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Reigning La Liga goalkeeper of the year Marc-Andre ter Stegen is set to return ahead of schedule for an injury-riddled Barcelona.

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German No.1 underwent back surgery in NovemberInitially expected to return in FebruaryReports suggest that he could be back by end of monthWHAT HAPPENED?

Ter Stegen was supposed to be a long-term absentee for the Blaugrana, facing over two months on the sidelines after undergoing surgery to fix an ongoing back issue. But the goalie has made progress in his return, and according to Spanish publication , he could be back before the end of the month.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ter Stegen was facing a race against time to feature in Barca's round of 16 clash with Napoli in the Champions League. The first leg, set for February 21, was reportedly a rough target date, but it appears he will be back in the side well before that fixture.

(C)Getty ImagesWHAT XAVI SAID

The Barca boss has consistently shown faith in his side's depth to deal with the loss of his star goalie, and rubbished claims that the Blaugrana will dip into the market for depth at the position: "We have confidence in our players and Inaki Pena has been playing at a very high level."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

Barca's attention now turns to the Spanish Super Cup, where they will take on Osasuna. A win would see the Blaugrana face one of Atletico Madrid or Real Madrid in the final, with a chance to defend their crown.

With transfer rumours rampant, the homegrown winger made his case to remain with the Barca as they bid farewell to some club legends & their stadium

Barcelona capped off their final home game at the soon-to-be-renovated Camp Nou in style, with Ansu Fati scoring twice in a 3-0 win against a struggling Mallorca side. The Spanish champions are moving to a new stadium next season while their old home undergoes extensive repairs, and it didn't take long for Barca to celebrate Camp Nou with a goal in their final fixture.

Gavi surged down the right, before cutting the ball back to a wide-open Fati, who couldn't miss from close range. The Blaugrana were handed a further advantage by a Mallorca sending off, after Amath Ndiaye clattered Alejandro Balde and earned himself a straight red.

Barcelona were far more dominant against 10 men, and Fati was at it again 20 minutes later, capping off a fluid move with a neat near-post finish. The Blaugrana were somewhat wasteful after the break, but the chances still came, and Gavi made it three on 70 minutes with a fine left-footed strike. Fati also could've had a third with 15 minutes remaining but squandered a good chance.

At the end of it all, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba enjoyed applause from the Barcelona faithful, the duo departing at the end of the season to conclude legendary careers in Catalunya. Fati, meanwhile, might just have done enough to prove he could be part of the next one.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from Camp Nou…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Marc-Andre ter Stegen (6/10):

Probably very bored.

Alejando Balde (5/10):

Had little involvement before being taken off with a lower leg injury. Looked a nasty one, too, though he should be fit for pre-season.

Jules Kounde (6/10):

Still doesn't convince at centre-back, despite insisting he's a centre-back. Will be interesting to see where he plays next year.

Andreas Christensen (6/10):

A solid showing once again, despite having very little to do.

Jordi Alba (7/10):

A fine Camp Nou swansong. Emotional when subbed off with 10 minutes to play. He's past his best, but will certainly be missed.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Sergio Busquets (7/10):

Tidy in his final Camp Nou appearance. Completed the most passes on the pitch. Got a standing ovation as he was removed.

Gavi (7/10):

Assisted Fati's first, scored one of his own to make it three. Won a few tackles. Much more influential on the ball than in recent weeks.

Frenkie de Jong (7/10):

Adventurous in his distribution and silky on the ball. Xavi has got the best out of him.

Getty ImagesAttack

Ousmane Dembele (8/10):

Lots of good stuff on the ball, created four chances, assisted Gavi. An impressive showing.

Robert Lewandowski (6/10):

Headed wide when he really should have scored. Smashed a free-kick off the bar. The Pichichi will still be his, but he's not been at his best for a while.

Ansu Fati (8/10):

Easy finish to score less than a minute in. Far more complicated one to make it two 20 minutes later. Made a case to stay amid rampant transfer speculation.

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Subs & Manager

Sergi Roberto (6/10):

Replaced an injured Balde, did his work well.

Raphinha (6/10):

Unfortunate not to start. Didn't make much of an impact in what could be his final contest at Camp Nou.

Eric Garcia (N/A):

No time to make an impact

Ferran Torres (N/A):

Blasted a free-kick over in pretty much his only involvement.

Xavi (8/10):

Went back to a 4-3-3, and handed starts to Dembele and Fati. And it worked well, with both wingers proving instrumental in a convincing win. He will be annoyed by the Balde injury, but it was an otherwise solid day for the league champs.

