After weeks of intense speculation, Barcelona captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen is on the verge of a January exit. The German goalkeeper has reportedly agreed to a loan move to Catalan neighbours Girona until the end of the season. In a desperate bid to secure regular football ahead of the World Cup, the 33-year-old has accepted a significant pay cut, sacrificing the bulk of his salary to facilitate a deal that ends his spell on the Camp Nou bench.

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has revealed he will leave the club at the end of the season, while captain Marc Guehi is on the verge of completing a £20 million move to Manchester City. Glasner and Guehi's respective contracts at Selhurst Park are up in the summer of 2026 and neither will put pen to paper on fresh terms.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has admitted that the club’s hierarchy is "aligned" on the challenges facing his squad following the devastating injury to Conor Bradley. The Northern Irish defender faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after a controversial incident involving Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli during the heated 0-0 draw at the Emirates. With the January window open, Slot has addressed the growing clamour for defensive reinforcements as his side prepares to face Burnley.

Manchester United midfielder Casemiro can automatically trigger a one-year extension onto his contract at Old Trafford if he starts a certain number of games this season, it has been revealed. The 33-year-old would see his Red Devils contract extended until 2027 at his current salary, if he reaches the target. This could be a challenge due to United's lack of European football and poor form in the cup competitions, with just the Premier League left to play in.

Michael Carrick said he is ready for the unrelenting scrutiny he is about to face as Manchester United coach, including from his former Red Devils' team-mates. Ruben Amorim was eventually weighed down by the volley of criticism from United legends such as Gary Neville but Carrick insisted he would pay little attention to comments from the high profile pundits in the media.

Former Manchester United midfielder Kleberson has told GOAL why current Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique would be the perfect candidate to fix an Old Trafford “rollercoaster”. The Red Devils are in the market for a new boss after sacking Ruben Amorim, and the Premier League giants are being urged to go all in for a Champions League-winning coach.

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.

From Ibrahima Konate winning the title with Liverpool, to William Saliba anchoring Arsenal's charge to the top of the table or Leny Yoro's big-money signing for Manchester United, French centre-backs have had a massive influence in the Premier League's recent history. Now, the race to sign Les Bleus' next great defender is on as the top clubs from England and beyond circle Tylel Tati.

All you need to know about securing seats to see the Toon Army in European action

From traditional powerhouses to new-age behemoths, football clubs all find themselves in competition for the affection of supporters

Liverpool will have to wait a little while longer to welcome Mohamed Salah back at Anfield despite Egypt's Africa Cup of Nations exit at the hands of Senegal. The Pharoahs suffered semi-final heartbreak in Morocco on Wednesday night as Salah's former Reds co-star Sadio Mane fired home a clinical late winner to send his country to the final.

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.

Describing Roberto Baggio to those who did not experience him is a sort of generational challenge, an arduous attempt at conveying something that is too difficult to explain in words. But we will try - because Roberto Baggio was, especially for Italians, a symbol, a standard-bearer, an icon and an emotion.

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.