Barcelona have opened negotiations with Manchester United to secure Marcus Rashford for a second consecutive loan spell. Despite earlier speculation that his time in Spain was coming to an end, Hansi Flick has reportedly given his "green light" for the forward to stay. With financial constraints making a permanent €30m deal difficult, the Blaugrana are hoping to reach a fresh agreement with the Red Devils.

Speculation over Angelo Stiller’s future at VfB Stuttgart has been rampant for weeks. Now, a transfer appears to be taking shape.

Mohamed Salah is set to reveal his next destination "in a few days," according to an Egyptian national team staff member. The Liverpool legend, who recently confirmed he will depart Anfield this summer after nine years, will be available on a free transfer at the end of the season, and there has been no shortage of interest.

Cole Palmer has seen a return to his Manchester roots with United speculated on, and Joe Cole has told GOAL what a potential summer departure from Chelsea will be “dependent” on. The England international playmaker has cut a frustrated figure at times this season, with Champions League qualification seemingly destined to fall out of reach for those at Stamford Bridge.

GOAL sat down with the USMNT midfielder to talk about how life changes, the importance of wellness and what makes a World Cup moment so special.

Cristiano Ronaldo played alongside Michael Carrick at Manchester United, so would the Portuguese GOAT consider a return to Old Trafford if asked to tread that path by the Red Devils’ current boss? Louis Saha, another former colleague of CR7 at the so-called ‘Theatre of Dreams’, has explained to GOAL why record-chasing and bench duty will figure in any future planning from the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

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.

Oskar Pietuszewski doesn't turn 18 until May, but he has already made a slice of footballing history. The talented youngster fetched the highest transfer fee ever recorded in the Ekstraklasa, Poland's top division, when swapping Jagiellonia Bialystok for the glitz of two-time Champions League winners Porto in a €10 million deal during the January window, with his release clause reportedly now set at a whopping €60m (£52m/$70m).

The World Cup is now just two-and-a-half months away, with teams currently making their final preparations for the finals, while others look to book the final few spots in North America during the March international break. Once the tournament does eventually get under way, the stage will be set for a whole host of players to make themselves national heroes, including some of the most exciting youngsters in the game today.

Former Bayern Munich defender Mats Hummels has expressed surprise at one particular selection decision in Bayern’s starting XI against PSG.

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has addressed reports linking Julian Alvarez with a summer move to Arsenal, acknowledging that the Gunners are among the elite clubs monitoring the Argentine forward. Speaking ahead of their Champions League semi-final first leg against the Premier League leaders, Simeone admitted it is "normal" for his star striker to be targeted by Europe’s top sides.

Arsenal face a significant defensive setback as Jurrien Timber missed the final training session ahead of Wednesday's Champions League semi-final first leg encounter against Atletico Madrid. With Kai Havertz also set to be absent following a knock against Newcastle, Mikel Arteta must navigate a growing injury list for the clash at the Wanda Metropolitano. However, the Gunners have been handed a boost with the return of three key stars.

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.

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.