Hege Riise's squad is packed with top-tier talents, but they are yet to score Down Under and facing an embarrassing group-stage failure

Ada Hegerberg is a Ballon d'Or winner and six-time European champion. Caroline Graham Hansen has won 23 major trophies in three countries, which includes two Champions League triumphs. Maren Mjelde and Guro Reiten are both in double figures for titles won at Chelsea. Ingrid Engen has won the league in three different countries and recently lifted her first Champions League trophy. Emilie Haavi was just named Serie A's Most Valuable Player as Roma won the competition for the first time. Frida Maanum was nominated for the Women's Super League's Player of the Season award.

All of these names are in Norway's 2023 Women's World Cup squad and yet, the Scandinavian nation is on the brink of crashing out in the group stages – only 12 months after suffering the exact same fate at the European Championship.

Individuals don't make a team, that's for sure. There's a reason why so many nations see 'golden generations' pass by without living up to the success that many anticipate them achieving. But even knowing that, it seems remarkable that Norway could be about to succumb to another dramatically underwhelming tournament so soon after the last – and under a different coach, too.

There have been positive signs for the 1995 World Cup winners in recent years, such as Lise Klaveness' applaudable representation of the federation as its president and Hegerberg’s decision to end her five-year absence from the national team after seeing improvements at home with regards to women’s football.

But as this tournament has shown, the nation is still a way off success on the pitch. In fact, it’s not even achieving what should be the bare minimum.

GettyThe Law of Jante

When the team news came out for Norway’s crucial match with Switzerland on Tuesday, it was shocking. Following a disappointing defeat to New Zealand in the first game, head coach Hege Riise dropped Graham Hansen to the bench.

This is one of the best players in the world, a game-changer and a galvaniser, someone who played a huge role when Barcelona won the Champions League just last month – and this was an incredibly important game. It was a huge decision.

Graham Hansen would spend less than an hour on the sidelines before, at 0-0, being thrown on to try and get Norway the goal they desired. The winger was very lively and came close on a few occasions, but the game would end goalless.

“There's a lot I want to say, but you might have to bite your tongue,” she told after the final whistle. “I feel like I've been trampled on for a year. You talk about standing together as a team and as a nation. I feel that over the past year I've just taken it on the chin. I thought I had earned a certain amount of respect.”

Asked if she believed there were other reasons for her being on the bench, Graham Hansen replied: “I think I'll leave it until after the championship. I think that in Norway we have a tradition of putting everyone in the same box. The Law of Jante is strong”, she added, referring to an attitude of disapproval towards standing out and expressing individuality.

Riise stood by her decision after the game and praised Graham Hansen’s impact from the bench. The following day, the player apologised for her comments in a press conference. “My emotions got the better of me,” she said.

AdvertisementGettyHard to brush under the carpet

You can’t ignore what happened though, right? After all, frustrations have boiled over before. Indeed, Graham Hansen took a break from the national team after the Euros last summer, while Hegerberg didn’t play for Norway for five years.

And the decision not to play Graham Hansen was certainly a big shock. In Riise’s press conference after the match, one journalist raised their hand and put the following to the coach: “Our football expert says that if you have one of the best players in her position, if you cannot find a space for her on the team, then you fail as a coach. What's your opinion?”

“Well, that's his opinion,” Riise responded. “I reached this decision based on what I find to be best for the team. That was my starting point and that's what I do today. I stick by that decision and that assessment. The opinions of others? Well, it's difficult for me to influence other people's opinion, but I stick to what I did.”

GettyUnderperforming

That it is players like Graham Hansen and Hegerberg that have been vocal about their frustrations at the national team, and gone against that Law of Jante, is no surprise. After all, these are two supremely-talented footballers who play for two of the biggest and best-supported clubs in the game, at Barcelona and Lyon, respectively. They want to be successful and their desire to be so with the national team is at the heart of any outspokenness.

And this team should be doing better. After the defeat to New Zealand, Graham Hansen told : "We go from championship to championship and underperform."

When we talk about ‘golden generations’ not living up to the hype, it’s often that the team has fallen in the knockout rounds too many times or just not got over the hurdle in the final. But after failing to get out of the group stage at Euro 2022, losing 8-0 to England in the process, Norway could be about to exit at the same stage at this 2023 Women’s World Cup, despite being the favourites to top a group that features New Zealand, Switzerland and the Philippines. That’s quite a dramatic underperformance.

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GettyMore than one problem

And these problems don’t just stem from benching Graham Hansen. First of all, this is a team that lacks defensive depth. They have a couple of top-level players in these areas, but are otherwise fragile. Yet it feels like the team is not set-up in a way that best masks that or protects the weakness from being exposed, either in the formation or the players in midfield that can offer support.

