Eden Hazard has been urged by Chelsea team-mate Cesc Fabregas to shun interest from Real Madrid and become “a club legend” at Stamford Bridge. Transfer talk around the Belgium international is nothing new, with his future having been called into question for some time. Speculation has, however, built steadily again over recent weeks, with the 27-year-old doing little to curb the rumours as he continues to leave the door open for a summer exit. Fabregas hopes a long-running saga will eventually be brought to a close which proves beneficial to Chelsea, with a man to have been billed as a potential Ballon d’Or winner of the future still having plenty to achieve in west London. The Spanish midfielder told The Telegraph: “Eden Hazard has the qualities to be the best, especially now Cristiano [Ronaldo] and Leo [Messi] are getting older. “He can also be a club legend for Chelsea if he stays. “All I say to him is it’s up to him how far he wants to get because he has all the attributes and he is still at the age where he can be the best with the likes of Neymar and maybe [Kylian] Mbappe. “Talent-wise he is up there, I have no doubt about it. He’s strong, he’s quick, he can dribble. “But I think Eden can score more goals than what he thinks he can. I believe in him more than he does!” Hazard is currently away on international duty with Belgium at Russia 2018, with it possible that more eye-catching displays in a global shop window will draw further interest from afar. Fabregas, though, believes that a future call rests solely with the player himself, with it up to him to decide what he wants to do next. He added: “The World Cup won’t decide Eden’s future, I don’t think. “Scouts follow you everywhere and he has done more than enough for clubs to see his talent, but I really hope he can stay at Chelsea for many years and become one of the biggest legends in the club’s history. “He has all the attributes and the only piece missing is the Champions League. “If he won that with Chelsea, then he would have everything at club level. “If he stays, I’m sure he will be, if not the best, one of the best players Chelsea has ever had and will ever have.”

Roma have yet to receive an offer for in-demand goalkeeper Alisson, claims Monchi, despite the Brazil international being heavily linked with Liverpool and Real Madrid. It appeared as though a switch to Spain was on the cards at one stage, with James Pallotta suggesting that a €78 million (£69m/$91m) deal was close. The Roma president has since claimed that he was joking and that those in the Italian capital have no intention of parting with a prized asset. That remains the stance when it comes to a man currently away on World Cup duty, with Monchi adamant that no rumoured interest has been formalised. Roma’s sporting director told reporters at the club’s unveiling of new signing Javier Pastore: “As of now we’ve had no offers for Alisson. “All I think about is waiting for the World Cup to finish, but hopefully for Brazil that’s as late as possible, then he can rest, come here, and train with his team-mates. “I want to make it clear: as of now no offer has arrived. If you asked me about [Patrick] Schick I’d say the same thing, I’ve read so much but no offer has come in. “That’s the reality, and I have to work with reality.” Alisson is not the only Roma player to have sparked plenty of transfer talk, with Lorenzo Pellegrini another to have been linked with leading sides across Europe. Arsenal, Manchester United and Juventus are among those said to be keen on the highly-rated midfielder, but Monchi insists he is another who is going nowhere. He added: “I met Giampiero Pocetta [Pellegrini's agent] last week, and we did not talk about his goodbye. We are calm.”

Vinicius Junior is setting lofty targets as he prepares to link up with Real Madrid, with the Brazilian teenager hoping to emulate Ronaldo and Ronaldinho in Spanish football. Widely considered to be one of the most exciting talents in world football, the Goal NxGn star is preparing to open a new chapter in a career full of promise. Madrid have invested €45 million worth of faith in the 17-year-old’s potential and are preparing to welcome him onto their books this summer. The youngster had been allowed to remain at Flamengo after a big-money deal was struck, but he is now preparing to bid farewell to his homeland and go chasing the dream like illustrious countrymen before him. During an emotional press conference to confirm his departure from Brazil, Vinicius Junior told reporters on his next step: “I am saying goodbye to the club that did everything for me to fulfil my dream of playing for Real Madrid.  “I am dreaming of doing the same as Ronaldo and Ronaldinho in Spain. “The biggest challenge will be tactical but I can improve and turn into a great player.  “I am prepared for new challenges and this is the biggest [challenge] of my life. I want to adapt quickly to be happy at Real Madrid.” Vinicius Junior finds himself on the move after netting six times in 15 appearances for Flamengo in his final campaign. He will be looking for the goals and assists to flow in Spain, as they did for Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. The former netted 47 times during a one-season stay at Barcelona before going on to find the target 104 times for Real Madrid. Ronaldinho, meanwhile, scored 94 times during a memorable five-season stint at Camp Nou, with that period also seeing him win the World Player of the Year award on two occasions.

