Chelsea are on the verge of completing their first signing under new manager Liam Rosenior, with the Blues set to beat Premier League rivals Manchester United to the signature of teenage sensation Yisa Alao. The 17-year-old Sheffield Wednesday defender has reportedly opted for Stamford Bridge despite heavy interest from Old Trafford, with a structured deal worth potentially over £1 million now close to being finalised between the two clubs.

Inter Miami’s pursuit of Monterrey striker Germán Berterame followed an unsuccessful $13 million bid for LAFC star Denis Bouanga, according to The Athletic. The Herons’ cash offer for the Gabon international was turned down by Los Angeles, prompting a swift pivot in their winter rebuild. According to the same report, Bouanga wants to extend his contract with his current club.

Ahead of the transfer window closing, GOAL grades the USMNT-related deals completed during January.

Manchester United have suffered a historic financial blow, falling to eighth in the Deloitte Football Money League and dropping below rivals Liverpool and Arsenal for the first time in the report's history. The data highlights the severe cost of their nightmare 2024-25 campaign where they finished 15th, marking a new low for the club under the Glazers and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Thomas Tuchel has been told that he must find space in his World Cup plans for Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White. Reds legend and former England international Stan Collymore has explained to GOAL why a proven Premier League performer at the City Ground should be handed tickets on the plane to a major tournament in North America.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has hit out at “misinformation” regarding a supposed players-only meeting that he called on the back of a disappointing draw with relegation-threatened Burnley. Reds boss Arne Slot is said to have been left out of those discussions, amid questions of his future, but Van Dijk insists there was no gathering organised by him.

Hertha Berlin fans haven't had much to cheer about in recent years. Their decade-long stay in the Bundesliga ended after the team slumped to an 18th-placed finish in the 2022-23 season, just four years on from Lars Windhorst's €224 million minority takeover that came with the billionaire's promise to build a "true ‘big-city club’, like those in London or Madrid."

With all the data and all the video footage you could ever hope for, there really shouldn't be many secrets left in the world of youth football. Sure, progress isn't linear and some players' attributes translate better to the adult game than others, but for most teams, picking and finding the best young talent still feels like a bit of a lottery, at least from the outside looking in.

Rennes are no strangers to producing some of the best players around, and Mohamed Kader Meite looks primed to become the next elite talent to step off the conveyor belt after the likes of Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Eduardo Camavinga. Still just 18, the towering striker is already said to be turning heads across Europe.

Barcelona have confirmed influential midfielder Pedri is set to be ruled out of action for around a month after he was forced out of a Champions League clash with Slavia Prague. Boss Hansi Flick delivered a worrying update after the game on the Spain international, who completed just over an hour of that continental contest before picking up an injury. His manager admitted “it is not good news” on the fitness front, with the La Liga leaders now without one of their most important players.

Dominik Szoboszlai struck a cheeky free-kick goal for Liverpool in their Champions League victory over Marseille, with the Reds seeing pre-match “homework” pay off. Hungarian midfielder Szoboszlai fired a set-piece along the ground and under a jumping wall as Arne Slot’s side took the lead in a contest that they would go on to win 3-0 at Stade Velodrome.

Robert Lewandowski has joined Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Kane and Neymar in an exclusive goal club. The prolific Polish striker was back on target for Barcelona in their Champions League clash with Slavia Prague. He actually found the net at both ends of the field in that contest, with his effort at the right end seeing him reach 20 in elite European competition for Barca.

Modernising the role of a full-back 30 years ago, Roberto Carlos undoubtedly set the benchmark. A tactical genius and a physical specimen, the Real Madrid and Brazil legend won countless trophies at club and international level, contributing bucket loads of goals and assists. No one in the past, present or future can ever claim to be his equal - he was that good.

One of the best midfielders of his era, perhaps the greatest crosser of a football ever and a free-kick taker to rival the best the game has ever produced, David Beckham was a special player to say the least. And yet due to his off-field impact, one of the sport's great champions of the past 30 years is generally forgotten when it comes to referencing the true legends of the game.

Romario moved around the penalty area with the stealthy gait and sly gaze of a panther, ready to suddenly accelerate as soon as the ball came his way, to disorient the opposing defenders with a couple of feints, to pounce on the ball, which inevitably ended up at his feet, as if magnetised, and finish with an unstoppable shot of pure technique or power, or alternatively serve up a perfect assist for one of his team-mates. He was a Hall of Fame striker if ever there was one.

In 1969, at the age of 23, George Best wanted to focus solely on the essentials. Just football, just his job. So he turned his back on his two other great passions, alcohol and women. His sobering conclusion: "It was the worst 20 minutes of my life." A Manchester United legend, that quote sums up Bet's rebellious attitude towards football, and life in general.

Rebel United introduces players who prefer to swim against the tide, such as Barcelona and Spain legend Gerard Pique, who has achieved great significance beyond the pitch thanks to his Catalan pride and innovative spirit...

"La France, c'est vous." Translated as 'France, is you', that was what French president Charles de Gaulle told footballer Rachid Mekhloufi in 1968. Mekhloufi had just led his Saint-Etienne side to the double, and the reward was an audience with the most powerful man in the country. For Mekhloufi, this sentence brought things full circle. Now he was both Algerian and French; 10 years earlier, he had - in a sense - been neither.

On September 15, 2018, N'Golo Kante walked off the Stamford Bridge pitch, satisfied. As was often the case, the Frenchman had just covered every blade of grass over the course of the 90 minutes. And, as was so often the case, he was not one of the major speaking points at full-time. Not right away, at least.

Anyone that manages to carve out a career for themselves in professional football is ridiculously talented. The standard at the highest level is just so high that it is simply impossible to 'fake it 'til you make it'. However, not everyone is as prodigiously gifted as Lionel Messi or Lamine Yamal. Your average player will require some time to get to grips with the rigours of the elite game.

Player development in football follows many different paths. Some exceptional talents, such as Lamine Yamal and Estevao, make an impact at the highest level at a very young age. At the same time, countless players need more time before their qualities fully emerge.