That would be fine if they scored lots and lots of goals, which they are capable of given how top-heavy the squad is. Hegerberg, Graham Hansen, Reiten, Haavi, Maanum – these are all attack-minded players, but Norway haven’t found the back of the net yet at the World Cup.

Again, there is team selection that can be questioned here. For example, why is Reiten, who just put up the highest number of assists in the WSL from a left-wing position, playing in midfield? Her ability to isolate a defender one-on-one and whip in a dangerous cross is one of her biggest strengths. In midfield, she has been crowded out and stifled, unable to be at her creative best.

Of course, more is expected from the individuals, too. They can create more, finish better, defend more effectively – and they’ve acknowledged that throughout the tournament. But it does also feel like Riise can get more out of them than she currently is.

The Brazilian might just be the best player in the Saudi Pro League right now, but his career could have turned out far differently

Very few casual football fans would have been aware of Anderson Talisca's existence before Cristiano Ronaldo's shock transfer to Al-Nassr in January. Indeed, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's arrival in Saudi Arabia soon sparked an unprecedented European exodus, with other household names such as Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante and Jordan Henderson also accepting mega-money contracts in the Middle East.

The Pro League hasn't just attracted players who are into the final stretches of their careers, either. Neymar, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Riyad Mahrez and even 21-year-old Spain playmaker Gabri Veiga have also been persuaded to turn their backs on Europe.

The world is now watching as the Saudi game grows at an exponential rate – which has presented Talisca with a unique opportunity. The Brazilian could easily have shrunk into anonymity at Al-Nassr as merely a supporting cast member, existing only to help keep the spotlight on Ronaldo, but has instead made it his mission to show people that he is also a superstar.

The question is, how did a player with Talisca's immense talent go under the radar for so long?

GettyWhere it all began

Talisca was born in the city of Feira de Santana in Bahia – the fourth-largest state in Brazil. Like most children in the country, he was raised in poverty, and quickly realised that football could be a path to a better life.

After honing his skills on the street, Talisca stepped into Vasco da Gama's youth ranks as a 13-year-old and spent two years with the club, before joining then-Brasileiro Serie B outfit EC Bahia in 2009.

He graduated from Bahia's academy four years later, at which point they had been promoted to the top-flight, and made his professional bow in a clash with Corinthians. Talisca opened his scoring account for the club in his second appearance against Sao Paulo, and soon became a regular in Cristovao Borges' team.

The raw edges in Talisca's game were clear, but so was his limitless potential. "We have to understand that at this age this inconsistency of performance is natural," Borges told reporters when quizzed on the forward's development. "He is a national-team player. Just be patient."

Talisca went on to net a crucial last-minute goal at Cruzeiro that ensured another season in Serie A for Bahia, who parted ways with Borges in December 2013 before appointing another Brazilian coach in the form of Marquinhos Santos. The manager was impressed with Talisca's dedication right from the off, and his ability from a dead-ball.

"Talisca has been reaping the rewards of his training," said Santos. "He is a player who dedicates himself. He is always one of the last to leave the field. After training, he is insistently training free-kicks. It's still early days, he's a young man who has potential and my biggest concern is with his head. Let him continue to evolve and become a great player."

AdvertisementGettyThe big break

Talisca found the net nine times in the first half of Bahia's 2014 season, and his impressive performances eventually attracted the attention of Portuguese giants Benfica, who forked out €5million for the Brazilian starlet that July. Jorge Jesus gave his newest signing big billing, telling the media at his unveiling: "He’s another one who is going to make millions for Benfica."

The manager's words had the desired impact as Talisca scored eight league goals in his first three months at Benfica, including a stunning hat-trick in a 5-0 victory over Vitoria Setubal. Jesus received widespread praise for unearthing a new gem, which prompted a surprise outburst from Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.

"I think Benfica hired well," Mourinho said to Portuguese broadcaster . "They say Talisca is unknown, but he is only so unknown because he's only not playing in England because he doesn't have a work permit. If he had one, he would be here!"

Jesus then fired back in hilarious fashion: "They knew as much about him as I know about D’Artagnan and the Three Musketeers!"

Former Bahia coordinator Newton Mota was the man who really deserved all the credit for discovering Talisca, and he wasn't at all surprised by his fast start to life at Estadio Da Luz. "People call him Yaya Talisca [after Yaya Toure], but I think he is closer to Rivaldo, who was left-footed, with long strides and good shot from distance," Mota told.

