morata, but the player has turned down the move to the Andalusian club, who are seeking a number 9 to replace Negredo, who they have sold to Manchester City. The offer was around 10 million euros, and Madrid would have had a repurchase option. The player, however, decided to stay put and try to convince Ancelotti that he is worth a place in his team.

The deal would have seen the player, who has come up through the ranks at Madrid, sign for five seasons. The repurchase option was to allow Madrid to buy the player back in the first two seasons after the deal, for 11.5 million in the first and 13 in the second.

Sevilla’s first choice of striker is Kevin Gameiro, currently with PSG. The French club, aware that Sevilla have recently banked cash, have put a high price tag on him. Hence Sevilla’s desire to pick up the young Real Madrid player. Real were happy with the transfer and keen for the Morata to pick up experience, with the option to repurchase him should they so desire. The player, however, wants to triumph in the Bernabéu.

Cristian Tello to extend contract at Barcelona

Tito Vilanoca has requested the move. The Catalan player will see his buy-out clause increased.

Cristian Tello is about to have the terms of his contract with Barcelona improved. After many months of talks, the player’s agent, Josep María Orobitg, headed to the offices of Andoni Zubizarreta to finalise the few outstanding details before the deal could be made public. The footballer, who really began to make his mark two seasons ago, has performed sufficiently well to win himself a first team squad number, an improvement to his wages and an increase in his buy-out clause.

Zubizarreta announced a contract extension for Busquets (to 2018) yesterday and with Tello’s new deal it is clear that the club want to avoid a repetition of the Thiago Alcántara situation, who left for Bayern. Tello has rejected interest from several teams in the English Premier (Tottenham, Fulham and Fulham) to focus on his career in the Camp Nou.

The competition for Tello will be intense this season. Many feel that the arrival of Neymar will make things difficult for him, though the player knew how to win the confidence of Pep and Vilanova, who recommended that Pep took his change of pace into account.

Messi calm over tax probe: "We trust our advisers"

The Barcelona forward also expressed his optimism over Neymar's arrival: "He seems like a good guy and he won't have problems adapting".

Lionel Messi gave a press conference on Wednesday following Barcelona’s morning training session. The Argentina international discussed his recent tax issues, his injury last season and the arrival of Neymar. He also touched on the departures of Thiago Alcántara and David Villa, but refused to be drawn on the conflict between coach Tito Vilanova and Pep Guardiola. On Real Madrid, Messi warned: “They’re stronger every year.”

Return to work: “As always, I’m raring to go. I’m eager to do well and achieve every objective.”

Injuries: “The risk is always there in football, it can happen to all players. [But] I’m going to carry on as always and I’m out to play in every game. The injury [last season] was small, but there were complications due to things that came about. I decided to play when perhaps I hadn’t completely recovered. But that’s in the past now.”

Tax problems: “I’m calm. My father and I have our advisers. They manage these things and we trust them. I hope they sort it out. I don’t have a clue about any of that and that’s why we have lawyers.”

Working with Neymar: “He’s a great player. I don’t think he’ll have problems adapting. I don’t know where it has come from that Neymar and I aren’t going to get on. He seems like a good guy and he won’t have any problems because there are good people in the dressing room. He’s very strong in one-on-one situations.”

Rivals: “Bayern Munich have a great team. They won the Champions League in style [last season] and the arrival of Guardiola will only make them stronger. Real Madrid are very strong; they’re stronger every year. It’ll be a difficult league season, fighting against Madrid and any other team who also mounts a challenge at the top of the table.”

Thiago Alcántara’s move to Bayern: “It’s a personal decision. He decided to leave because he thinks he’ll play more. That’s his decision.”

Conflict between Tito and Pep: “That’s between the two of them. It isn’t my place to get involved. They have already spoken and it isn’t for me to discuss the issue.”

David Villa’s departure for Atlético Madrid: “Atlético lost a striker in Falcao, and ‘El Guaje’ will be a really good replacement. He scores a lot of goals and he’ll continue doing that at Atlético.”

Neymar will wear the number 11 for Barcelona

The Brazilian takes Thiago Alcántara’s number. The club made the announcement over the club shop megaphone.

One of the doubts of the summer at Barcelona has been resolved: Neymar will wear the number 11 during his adventure at the Camp Nou. The journalists who attended his presentation on 3 June tried their best to find out, to no avail, in part because the club were yet to sell any players in the summer transfer market. However this afternoon, and via the megaphones in the club shop, all was revealed. Thiago Alcántara’s departure for Bayern has given Neymar the chance to grab the number he had at Santos: 11.

Tito: "Pep didn’t visit me for two months in New York"

Vilanova responded to Pep’s comments last week during this morning’s Barcelona press conference.

Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova, along with Sporting Director Andoni Zubizarreta, took the first press conference of the pre-season this morning, with questions focusing on Pep Guardiola’s comments last week, and moves in the transfer market.

Guardiola’s comments: “People aren’t interested in personal matters, but Pep got it wrong and I’m surprised by his comments. No-one on the board used my illness to attack him. The club tried to help me as much as possible. He visited me once in New York when I’d just arrived, but during my recovery from the operation I was there for two months and I didn’t see him. He’s my friend and I needed him, but he wasn’t there for me. I would have done things differently. I won’t say anything else about this”.

The problem started when Tito was made coach? “I talked to him and told him what I intended to do. It was him who encouraged me to become Barça coach. I’ve known him for 28 years. He’s my friend. I’ve won titles with him and we had amazing times together”.

Would you vote for Guardiola as club president:“When he makes a run for the job I’ll decide, but as far as I know he’s not stood for president yet”.

Game against Bayern on 24 July: “There’s been a lot of chat about it, but it’s only a pre-season game. They’ve had more time to prepare, with their whole team. We’re missing 10 or 11. We’ll do the best we can”.

Signing of Rubi: “Everyone is thrilled to arrive here. We wanted to sign Rubi last year.He’ll work with Jordi Roura analysing opposing teams. That’ll help me with the Barça team”.

Thiago Silva: “I’d like to sign him, but he’s not the only person we are looking at for that position”.

Bartra: “He needs to earn himself a place in the spotlight. It’s the players themselves who win their time on the pitch”.

Jonathan dos Santos and Afellay: “We want to loan them out”.

Neymar: “I’m very happy about his arrival. There won’t be a problem having him and Messi. They play in complementary positions. Leo is the best in the world, while Neymar is an amazing promise for the future. If the opposition are tracking one, it will leave the other free. If Neymar had gone somewhere else people would be talking about an amazing signing, but here people just talk about whether he will play well with Messi or not”.

You haven’t used the younger Barça players much... “Sometimes I’ve played a full XI of them. But remember, they are competing with the best in history. I brought three at once into the first team squad. The club’s model is to use players from here. Sergi Roberta had Thiago in front of him. He’s not going to do the same and he’s going to give us a lot. I have a lot of faith in him”.

Cesc: “It’s good for your players to receive offers. I spoke to him and he told me he wanted to stay here and that he didn’t want to go to another club, even though here he’s competing with Xavi and Sergi Roberto. I’m happy about that”.

Thiago: “The thing I don’t like is that he’s gone, not that Guardiola signed him. I wish him well. I wanted him to stay here, but he knew he was competing for a place against Xavi, Cesc and Iniesta and only two can play. When he was fit he played 50% of the available minutes. But for the bigger games I favoured the other three”.

First year in charge: “We won the league with 100 points and we’re going for 101. We want to improve on being Copa and Champions League semi-finalists. My children are proud that their Dad coaches Barcelona and I always love being in the dug-out”.