Former Real Madrid star Kaka feels that if Neymar wants to join the Spanish giants he "must do it", while sympathising with Brazil's talisman amid the pressure he is under at the World Cup. Speculation over a possible move to Madrid has been rife since Neymar reportedly met Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi to express his unhappiness in the French capital after just one season with the Ligue 1 champions. Kaka, who played for Madrid between 2009 and 2013, suggested a move from Parc des Princes a year after arriving from Barcelona in a world-record €222 million (£196m/$259m) move might arouse suspicion over Neymar's motives for moving to France. "It's such a personal thing," Kaka told Gazzetta dello Sport when asked whether he would advise the 26-year-old to join Madrid. "If he does it now, maybe people will say he went to PSG just to build a bridge to Real. "But if that's what he wants, he must do it and must be ready to handle the situation. "On the other hand there is always so much pressure around him. In Brazil it is crazy. We talk about his performance, his class, but also his hair, the suitcases he carries. "He's a great player and also a celebrity, it's not easy to manage all of this." Neymar has moved third in Brazil's list of all-time leading goalscorers after scoring his first Russia 2018 goal late on in a 2-0 defeat of Costa Rica. The PSG star hit 19 Ligue 1 goals in 20 appearances before suffering an injury in February, but Kaka says it is too soon to compare Neymar to previous Brazil greats such as Pele or Ronaldo. "Neymar is 26, coming to the age of maturity for a player," said Kaka. "He is one of the candidates for the Ballon d'Or in future years because he is growing, while [Lionel] Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for age issues will have to start to face the declining phase. "For Neymar we must suspend the judgment. He is a talent but his real greatness will be measured later."

Real Madrid midfielder Marco Asensio plans to sort out his club future after Spain's World Cup campaign, amid reported interest from Liverpool. Asensio started the 2017-18 season strongly, scoring in both legs of the Supercopa de Espana triumph over Barcelona, but struggled to retain a place in Zinedine Zidane's star-studded side. The 22-year-old signed a six-year contract, which reportedly includes a €700 million (£616m/$816m) buyout clause, at the Santiago Bernabeu last September, but has been linked with a close-season switch to Anfield. Asensio came off the bench in Spain's World Cup win over Iran and the 2-2 draw against Morocco on Monday - a result that sent them through to the last 16 as Group B winners - and says the national team is his sole focus for the time being. Asked about Liverpool's interest, Asensio said: "That's something in the news but I'm very focused in the World Cup. "When it ends, we can talk about that kind of thing. I'm very focused here in Russia, on the national team and performing well here." David de Gea has come under intense scrutiny after an error gave Cristiano Ronaldo his second goal in their opening draw, and has gone on to concede five goals from six shots on targets. However, Asensio is confident the Manchester United goalkeeper will prove why he is widely considered to be one of the best in his position. "I see him calm. He couldn't do much more on the goals [against Morocco]," he said. "The national team keeper is a very demanding role, but he is more than prepared. "He is willing and he is calm and I'm sure we'll see the sort of performances he has previously shown for the remainder of this World Cup." Spain's campaign was thrown into turmoil when they sacked Julen Lopetegui just two days before their opening match, the coach having agreed to join Madrid less than 24 hours beforehand. Fernando Hierro was installed as his replacement for the competition, and Asensio thinks the adversity has brought greater cohesion to the squad. "We went through a weird situation that nobody expected and that could have affected us a bit. But we talked it through, we had to remain united, a World Cup is only every four years and is very important for us," added Asensio. "Every game is a new challenge, it is very difficult to beat any team and that is what we are seeing."