Following Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Inter Milan in a friendly clash in Doha, Qatar, Paris Saint-Germain’s 2015 is officially over.

The French champions have enjoyed an excellent year after a strong finish to the 2014-15 season and Laurent Blanc’s men head into 2016 as runaway Ligue 1 leaders after a fast start to their 2015-16 campaign opened up a 19-point lead at the summit with a record midway total of 51 points.

PSG swept all before them in 2015, winning the Ligue 1 title, the Coupe de la Ligue, the Coupe de France and the Trophee des Champions, as well as making a third consecutive appearance in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

Judging by their excellent first half to the 2015-16 term, Les Parisiens appear keen to replicate last term’s domestic dominance and go at least one step further in Europe and reach the semi-finals or better.

Here is a ranking of PSG’s top five players in 2015.

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s contract with Paris Saint-Germain is set to expire at the end of the season, prompting plenty of rumours about a possible transfer.

AC Milan, Inter Milan and Chelsea have all been linked with potential moves for the Swede.

Continue for updates.

Ibrahimovic Comments on PSG Future

Thursday, Dec. 31

Speaking to Goal Italia (h/t Football Italia) after PSG faced Inter in a friendly, Ibrahimovic was advised he was missed by those in Milan.

“Yes, but by which team?” was the forward’s response, having featured for both the Rossoneri and the Nerazzurri during his distinguished career.

Ibrahimovic also hinted, despite being able to sign for a team on a pre-contract in 2016, he may not be leaving PSG after all. “I have a good rapport with PSG,” he told L’Equipe (h/t Football Italia). “I have no intention of leaving the club and there are no current negotiations on the table.”

Chelsea have also been linked with a potential move for the 34-year-old in the past, with Spanish outlet Don Balon (via Luke Gardener in the Daily Star) claiming in December the English champions will offer Ibrahimovic a contract that’d see him pick up a whopping £215,000-a-week salary.

Although he’d be an expensive acquisition for Inter, Milan or Chelsea, there are obvious merits to bringing the striker to the club. Here’s a look at why he’d be a coup:

Despite his advancing years, Ibrahimovic remains a critical player for PSG. His talent on the ball is as good as any striker in Europe, as is his strength in the air and ability to bring team-mates into the game. As Squawka Football noted earlier in the season, the striker is a clinical presence in the final third too:

PSG will be desperate to keep hold of Ibrahimovic. Although some would argue a more dynamic presence at the point of the attack would be a better foil for the likes Angel Di Maria and Edinson Cavani, few players in world football are quite as talismanic as their current No. 10. The Parisian crowd adore him too.

Throughout his career, though, Ibrahimovic has shown a willingness to move from club to club and tackle new goals, having won titles in Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and France.

After four seasons in the French capital, perhaps he’ll feel as though one final challenge is in order before calling time on his stellar playing days.

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Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu has ended speculation over a possible move for Fiorentina starlet Federico Bernardeschi.  

Speaking with Sky Italia (h/t Sport), Bartomeu revealed the European champions have been keeping a close eye on the development of the 21-year-old, who has played a starring role in an unexpected title challenge for the Viola. But it’s interest that is unlikely to end in a transfer.

“He’s a great player. We have followed him, like other footballers,” conceded Bartomeu. “He’s a Fiorentina player, he has a contract and I’m sure that he will keep doing well there.”

Those sentiments were echoed by sporting director Ariedo Braida, per Sport: “He’s a good player and a boy with talent, but we have enough players that play the same role as him on the pitch. No, he is not a player that interests us.”

Bernardeschi has excelled in a variety of different roles for Fiorentina in 2015-16, showcasing a remarkable amount of versatility for a player who is still very young. So far this term, he’s featured on the left and right of midfield, at left-back and as an advanced wide forward, too. Here’s a look at some of his standout moments from the campaign to date:

For Barcelona, he’d potentially be a fine addition. Bernardeschi is capable fulfilling various duties, but he’s also a brilliant technician who can thread passes into tight spaces and dribble past opponents with his supreme close control. 

The youngster showcased his class during a pre-season win over Barcelona, netting two goals in a 2-1 win, and it’s clear from the previous comments the European champions have been keeping close tabs on him. However, at this juncture, it’s a move that would be too much too soon for the exciting Italian.

In other news, Joaquim Piera of Sport reported the Blaugrana are ready to open talks with Neymar over a possible new deal next month: “Neymar wants to stay at FC Barcelona. His father will do everything possible to suit his son’s desires.”

Piera claims there have been “informal negotiations” about an extension over the past few weeks, and now, efforts will be stepped up to get Neymar to commit to the club before the end of the season.