Benfica were flying in the Primeira Liga, but had only picked up one point from their opening three Champions League games. They were eight minutes away from being held to a disappointing 0-0 draw at home to Monaco on matchday four, too, only for Talisca to score a last-gasp winner after ghosting in at the back post to meet a corner on the half-volley.

That was the moment he truly announced himself to European audiences and lived up to his tag as the 'new Rivaldo'. Although Benfica still ended up exiting the competition at the group stage, his status as one of the continent's most exciting young players had been secured, and links to Chelsea began to intensify.

Jesus' side finished the 2014-15 season as Portuguese champions and also lifted the Taca da Liga trophy, with Talisca managing 14 goal contributions across all competitions. He also received his first call-up for Brazil, but everything changed when Jesus cut ties with Benfica to join their arch rivals Sporting CP.

GettyThe turning point

Rui Vitoria was the man selected to replace Jesus after an impressive four-year spell in charge at Vitoria Guimaraes, and he instantly set about stamping his authority on the squad, insisting on a 4-4-2 formation with two combative central midfielders, which essentially eliminated the need for the playmaker role Talisca had made his own under Jesus.

The Brazil Under-23 international only started three league games in the first half of the 2015-16 campaign, and he was forced to come out and address reports of tension with the new manager. "Every player has to go through such moments" Talisca said in December of that season. "There is insecurity and lack of confidence, but I am working hard. I played more under Jesus, but there is no personal feud with Rui Vitoria."

Talisca scored nine goals in all competitions despite his limited playing time, including a brilliant free-kick against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals. Benfica ended up losing that tie 3-2 on aggregate, but earned plenty of plaudits for their surprise run in Europe, and bounced back to clinch their third successive league title.

Vitoria had undoubtedly taken Benfica to another level, and decided that Talisca's services were no longer required ahead of his second season in the dugout. Liverpool and Wolves emerged as suitors for the former Bahia wonderkid, but Besiktas won the race for his signature – agreeing a two-year loan deal with Benfica.

Less than a month later, Talisca came up against his parent club in the Champions League. Benfica were 1-0 up when the Brazilian was introduced to the action as a second-half substitute, and they managed to hold their lead under deep into stoppage-time. However, with seconds remaining, a needless foul gifted Besiktas a 25-yard free-kick, and Talisca stepped up. Inevitably, he was able to whip the ball into the far corner using his instep, and didn't hold back with his celebration before being mobbed by his team-mates.

In his post-match interview with , Talisca accused Benfica of not paying him his final salary after the birth of his daughter, before emphatically denying that his exit from the club was financially motivated: "I want to send a message to Benfica management, because they didn't respect me. There were people who criticised me and said that I left Benfica because of money, but that is a lie."

Talisca ended his maiden season at Besiktas with 17 goals and another league title, earning the nickname 'Kiralik Katil' from supporters, which translates to 'Hired Assasin'. He was the top scorer for the club in all competitions in 2017-18, too, but Besiktas dropped a level as a team and they were not able to make his transfer permanent.

Benfica were still determined to offload Talisca, who had burned all of his bridges at Estadio Da Luz, and it was reported that Mourinho reignited his interest in the attacking midfielder, this time as Manchester United boss.

Guangzhou Evergrande beat United to the punch, though, snapping Talisca up on an initial loan deal in June 2018. Four months later he joined them outright for €19m (£17m/$21m), bringing his time in European football to a premature end.

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GettyHow's it going?

Talisca spent three years at Guangzhou, scoring 39 goals and setting up another 13 in 65 appearances. He added one Chinese Super League title to his crown during that period, and was identified as a top target by Saudi giants Al-Hilal in the early months of 2021.

The allure of even greater riches in the Middle East did indeed prove too much for Talisca to ignore, but it was Al-Nassr who won the race for his signature as they struck a bargain $9m deal with Guangzhou in May that year. Talisca was an instant hero in the eyes of Al-Nassr fans for turning down their main rivals, and their bond grew as he quickly established himself as the most important member of the squad. A prolific haul of 31 goals from his first 37 games saw Talisca singled out as the new Pro League poster boy – but Ronaldo took that title from him at the start of the year.

They quickly forged a strong partnership, though, not least because of their Portuguese language connection, and combined for a number of crucial goals in the second half of Al-Nassr's 2022-23 campaign. However, the league title did not come back to Mrsool Park, which ensured another busy transfer window in the summer.

Al-Nassr bolstered their squad by bringing in the likes of Sadio Mane, Marcelo Brozovic, Aymeric Laporte and Seko Fofana, along with Ronaldo's Portugal colleagues Otavio and Alex Telles. Talisca's position at the club was called into question after Mane's arrival, with it suggested that head coach Luis Castro would be unable to fit the Brazilian into his line-up next to the ex-Bayern Munich star and Ronaldo.

