Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has revealed that the Catalan giants made an official move for Kylian Mbappe following Neymar's departure to Paris Saint-Germain. The bombshell revelation sheds light on the frantic summer of 2017, when the Blaugrana were left searching for a superstar to fill the void left by the Brazilian's record-breaking exit.

Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel has implored the club to target Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka to address a chronic lack of leadership within the current squad. Schmeichel believes the experienced ex-Arsenal star is the ideal candidate to mentor emerging talent following his impressive £17m move to the Stadium of Light last summer.

Ahead of their Champions League clash, Uli Hoeneß has revealed which PSG player he would like to see in the FC Bayern Munich squad.

Manchester City have issued a strong statement condemning the horrific racist abuse aimed at Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi following their dramatic 3-3 draw against Everton on Monday. While authorities arrested a 71-year-old man at the stadium for targeting Semenyo, Guehi was subjected to vile online abuse after a costly error in the thrilling Premier League title clash.

Former Manchester United defender Paul Parker has harshly criticised the club's reliance on Harry Maguire, claiming they will not progress if the 33-year-old remains a regular starter. Despite Maguire recently signing a new long-term contract under Michael Carrick, Parker insists the team desperately needs fresh, pacey centre-back options to truly compete for major honours.

Chelsea starlet Estevao Willian has returned to his native Brazil to continue his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury at the facilities of his former club, Palmeiras. The 19-year-old winger is facing a desperate race against time to prove his fitness ahead of the upcoming World Cup, with his place in Carlo Ancelotti's squad currently in serious jeopardy.

At just 17 years of age, Vasilije Kostov is rewriting the record books at the highest level of Serbian football. The latest jewel to emerge from Red Star Belgrade's famed academy, the attacking midfielder is defying all logic as he puts Europe's elite on red alert with a stellar individual campaign for his country's biggest club.

Be it double World Cup finalist Ruud Krol, the marauding Ronald Koeman, total football icon Ruud Gullit or serial winner Virgil van Dijk, the Dutch have a fine tradition of producing defenders who have made their mark on the game. And there is a new kid on the block that every top club wants to get their hands on: step forward FC Twente's teenage star centre-back Ruud Nijstad.

The World Cup is now just around the corner. That’s why Voetbalzone is presenting the names of the talented players who might just shine in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Chelsea are now out of the race for a top-five finish in the Premier League, but a narrow and unlikely route to the Champions League still exists. The Blues must climb to sixth in the Premier League - and hope Aston Villa deliver a crucial favour in Europe.

How to secure Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain tickets, including kick-off and match details

How to secure Arsenal and Atletico Madrid tickets, including kick-off and match details

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.

GOAL's Rebel United series focuses on players who prefer to swim against the tide, players such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic – an icon who not only disrupted the system, but also subjugated it...

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.

Gift Orban may only be 23 years of age, but he has already spent time in five different European countries while scoring at a rate of a goal every other game. A move to an elite club likely awaits for a player who went through plenty of hardship as a child, with Orban easily one of the continent's biggest Hidden Gems...

Real Madrid have paid a heavy price for failing to replace Toni Kroos following his retirement in 2024, but then doing so was always going to be a tough task. For starters, the ex-Germany international ranks as one of the finest deep-lying playmakers of the modern era.