As we can see here, courtesy of OptaJose, Neymar has been part of a Barcelona front three that has been in sensational form in 2015:

Despite some speculation about a transfer away from the Camp Nou, with Manchester United’s summer interest confirmed by the player himself earlier in the campaign, per ESPN Brazil (h/t Sky Sports), there doesn’t seem to have ever been much danger that Neymar would leave Barcelona in the near future.

During this campaign, the Brazilian has shown he can take on a talismanic role for the Blaugrana, and when the day does come for Lionel Messi to eventually step aside at the Camp Nou, Neymar is as capable of filling that void as any player in world football.

However, speaking with Sky (h/t Calciomercato), Bartomeu revealed Messi will be at the club for a long time yet, despite Inter Milan President Erick Thohir recently suggesting, per the club’s official Twitter account, the Serie A side may make a move for the Argentina skipper:

Messi has a contract with Barcelona and he’s happy to be here. He’s spent most of his life here, he still has three years on his contract and our goal is to have him ending his career as a player here.

He’s a dream that won’t come true for Inter. He will stop to play for us when he will decide to stop playing football. He is the best player in the world, maybe the best of football history. He has given a lot to Barcelona. He plays for Barca together with other champions.

Bartomeu was also asked on Sky Italia about Barcelona’s potential pursuit of Juventus’ Paul Pogba. “All the big clubs are following Pogba because he’s a top draw footballer, but I’m a friend of Agnelli and I respect Juventus,” he admitted, per Sport. “It’s difficult to talk about their players.”

Pogba would certainly give Barcelona some presence in the middle of the park, and his ability to carry the ball through phases of play would turn Luis Enrique’s side into an even more formidable outfit. As we can see here, courtesy of WhoScored.com, defensively, there is plenty Pogba can offer, too:

However, as we move into 2016, you suspect the main order of business for Bartomeu and the Barcelona board will be to ensure Neymar is tied down to a new deal. The Brazilian has made sensational progress over the past couple of seasons, and if he continues his rapid ascension, he could finish next year as the finest player on the planet.

Pogba is a player who will also be hopeful of scaling those kinds of heights, and it’d be little surprise to see Barcelona make a move for him this summer. However, should the Bianconeri decide the time is right to cash in on their prized asset, there will be a lengthy queue of teams seeking to get the Frenchman on board.

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Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu is adamant superstar Lionel Messi will finish his career with the Blaugrana and won’t be heading to Inter Milan despite recent rumours.

Per Sky Sports (h/t Calciomercato.com) he said:

Messi has a contract with Barcelona and he’s happy to be here. He’s spent most of his life here, he still has three years on his contract and our goal is to have him ending his career as a player here. He’s a dream that won’t come true for Inter. He will stop to play for us when he will decide to stop playing football. He is the best player in the world, maybe the best of football history. He has given a lot to Barcelona. He plays for Barca together with other champions.

Inter president Erick Thohir recently admitted the club would love to sign the Argentinian should he become available:

Meanwhile, according to Filippo Cornacchia of Italian outlet Tuttosport (h/t Mark Critchley of the Independent), former international team-mate Juan Sebastian Veron recently revealed Messi once harboured ambitions to play for the Nerazzurri:

“It’s been a few years, but one time he told me he would like to play for Inter.”

However, he added: “But let me be clear, this was something that happened in the past. Massimo Moratti was still the owner of Inter and, frankly, I see it impossible for Leo to leave Barcelona.”

Indeed, the club were formerly among the powerhouses of European football, but like their great rivals AC Milan, they have seriously struggled in recent years and have not only not finished in Serie A’s top four since 2011, but have actually become something of a mid-table side.

Inter are rebuilding in a bid to restore their former glory and are currently top of Serie A, but they have some way to go before they can re-establish themselves as one of Europe’s elite.

Aside from Inter representing a significant step down from Barca, Messi has little reason to depart the club since everything is going his way.

The 28-year-old is already seen by many as their best player ever—which is no small feat, given their pantheon of greats—and is rightfully adored by the fans, while his good relationship with his team-mates on the pitch is evident for all to see.

After Barca claimed the FIFA Club World Cup earlier in December—their fifth trophy of the calendar year—Eurosport revealed the Argentinian’s incredible haul of silverware:

Meanwhile, former Barca striker Gary Lineker believes Messi is firmly on course for his fifth Ballon d’Or:

Thohir’s comments likely embody a feeling shared by every president and chairman in Europe, rather than a serious declaration of intent.

Messi’s immense love for the club will most likely see him stay at the Camp Nou for the rest of his career, though, so signing him will remain a pipe dream for his many admirers elsewhere.

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Cesc Fabregas is reportedly pushing for a move away from Chelsea following an awful start to the 2015-16 campaign.

Corriere dello Sport (h/t Jamie Sanderson of Metro) claimed Inter Milan and Juventus are willing to move for the Spain international as early as January but that a summer departure is looking more likely. As Sanderson wrote, there have been reports surfacing suggesting new Blues boss Guus Hiddink will drop Fabregas.