A potential return to Besiktas was mooted for Talisca, but he committed to staying put – only to suffer an injury that saw him miss the first few weeks of the new season. Fears over Al-Nassr's tactical set-up were raised again upon his return to full fitness, despite the club's poor start in the Pro League.

As it turns out, Talisca was actually the missing piece in the puzzle. Al-Nassr have been flying since welcoming the former Benfica man back into the fold, winning 17 of their last 18 games in all competitions.

That has included picking up maximum points in the AFC Champions League group stages, with Talisca scoring all three goals in their latest victory over Al-Duhail. He's already up to 17 goals for the season in total, just four fewer than Ronaldo.

As the Spanish top flight enters its winter break, we look back at the players who have shined throughout this first half of the campaign

Getty1GK: Jan Oblak

Usually so formidable at the back, rotten luck with injuries has seen Atletico Madrid look uncharacteristically vulnerable when out of possession.

Luckily for Diego Simeone's men, they can still count on Oblak, who continues to be near-unbeatable between the posts even without the likes of Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez screening him.

The Slovenian boasts the meanest defensive record in La Liga, keeping eight clean sheets to date and conceding a mere 12 goals.

AdvertisementGetty Images2RB: Dani Carvajal

Statistics can be misleading, but Dani Carvajal's importance to Real Madrid is underlined by their woeful record without him.

The right-back has struggled with injury in the 2018-19 season, playing nine of the Merengue's opening 16 Liga games and starting just eight. 

Incredibly, Madrid have not lost any of the games Carvajal has started, while suffering defeat in five of the other eight (including the 3-0 reverse at the hands of Eibar, which saw Carvajal enter as a late substitute.)

Even while seeing his playing time restricted, Dani continues to show he is a cut above the rest.

Getty3CB: Gerard Pique

While there have been a few jitters, particularly during the early stages of the season, Gerard Pique has been Barcelona's defensive rock.

The centre-back has seen a host of players line up alongside him as Barca have suffered badly with injuries.

Samuel Umtiti and Thomas Vermaelen have missed most of the campaign, leaving newcomer Clement Lenglet to receive a baptism of fire at Camp Nou.

Despite those difficulties and instability, Pique has been an ocean of calm. He has also popped up with three goals in La Liga to help the leaders' cause.

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Getty Images4CB: Marc Bartra

Betis have been one of the revelations of the Liga season so far, combining flashes of exhilarating football with a sturdy base at the back. Marc Bartra, who arrived in Andalusia at the start of 2018, is the cornerstone of that defensive effort.

The former Barcelona and Dortmund centre-half has been ever-present so far in the 2018-19 campaign, marshalling a backline that ranks among Spain's tightest.

Bartra has endured a difficult professional career marked with setbacks – not least the injuries sustained in Dortmund's horrific bombing attack – but, at 27, he is performing at the peak of his powers.

Wrexham defender Ben Tozer has opened up on the death of his father, which occurred shortly after his side won the National League title last season.

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Tozer's father passed away in summerDefender made emotional social media postWrexham star opened up on the effectWHAT HAPPENED?

Two months after the Welsh team gained promotion to League Two by winning the National League, Tozer's dad, Keith, died of leukemia. The Red Dragons captain made an emotional post on social media that many supporters took as encouragement to seek medical care.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPWHAT TOZER SAID

"Well, my dad told me that he had leukemia and he was in hospital," the centre-back told the podcast. "Sadly, he died two days later. Because it happened so quick, it was such a shock, but when you go through something like I say try and turn a negative into a positive and if it can help people.

"I've had lots of people come up to me and say thankfully: 'It made me go and get checked, I don't want to see my boy in the same situation you're in'. It's powerful. I'm grateful that hopefully it has helped people along the way."

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THE BIGGER PICTURE

Toze said in his social media post that his father's illness progressed so quickly "because he had left it too late. Unknowingly, he was masking the fact he was [in] complete agony. "Go and get checked" we regularly said. He was just too scared of what it could be."

Alan Shearer believes Phil Foden enjoys the "bigger responsibility" he has when Manchester City talisman Kevin De Bruyne is out of the team.

