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Eden Hazard’s father claims the forward has rejected a contract extension at Chelsea but says there has been no contact with Real Madrid.

The Belgian has been linked with a move to the Bernabeu for some time and has professed his admiration in the past for Zinedine Zidane, saying last month that it would be a "dream" to play under the Real Madrid boss.

Reports earlier this month suggested that the 26-year-old was stalling on signing a new deal at Stamford Bridge and Thierry Hazard claims his son has rejected the chance to extend his contract, which runs until 2020, as speculation persists over a potential transfer to the European champions.

"What I can reveal about Eden is that he refused a contract extension," Thierry Hazard told Le Soir.

"This was so that, if necessary, he could follow the interest of Real, whom he could see himself playing for.

"But, as of right now, there is no contact from Real Madrid. Eden is only one of the parties involved in his future

Liverpool have agreed a £75m deal to sign Virgil van Dijk from Southampton.

Liverpool confirmed Van Dijk will complete a move on January 1, 2018, having been left out of Southampton's side for their 5-2 defeat at Tottenham on Boxing Day.

The agreed fee for Van Dijk is a world-record sum for a defender, topping Manchester City's deal to sign Kyle Walker in July.

Van Dijk, who will wear No 4 at Liverpool, said he was delighted to be joining "one of the biggest clubs in world football" on Instagram.

"I can't wait to pull on the famous red shirt for the first time in front of the Kop and will give everything I have to try and help this great club achieve something special in the years to come," he said.

Southampton confirmed the world-record deal and sent their best wishes to Van Dijk, who admitted he owed a debt to the south coast club.

Van Dijk added: "I would also like to take this opportunity to say thank you to Les Reed, the board, manager, players, fans and everyone at Southampton.

"I will always be indebted to the club for giving me the opportunity to play in the Premier League and despite a difficult last few months I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Saints and have made friends for life at the club."

Van Dijk was keen on a move to Anfield last summer and handed in a transfer request at St Mary's, but Liverpool ended their pursuit when Southampton complained the Merseyside club had made an illegal approach for the centre-back.

Manchester City had opened discussions with Southampton over a move for Van Dijk, according to Sky Sports, but Mauricio Pellegrino said he was unaware of the club's interest.

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho says the £300m he has spent on his squad so far is "not enough" after their 2-2 draw with Burnley on Tuesday.

Jesse Lingard scored an injury-time equaliser and the draw leaves United 12 points behind leaders Manchester City.

"We are in the second year of trying to rebuild a football team that you know is not one of the best teams in the world," said the Portuguese.

"Manchester City buy full-backs for the price of strikers," he added.

Mourinho was appointed United boss in May 2016 and broke the world record last summer to sign £89m midfielder Paul Pogba, plus £30m defender Eric Bailly and midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan for £26.3m.

This year's big deal was £75m striker Romelu Lukaku, as well as £31m defender Victor Lindelof and £40m for midfielder Nemanja Matic.

"[Spending £300m] is not enough. The price for the big clubs is different than for the other clubs. The big historical clubs are normally punished in the market because of that history," he said.

"The boys are doing what they can and they are doing fine."

Mourinho was asked if eight points from the past five games was good enough for a club like United.

He responded: "When you tell a club like Man Utd, do you think Milan is not as big as us? You think Real Madrid are not as big as we are?

"I know what a big club is. One thing is a big club and another thing is a big football team. They are two different things.

"When you speak about responsibilities to win the Premier League, Tottenham doesn't have that responsibility because they are not a club with the same history as us.

"Arsenal don't have the responsibility to win it. Chelsea don't have the responsibility to win it. When you speak about big football clubs, you are speaking about the history of the club."

Atletico Madrid will complain to FIFA over an alleged approach from Barcelona to forward Antoine Griezmann.

Griezmann has been linked with several of the biggest clubs in Europe but signed a new deal with Atletico in June, which will keep him with the club until 2022.

However, according to reports, Atletico are claiming Barca have made contact with people close to the 26-year-old France international.

Barcelona are currently top of the La Liga table, six points clear of Atletico in second.

And reporters from Spain told us earlier in the week that Barca are in position to sign Griezmann in the summer, despite interest from Manchester United.

Sky Sports analyst Balague said: "United are not the only team interested in Griezmann.

"Barcelona are willing to match his €100m buy-out clause and the club's president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, has met Griezmann's family for lunch. That's because he doesn't have an agent and his sister looks after his affairs.

"But it wasn't only his sister that was there. Perhaps, tellingly, his parents were in attendance too.

"Griezmann will leave next summer for either United or Barca, but the Catalans are favourites at this moment in time."