Here’s a look at the story, via 101 Great Goals, which was on the front page of the Italian newspaper:

The 2015-16 campaign has seen the Chelsea midfielder suffer a major fall from grace, culminating in his withdrawal at half-time during the recent 2-2 draw with Watford.

As reported by Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph, after being hauled off by Hiddink against the Hornets, the former Barcelona man has not been included in the squad for Monday’s showdown with Manchester United at Old Trafford. It’s noted in the piece that “Chelsea sources” suggest Fabregas is ill.

However, it’ll be of little surprise if Hiddink has decided to remove the 28-year-old from the firing line after failing to find any form this season. As noted by Squawka earlier in December, Fabregas’ usually impeccable passing radar has been badly off in the Premier League during 2015-16:

The midfielder has also been one of a selection of Chelsea players targeted by fans with jeers in the wake of Jose Mourinho’s departure on Dec. 17.

Despite expressing his disappointment at the Portuguese’s dismissal on social media, many of the Stamford Bridge faithful clearly feel as though the Spain star could have done more to help turn things around for the former boss. During the games against Watford and Sunderland, the Blues faithful made their feelings toward their No. 4 known.

As Bleacher Report’s Garry Hayes noted as Fabregas came off during the Dec. 19 clash with Sunderland, a fair portion of the crowd have been getting on the Spaniard’s back:

Reports also surfaced prior to Christmas that Fabregas had lost his temper in training after being nutmegged by youth-team player Charly Musonda, going in hard on the youngster not long afterward. 

It certainly seems all is not well for the playmaker, and his slump in form has been made all the more disappointing by the stellar manner in which he began his Chelsea career. In the early stages of the 2014-15 season, Fabregas was the creative crux of a wonderful Blues team; now it seems as though he is very much dispensable.

Having burst onto the scene at a very young age at Arsenal, Fabregas has a lot of miles on the clock for a player who should be in the peak years of his career. The Premier League has passed him by at express pace in 2015, so a move to a slower, more technical division such as Serie A may be ideal for the Catalan if he is to remain a force for an established elite side.

Jackson Martinez Swap Rumours Denied

The agent of Jackson Martinez has denied reports suggesting his client could leave Atletico Madrid for Chelsea with Diego Costa potentially heading back to the Spanish capital as part of the deal.

“Jackson wants to be a success at Atletico, and he will be, but it’s the club that decides his future,” said his agent, Henrique Pompeo, per Jorge Garcia of AS. “I can’t say it’s a lie, this is football and nobody knows what the future holds, what I can say is that Jackson isn’t a player who leaves a club unless it’s through the front door.”

It’s been a tough season for the rumbustious Costa, who has struggled to find the kind of form that made him one of the most feared forwards in European football last term.

However, as we can see here, courtesy of Squawka, there were some signs in the Blues’ draw with Watford that Costa was starting to rediscover his best again:

Martinez has endured a difficult spell himself since moving from Porto to Atletico in the summer. The Colombian seemed an ideal fit for Diego Simeone’s side but hasn’t been able to strike up an understanding with Antoine Griezmann in attack, scoring just two goals in La Liga so far this season.

Still, it’d be a big surprise to see Atletico give up on a player they spent €35 million on just a few months ago. Having Costa back would surely delight the fans given his influence during the 2013-14 title-winning season. However, Martinez still has time to make a big impact at the Vicente Calderon and, as is clear by the aforementioned quotes, is intent on doing so.

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Carlo Ancelotti, set to take over as Bayern Munich manager at the end of the season, will reportedly move for rumoured Arsenal targets Gonzalo Higuain and Lorenzo Insigne once he takes on the job.

The Gunners have been linked with Higuain for a long time now, with Calciomercato (h/t James Whaling of the Daily Mirror) claiming earlier this year that Arsenal will bid for the forward next summer. Giovanni Scotto of Calciomercato (h/t Lorenzo Bettoni of Calciomercato) also recently noted the Londoners have been longstanding admirers of Insigne.

But if the Gunners do want to land either player, it seems as though they may have to fight off interest from the German champions. Gazzetta World claimed Ancelotti is seeking to alter the style of Bayern and sees both players as key components in a team with a greater focus on counter-attacking.

The two have been central to Napoli’s fine beginning to Serie A this season, with the Partenopei one point back on league leaders Inter Milan.

Higuain’s goalscoring has been absolutely key to the encouraging beginning to the term, netting 16 times in the Italian top flight so far—six more than any other player. As noted by OptaPaolo, since he made the move to Serie A from Real Madrid, the Argentina international has been supreme in front of goal:

Insigne has helped Higuain’s cause with his play from more withdrawn areas, notching five assists and seven goals himself.