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Manchester City beat Bournemouth 1-0In-form Foden scores game's only goalShearer thinks Foden excels without De BruyneGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Foden scored the game's only goal as City beat Bournemouth 1-0 on Saturday to close to within one point of Premier League leaders Liverpool. Now, Newcastle legend Shearer has spoken about how the England international is growing in stature at the club and he may be playing better without team-mate De Bruyne alongside him.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT ALAN SHEARER SAID

The ex-England striker said on the Premier League's Matchday Live show: "I think [Foden] enjoys the bigger responsibility he's given when Kevin [De Bruyne] is not playing. I think he feels as if he's got to be that magic like Kevin De Bruyne creates so much for Manchester City and has done for such a long time and when he's out of the team I think Phil thinks it's now his job to do that, to get on the ball like Kevin does, demand the ball where everyone looks to try and find him like they did with Kevin when he was a regular starter. He is thriving in that responsibility, such is his presence in the team now. Everyone believes in him, we know what he can do, Pep [Guardiola] believes in him because he's put him in the team all the time now. He's just a fantastic player."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Despite De Bruyne and Erling Haaland missing multiple games through injury this season, City are still on track to win a second-straight treble – and they owe much of that to Foden. In their absence, the 23-year-old has scored 16 goals, his best-ever scoring season to date, and bagged 10 assists as well. If they do pick up more silverware this term, City will likely owe a debt of gratitude to Foden.

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WHAT NEXT?

Foden's City will next be in action on Tuesday away to Luton Town in round five of the FA Cup, before hosting rivals Manchester United in the Premier League on March 3; followed by a last 16 Champions League second leg clash against Copenhagen three days later.

Exactly how much money have Inter spent on new players this century?

Inter are one of the most decorated clubs in Italy and have had some absolute superstars wearing the famous Nerazzurri jersey during their illustrious history.

Some of these stars came through the club's youth academy, but more often than not Inter would splash the cash to sign players from elsewhere.

There were the likes of Ronaldo and Christian Vieri arriving at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium in the 1990s on massive transfer fees and that trend continued in the 21st century.

Just think Hernan Crespo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Wesley Sneijder, and many more!

But, how much exactly have Inter spent over the years?

Inter most expensive transfers by season

SEASON

MOST EXPENSIVE SIGNING

FEE

TOTAL SPENDING

2022-23

Joaquin Correa

€23.60M

€38.60M

2021-22

Zinho Vanheusden

€16M

€40.50M

2020-21

Achraf Hakimi

€43M

€126.50M

2019-20

Romelu Lukaku

€80M

€197.72M

2018-19

Radja Nainggolan

€38M

€97.60M

2017-18

Milan Skriniar

€34M

€137.63M

2016-17

Joao Mario

€41M

€160.85M

2015-16

Geoffrey Kondogbia

€36M

€102.45M

2014-15

Gary Medel

€8M

€16.95M

2013-14

Hernanes

€18M

€59.89M

2012-13

Samir Handanovic

€15M

€76.55M

2011-12

Ricardo Alvarez

€12M

€41.70M

2010-11

Giampaolo Pazzini

€18M

€38.14M

2009-10

Diego Milito

€28M

€97.20M

2008-09

Ricardo Quaresma

€24.60M

€70.10M

2007-08

Cristian Chivu

€16M

€41.80M

2006-07

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

€24.80M

€48.40M

2005-06

Walter Samuel

€16M

€30.40M

2004-05

Fabian Carini

€10M

€15.95M

2003-04

Adriano

€23.40M

€54M

2002-03

Hernan Crespo

€40M

€116.18M

2001-02

Francesco Toldo

€26.50M

€112.19M

2000-01

Robbie Keane

€19.50M

€64.25M

Total

€1.78B

Inter top 10 most expensive player signingsGetty10Alessandro Bastoni | €31m | Atalanta | 2017

After coming through the ranks at Atalanta, Bastoni made his debut in November 2016 and Inter came calling in the summer of 2017 after just three appearances for the Bergamo side, paying a hefty €31 million for the centre-back before loaning him back to Atalanta for two seasons.

However, they recalled him back in 2018, renewed his contract until 2023 and then sent him to Parma for another loan spell.

The defender has since returned to Inter and is currently a key part of Inter's starting XI in both Serie A and the Champions League.

AdvertisementGetty Images9Nicolo Barella | €32.5m | Cagliari | 2020

Inter pounced on the opportunity to lure Barella away from Cagliari in 2019, initially signing him on a one-season loan with an obligation to buy.

Barella made 27 appearances for Inter during the 2019-20 season and Inter spent €32.5m to land him on a permanent basis, with a four-year contract taking effect.

The Italian star then led Inter to Scudetto success in 2020-21, was selected as the best midfielder in Serie A and earned a place in the league's Team of the Year as well.

In 2021, Barella signed a contract extension with the club until 2026.