Griezmann enjoyed a superb 2016, helping Atletico to reach the final of the Champions League and winning the Golden Boot with six goals, as France reached the final of Euro 2016.

He finished third in the Ballon d'Or voting that year, behind only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte says he is "disappointed" that some people are questioning his honesty over the fitness of David Luiz.

Luiz has started just one game since the 3-0 Champions League group-stage loss at Roma on October 31, having been dropped for the visit of Manchester United on November 5 amid talk of a fallout.

That appearance came in last month's 4-0 win at Qarabag, but since then Luiz has been out with inflammation around his knee and Conte has previously bristled at suggestions of a breakdown in their relationship.

Asked about the issue again ahead of Saturday's Premier League visit of Southampton, Conte said he would like Chelsea medical director Paco Biosca to corroborate Luiz's injury.

"I understand that someone is thinking that I'm not telling the truth. I'm disappointed about this, but I can understand it," Conte said.

"I like to tell you the truth at every moment. I'd like to tell you a bad truth rather than a good lie.

"I will try to solve the situation. I think we can call the doctor and organise a (media) conference with the doctor for him to explain the medical situation."

Brazil defender Luiz is continuing his rehabilitation at Chelsea's Cobham training base and has this week started running again.

The 30-year-old, re-signed from Paris St Germain in August 2016, was an integral figure in Chelsea's title win last season, but has recently been linked with a move amid suggestions he is unhappy.

Conte says all of Chelsea's players should be happy.

"I understand that every player wants to play, this is normal. But we must be very, very, three, four, 1,000 times happy to have this job, to have this life," Conte said.

The form of Andreas Christensen has led many to suggest Luiz will struggle to regain his place once he has recovered his fitness. Conte played that prospect down, due to the fixture schedule.

He added: "Until now, my players - every player - have all played a lot of games.

"We have to play every three days and it's right to make rotations and give opportunities to every player."

Nemanja Matic says Manchester United are not out of the title race, but admits they must win almost every game for the rest of the season to catch Manchester City.

Man Utd's 2-1 defeat by rivals City on Sunday left them 11 points behind the Premier League leaders with just 16 games played.

Many have been writing City's rivals off, such is the dominance of Pep Guardiola's unbeaten side, but Matic says there is a long way to go yet.

He told Soccer Saturday: "The gap is big, obviously 11 points is a lot, but the league is not finished. I'm sure there will be very interesting games until the end, and of course that they will drop some points. We will see what will happen.

"As I say there are still many games to play and I think that we are not out of the title race. If we want to catch them, we have to win almost every game.

"But as we know, and as everyone knows, in the Premier League it is not always possible to win every game, but we will try to do that.

"Obviously we are still in the title race. We also have the cups, we are in the knockout stages of the Champions League, so Manchester United is going game by game to be in there."

United go to West Brom on Super Sunday,  while City host Tottenham at on Saturday.

Midfielder Matic, who signed for United from Chelsea in the summer, says United can do big things in the near future, with many young players still improving.

"I think we have a good team, we are second in the table, which is not bad. Obviously we are 11 points from first but we are improving.

"We will see. It's difficult to say anything more because I am only four months in the club, and I am happy with how the team is doing.

"We have many young players, playing and improving with the team, and I'm sure in the future we can do big things."

Matic's midfielder partner Paul Pogba has been missed in parts this season due to injury, and the Serbian admits that while he gives them something special, there are worthy replacements for the Frenchman.

"He's a very important player for us, he always brings some extra quality to our team. So of course we miss him, but we also have some very important players to substitute him.

"Obviously when he comes back, for sure we are going to be stronger because as you know he has a lot of quality and he is very important to the club.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan could be used as a "bargaining chip" in the January transfer window if Manchester United look to sign new players, according to Alan Smith.

Mkhitaryan began the season in impressive form by providing five assists in the club's first three Premier League games.

However, the Armenia international has fallen out of favour in recent months and has failed to make Jose Mourinho's 18-man squad for seven of United's last eight matches, with his only recent appearance coming as a substitute against Brighton on November 25.

Mourinho insists other players in his squad are more deserving of a starting place than Mkhitaryan based on current form and Smith believes the former Borussia Dortmund player could be sold in order to make way for another midfielder, with Mesut Ozil among the names linked with a move to Old Trafford.

sellable asset and a bargaining chip perhaps for somebody else that Mourinho might want to get in.

"I still think he would be reluctant to sell somebody like that, who is a quality player when he is playing with confidence."

Smith believes Mkhitaryan still has a future at Old Trafford despite his recent spell out of the side.

"He has not been playing well enough but maybe the system doesn't suit [him]," said Smith.