The Italy international has thrived in a floating role on the left flank so far this season, darting infield, getting into dangerous positions and linking the play superbly for Napoli in the attacking third. Indeed, as good as Higuain has been this season for the Partenopei, Insigne has also stood out as one of the finest players in the division.

After a mixed 2015, it’s encouraging to see the 24-year-old in form again. Here’s a look at some of his best moments from the 2015-16 season so far:

Of the two, Arsenal fans would probably prefer to acquire Higuain. Insigne would be an ideal fit, mixing technical flair and raw dynamism, but the Gunners have a dearth of orthodox centre-forward options within their ranks.

Olivier Giroud has been in excellent form in the main this season, but when the Frenchman struggles, there’s little in reserve to either replace him or to operate in tandem with him. Higuain would certainly alleviate those issues with his rounded forward play and especially his ruthless finishing in front of goal.

However, the 28-year-old seems to be loving life in Naples, especially under the tutelage of manager Maurizio Sarri. As the clip below illustrates, there certainly seems to be a bond between the player and his coach, per Sergio Chesi of Goal Italia:

So while Arsenal came close to signing Higuain in 2013 before the deal fell through, it seems unlikely a transfer will be resurrected. Not only is the forward content at his club, but if Bayern were keen on bringing the forward to the Allianz Arena, then the German champions would be a very difficult proposition to turn down.

The same applies for Insigne, although he’s a player who wouldn’t make quite as significant an impact as Higuain if he was to trade Naples for London. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is blessed with plenty of attacking-midfield players, and even though Insigne has made exciting progress as of late, he’d find it tough to muscle into the Gunners side at the expense of Alexis Sanchez or Mesut Ozil.

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Barcelona are apparently looking to secure Inter Milan‘s Marcelo Brozovic in the summer, despite being able to sign players in the January transfer window, according to reports.

After 18 months of being unable to spend even a single euro on incoming transfers, the marketplace opens up to the Catalans once more on January 1, 2016.

A handful of names have been linked with the club over recent weeks, but a new name that is doing the rounds is that of Brozovic, of whom not a great deal is known. Arsene’s Son provided a Brozovic highlight via Twitter:

Corriere Dello Sport via Sport note that the central midfielder is on sporting director Robert Fernandez’s radar, and at 23 years of age, the Croatian represents exactly the type of signing Barcelona are now going after.

Young players with huge potential who will either set La Liga alight or be sold on at a profit at a later date.

Indeed, a whole host of clubs are reported to be interested and will no doubt still be so if things don’t work out at Barca, should that be the player’s next destination.

Sport name Sevilla, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur as four who will take the player given encouragement by his representatives and Inter themselves. The Sun reported “Jose Mourinho’s sacking” could offer potential assistance in landing Brozovic:

With Ivan Rakitic already in-situ and Alen Halilovic not yet sold, despite enjoying a stellar campaign for Sporting de Gijon, the lure for Brozovic is obvious.

In a team chock-full of world stars, the youngster will be made to feel right at home, thanks to the connection with his countrymen. Feeling settled and “at home” in your surroundings is one part of a transfer that should never be understated.

Given that Rafinha is likely to be back from injury in the summer, Sergi Roberto has finally made a name for himself, Sergi Samper and others are emerging and Arda Turan will have had six months or so under his belt, what can Brozovic bring to the party that enables him to be considered a useful acquisition?

For a start, he is comfortable in all of the midfield positions with no real drop-off in quality.

If he’s not to be a starter straight away, then he is a decent reserve to have coming off the bench anywhere across the middle of the park.

That kind of versatility is invaluable for any manager and would perhaps allow Luis Enrique to consider rotations more regularly once more.

He isn’t frightened of putting a foot in if needed and although not the finished article, certainly has attributes that can be enhanced and developed to suit.

Not shy of the defensive side of the game either, Brozovic will get put in a shift, endearing him to management and team-mates alike.

It is perhaps in this area where his assistance would be mostly required. To break up play and recycle quick ball, allowing Barca’s attackers to go about their work with relative ease.

Brozovic will chip in and support the attack when required, and he’s been known to score the odd goal or two, but given Rakitic performs the supporting role admirably, it’s unlikely Brozovic will usurp his countryman.

The biggest obstacle to the transfer eventually taking place as any event would appear to be the player’s current arrangement.

On loan at Dinamo Zagreb, where his form has brought him wider acclaim, his registration can stay with the Croatians if they decide to take up an option to make the deal permanent. Something that Inter would appear keen for them to do.

That in itself should actually sound a few alarm bells, given that he only joined the Italians at this time last year.

Further, despite the qualities the player can bring, do Barcelona really want to spend good money on someone who isn’t going to be a regular starter?

Developing for the future is all well and good but isn’t that exactly what La Masia is for?

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