Getty Images8Milan Skriniar | €34m | Sampdoria | 2017

After eye-catching performances for Sampdoria in the 2016-17 season, including becoming the youngest defender to make at least 35 appearances in Serie A, Skriniar moved to Inter in the summer of 2017 for €34m.

He signed a five-year contract and became the most-expensive Slovak player of all time.

With over 150 appearances for the Nerazzurri under his belt already, Skriniar is rapidly on his way to becoming a legend at Inter.

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Getty Images7Geoffrey Kondogbia | €36m | Monaco | 2015

Part of the excellent Monaco team consisting of players like Fabinho, Berbatov, Bernardo Silva, Anthony Martial and many more, Kondogbia helped lead the Ligue 1 side into the Champions League after almost a decade-long absence in 2014-15.

In their dream run to the quarter-final of the tournament, Kondogbia also scored a goal against Arsenal in the round of 16 and in the summer of 2015 Inter came calling, splashing €36m on the Frenchman, who signed a five-year deal.

Kondogbia spent three seasons at Inter before moving to Valencia and later Atletico Madrid.

Real Madrid have a “70 or 80 per cent” chance of signing Kylian Mbappe in 2024, with Javier Tebas claiming that “Florentino Perez never loses”.

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Article continues below

Blancos heavily linked with French superstarSet to become a free agent next summerThe next Galactico at the Bernabeu?WHAT HAPPENED?

The Blancos have been heavily linked with the France international forward for several years, but missed out on his signature when a move to Paris Saint-Germain was made in 2017. They have also failed to put a deal in place across recent windows, despite having offers of €200 million (£174m/$212m) plus on the table.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT THEY SAID

Mbappe has, however, stopped short of signing another new contract at PSG, meaning that he could become a free agent next summer. La Liga president Tebas expects that situation to play into Real’s hands, telling when asked about welcoming another World Cup winner to Spain: “Convinced, no, but it is a destiny for him, for sure. I think he will be in La Liga next season at 70 or 80 per cent.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Blancos president Perez is famed for his Galacticos recruitment policy – having signed the likes of Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo in the past – and Tebas added on why Mbappe is likely to end up at Santiago Bernabeu when discussing future transfers and the contentious European Super League plans that Real have played a prominent part in: “Florentino never loses, he doesn’t lose at anything.”

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Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Mbappe has admitted in the past that Real would be a dream club for him and he has already made history at PSG – becoming the club’s all-time leading goalscorer – to suggest that a new challenge will be sought at some stage in the near future.

GOAL takes a look at the latest USWNT controversy and why it really shouldn't be one at all…

The buildup to the World Cup was somewhat quiet by U.S. women's national team standards. There was no equal pay lawsuit looming over everything, no ongoing war of words with the sitting U.S. President. It seemed like this summer's tournament would just be about the soccer.

Well, maybe we shouldn't have been so naive.

The USWNT once again finds itself at the center of a political tussle – one that, at least for one summer, they looked so likely to avoid. This one, of course, centers around the national anthem, which, even seven years after Colin Kaepernick's protest, remains a fiercely debated topic for whatever reason.

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This time around, though, the USWNT isn't being criticized for kneeling or protesting. Instead, a section of the country is upset that the team is…not singing together. They are sending no messages, making no displays, but there is still a group out there that believes that U.S. is failing to respect their country. No matter what they do, the USWNT can't seem to win when it comes to to this stuff, can they?

So how did we get here? What have the USWNT done to remain such a divisive team, and why are we all, once again, debating something this ridiculous in the middle of a World Cup? GOAL takes a look…

GettyWhat has happened

When the Star Spangled Banner played ahead of the USWNT's World Cup opener at Vietnam, the 11 starts stood facing the flag. The song played and each paid their respects, albeit in different ways. Julie Ertz, Alyssa Naeher and Lindsey Horan sang along. Some of their team-mates had their hand over their heart and some had their head down deep in thought as the anthem played.

There were no gestures, no protests, no signs of unhappiness, just a group of players seemingly soaking in the moment on the biggest stage. Yet, for several sections of the country, that isn't enough.

The USWNT were immediately under fire from conservative figures for their "disrespect" of the anthem. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley was among those to hit out.

"The US women’s soccer team is living the American Dream," she said in a tweet. "They were born in the freest, fairest country in the world that has rewarded their hard work. They should remember that blessing & the men & women (like my husband) proudly defending it next time the national anthem plays."

Meanwhile, talk show host Megyn Kelly said: “I really do believe their version of what a feminist is, what it means to be an empowered woman, at least as an American woman, means you need to hate your country.

“It means to go out on the national stage and embarrass yourself and your country by not singing the national anthem. For several of them, not even holding their hands over their hearts when the national anthem played, was a bridge too far.