"He [Mourinho] has been relying on the likes of (Anthony) Martial and (Marcus) Rashford in those wide positions. Jesse Lingard has also been showing good form.

"Mkhitaryan hasn't been playing well enough. He is a very talented boy but is yet to show us on a consistent basis what he showed at Dortmund, for instance.

"I don't think Mourinho will be giving up on him just yet. It shows the depth of their squad really in terms of talent, that he hasn't made the matchday squad a few times."

Jose Mourinho believes Manchester United and Manchester City have taken big steps forward this season.

The sides meet in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Sunday, with United trailing Premier League leaders City by eight points in the table.

Mourinho feels his side have improved in his second season in charge but acknowledges City are also significantly better in their second campaign under Pep Guardiola.

"We are a better team than last year, no doubt about it but I think City is also a better team than last season," Mourinho said.

When asked how good City are, Mourinho replied: "Very good."

The game is pivotal for United's title hopes as they attempt to halt the momentum of a City side who have dropped just two points from their opening 15 Premier League games.

Mourinho acknowledged the derby represents a big opportunity for his United side but was keen to stress the game is still only worth three points.

"To me it is one more big match against one of the best teams in the country, the first against the second. It is a big match," Mourinho said, when asked about the magnitude of the game.

"I don't need to know that a derby is something special for the people. For us, in the end, it is three points but honestly, I think for the people born in the city and feeling the colours, it is a good positive rivalry and a special match."

United's record signing Paul Pogba misses the derby as he begins a three-match suspension following his red card against Arsenal last weekend.

Marouane Fellaini is a potential replacement for the Frenchman but is still working his way back from a knee ligament injury picked up while playing for Belgium in October.

Mourinho says Fellaini will be assessed on Saturday to determine his availability but Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Phil Jones and Nemanja Matic are all able to play.

"Zlatan is available. Jones is available. Fellaini I have to wait until tomorrow. Bailly is not available. Carrick is not available. Matic is injured but he plays," Mourinho said.

Cristiano Ronaldo says he is the "best player in history" after winning his fifth Ballon d'Or on Thursday.

The Real Madrid forward scooped the award, which is organised by magazine France Football, for the fifth time to tie level with Lionel Messi's tally.

Ronaldo, who helped his side win the Champions League and La Liga last season, also won the best male player prize at the 2017 Best Fifa Football Awards in October, and believes he is now the greatest to have played the game.

"I'm the best player in history, in the good moments and the bad ones," he told France Football. "I respect everyone's preferences, but I've never seen anyone better than me. I have always thought that. No footballer can do the things I can. There's no player more complete than me.

"I play well with both feet, I'm quick, powerful, good with the head, I score goals, I make assists. There are guys who prefer Neymar or (Lionel) Messi. But I tell you: there's no-one more complete than me.

"No one has won as many individual trophies as me. And I'm not speaking just of the Ballon d'Or. That says something, doesn't it? It's not just a result of the work I do in the gym, like some people think. It's the sum of many things.

"Legends like Floyd Mayweather and LeBron James don't get to their perfect level by chance. Many factors coincide. To be at the top and to stay there, you have to have more talent than the others."

Ronaldo admitted he was "sad and angry" when Messi scooped the Ballon d'Or on four consecutive occasions from 2009 to 2012, and said he had no interest in going to ceremonies to accept second place.

"I won the Ballon d'Or before Messi, then he overtook me and won four in a row. I'm not going to hide from you that I was sad and angry," he said.

"I went to the award ceremonies and I never won. At one point, I was even demotivated. I had no desire to go. To be there for the photo didn't interest me.

"Then, little by little, thanks to those close to me, I told myself that in life there is a beginning and an end. And in football what counts is the finish, not the start. I was patient. And I won four other Ballon d'Or's."

Manchester United are interested in signing Schalke midfielder Leon Goretzka, according to Sky Sports.

Goretzka is out of contract in the summer and would be free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs from January 1.

Schalke want him to stay and have offered him a new deal which would make him the highest paid player in the club's history.

The Bundesliga club find themselves in the same position as last season with one of their star players, having lost Sead Kolasinac to Arsenal on a free transfer over the summer.

Goretzka joined the Gelsenkirchen-based club in 2013 from Bochum and has flourished since, becoming one of the brightest talents in German football and able to fill in a number of midfield roles, both central and wide.

He has also become more of an attacking threat over the last 18 months, scoring a career-high five goals last season, but he is well on the way to beating that as he has added another four already this season.

Goretzka has also represented Germany through the age ranks, and has scored six goals in his first 12 appearances for Joachim Low's senior side.

That has led him to be linked with a number of Europe's biggest clubs, including Barcelona and Juventus, as well as United's Premier League rivals Tottenham and Arsenal.