Borussia Dortmund sent a definitive message to Europe's elite during the winter transfer window, outright rejecting a massive financial package for their star striker, Serhou Guirassy. The German giants chose to fully prioritise their ongoing sporting project and competitive ambitions for the season, declaring their Guinean forward an irreplaceable "guaranteed goalscorer" whose value to the team far exceeds any lucrative mid-season offer.

Arsenal are reportedly readying a summer approach for Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon, with the Gunners confident that they can win a congested transfer race for the England international. Liverpool and Manchester United have been credited with interest in the 25-year-old forward, who is said to come with a £75 million ($101m) price tag.

Amid mounting speculation linking Barcelona with a blockbuster summer move for Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez, the club's hierarchy has moved quickly to cool the rumours. As the Blaugrana navigate a pivotal stretch of their campaign by balancing Champions League ambitions with a steep domestic hill to climb, the message from the boardroom is one of absolute focus on the present. While the prospect of the Argentine World Cup winner arriving at Camp Nou has captivated fans, the club insist all transfer talks are firmly on hold.

Abde Ezzalzouli has taken a definitive step forward in his development at Real Betis, evolving into a much more complete and consistent attacking threat this season. Abde has added a clinical edge to his game that has scouts across Europe redrawing their reports. This development has sparked interest from several Premier League clubs, with Newcastle, Aston Villa, West Ham and Everton all keen on the winger. Napoli also has him on their radar.

Tottenham interim head coach Igor Tudor has acknowledged this current job is the biggest challenge of his career. The Croatian tactician has been parachuted into his first managerial role in England with Spurs' Premier League future at stake after a horror run of form over the winter months. The scale of the task was laid bare in a painful 4-1 debut defeat at home to rivals Arsenal in his first game in charge.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has delivered an ominous injury update on Florian Wirtz, with the Dutchman admitting that he is unsure when the German playmaker will be available again. Wirtz, who picked up a problem when warming up ahead of the Reds’ Premier League trip to Nottingham Forest, will definitely sit out a home date with relegation-threatened West Ham on Saturday.

Honest Ahanor is just 17 years old - and yet on Sunday he started his fifth successive game for Atalanta, against Como. Unfortunately, Ahanor's afternoon came to an abrupt end - and quite literally by his own hand. Just eight minutes into the game at Sinigaglia, the defender was involved in an innocuous, off-the-ball clash with Maxi Perrone, who shamelessly collapsed to the ground as if Ahanor had struck him in the face.

Another transfer window and another highly-rated prospect is on their way to Chelsea. The club's youth policy has struck again, with the west Londoners landing 17-year-old full-back Yisa Alao from financially troubled Sheffield Wednesday. Despite his very limited experience at senior level, the teenager provoked a transfer tug-of-war between three Premier League giants, but it is the Blues who have emerged victorious.

Kazakhstan isn't a nation known for its love of football. That doesn't mean it's non-existent, however, and with a new teenage sensation emerging as one of the country's best players already, the nation sandwiched between Europe and Asia could be on the verge of a golden generation.

Benfica have issued a further statement in the wake of their Champions League defeat to Real Madrid, and the storm that followed their first leg, after Gianluca Prestianni was accused of racially abusing Vinicius Junior. The Brazilian made the allegation during the game in Portugal and the club have now insisted that he did not admit to his team-mates that he had said what he is accused of.

Borussia Dortmund's crushing 4-1 Champions League exit at the hands of Atalanta in Bergamo culminated in a bizarre and inexplicable touchline incident that left the German camp outraged. In the 97th minute of the bruising defeat, referee Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez inexplicably showed a straight red card to Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck, who was watching from the substitutes' bench.

The sight of Victor Osimhen finding the back of the net at the Allianz Stadium is a familiar one for Italian football fans, but his latest strike in the Champions League carried a completely different weight. While his goal for Galatasaray added another chapter to his prolific European campaign - despite a 3-2 defeat on the night that nevertheless secured a 7-5 aggregate victory and a place in the round of 16 - it was his stoic reaction, or lack thereof, that truly caught the eye. Despite the high stakes of the continental clash, the Nigerian superstar opted for silence over celebration, later revealing that his history with the man in the opposing dugout, Luciano Spalletti, dictated his conduct on the night.

Michel Platini is undoubtedly one of the greatest footballers of all time. Playmaker, assister, goal-scorer: Platini was a complete player, capable of leaving an indelible mark on world football between the late 1970s and mid-1980s. He was the perfect No.10, embodying the true essence of the shirt number both then and now.

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.

Teddy Sheringham. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. "Football, bloody hell!" The 1999 Champions League final is one of the greatest dramas in the history of Bayern Munich. The German giants led for a long time in Barcelona before Manchester United snatched the trophy they thought was theirs in stoppage time. But according to one member of the Bayern team, he actually won that final. "Actually, I'm a Champions League winner," claims the latest member of GOAL's Rebel United, Mario Basler.

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...

Robin Roefs' story reads like a fairy tale. The 22-year-old goalkeeper is only in his second season as a first-choice shot-stopper, and yet he is already considered one of the better No.1s in the Premier League. A place in the Netherlands' starting line-up at the World Cup is now not out of the question for the latest of GOAL's Hidden Gems.

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.