“They couldn’t be bothered to actually place their hand on their heart as the national anthem played, as they stood out there representing you and me and the country and our military and people who have given their lives for the country that they represent.

“It was too much of an effort [for them] to place their hand over their heart, or God forbid, sing.”

This, of course, isn't the first national anthem controversy the USWNT has found themselves part of, which, is, of course, why this is such a hot topic to begin with.

AdvertisementGettyMegan Rapinoe's history

To understand why certain people are angry at something as trivial as singing a song, you have to understand that there are large sections of the U.S. that simply cannot stand Megan Rapinoe.

The USWNT icon is about as divisive a figure as there is in American sports – a player and person that has never been afraid to mix politics and sports. She rose to a new level of fame during her Golden Ball-winning run through the 2019 World Cup, when she publicly battled U.S. President Donald Trump in a famous war of words.

"You know he was watching that game," she told TIME. "You know he had his McDonald’s lined up and he was probably like, ‘You know what, I love that.’ I always felt Trump loved me.

“I’m exactly what they’re familiar and comfortable with, just packaged up differently. But I’m exactly the brash, arrogant athlete that Americans love.”

Rapinoe, of course, has long been at the center of the national anthem debate as well. She famously kneeled in support of Kaepernick's protest, adding that she didn't think she would ever feel the same way about the national anthem again.

Several of her team-mates have joined in the protest, with a majority of the team opting to kneel back in 2020 ahead of a game against the Netherlands, including Naeher, who has been praised so much for singing this time around.

GettyThe actual rules

After Rapinoe's kneeling became a national headline, U.S. Soccer, like many other American sports entities, moved swiftly to clarify an anthem policy. That policy was ultimately repealed in 2020 amid protests following the death of George Floyd.

"U.S. Soccer affirms Black Lives Matter, and we support the fight against racial injustices," the federation said. "The U.S. Soccer Board of Directors voted yesterday afternoon to repeal Policy 604-1, which required our players to stand during the national anthem.

"The policy was put in place after Megan Rapinoe kneeled in solidarity with the peaceful protest inspired by Colin Kaepernick, who was protesting police brutality, and the systematic oppression of Black people and people of color in America. It has become clear that this policy was wrong and detracted from the important message of Black Lives Matter.

"We have not done enough to listen – especially to our players – to understand and acknowledge the very real and meaningful experiences of Black and other minority communities in our country. We apologize to our players – especially our Black players – staff, fans, and all who support eradicating racism. Sports are a powerful platform for good, and we have not used our platform as effectively as we should have. We can do more on these specific issues and we will. It should be, and will be going forward, up to our players to determine how they can best use their platforms to fight all forms of racism, discrimination, and inequality."

Even so, prior to the decision to abolish the policy, the federation simply required players to "stand respectfully during the playing of national anthems at any event in which the Federation is represented". That, of course, is exactly what the USWNT has done so far.

It's similar to the rules of the NBA, which requires “players, coaches and trainers are to stand and line up in a dignified posture along the sidelines or on the foul line during the playing of the National Anthem”. The NFL, meanwhile, says that "during the National Anthem, players on the field and bench area should stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking".

Once again, the USNWT has not done anything that would violate those rules. They are, though, held to unspoken standards as a national team – standards that their counterparts have never been held to.

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Moving goalposts

There is no more famous team in American sports than the Dream Team. For many, it was the moment that sports truly broke into becoming something so much larger. Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird… all icons of American sports that helped transcend what it meant to be an American athlete.

Their run through the 1992 Summer Olmypics is legendary, and they are still seen by many as the best team ever assembled in any sport. They were unstoppable, claiming Olympic gold in Barcelona while setting a new mark for American dominance.

Let's look back at their big national anthem moment, shall we?

As the Star Spangled Banner played, many of the players stared stoically. Johnson let out a little smirk, seemingly soaking in the achievement. Jordan, who famously used the American flag to cover up a company that didn't sponsor him during that ceremony, is seen chewing gum. Not singing… chewing gum.

The Dream Team is seen as the peak of American excellence, while the USWNT has been branded anti-American in some quarters. Neither sang the anthem at full voice, but only one side is being criticized here.

We could also look at the Super Bowl from this past February, when Jalen Hurts is seen bowing his head in thought or Patrick Mahomes is silently bouncing back and forth on his feet. Or when former President Trump himself only sang parts of the anthem ahead of an NCAA Championship clash between Alabama and Georgia.

The goalposts keep moving, and, for one reason or another, the USWNT find themselves on the outside. For those paying attention, though, it isn't hard to guess why.