Russia and Belarus will continue to be banned from international ice hockey competitions for the 2025-26 season, the IIHF announced on Tuesday citing security concerns.

In a statement, the IIHF said it "believes it is not yet safe to reintegrate" both countries, which have not been able to participate in world hockey events since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The decision could have major implications for the 2026 Olympics in Milan, although the IOC will have final say over if Russia can participate and under what conditions. The IOC has scheduled elections to decide its next president in March 2025, and this is one of the biggest issues on the new docket.

The Olympic men's tournament in Milan is set to include NHL players for the first time in 12 years.

The Russian men have won Olympic gold nine times and won a silver medal at the 2022 Games in Beijing, just weeks before Russia's invasion of Ukraine began.

The Belarus men's team did not participate in the final round of Olympic qualifying last summer; Belarus has never had a women's team ranked in the top pool to be eligible to compete in an Olympics.

The ban covers all IIHF events such as world championships and world juniors championships.

"As the current security conditions do not allow the necessary requirements for the organization of tournaments guaranteeing the safety of all, the IIHF must maintain the current status quo until further notice," the IIHF said in a statement.

Despite the ban, Russia has the No. 2 men's team per IIHF World Rankings, only following Canada. The Russian women are ranked sixth.

More than 50 Russian players have appeared in an NHL game this season, including some of the league's biggest stars such as Alex Ovechkin, Nikita Kucherov, Kirill Kaprizov and Igor Shesterkin. The NHL has been monitoring security concerns against Russian players since the invasion of Ukraine, but sources told ESPN the NHL has yet to hear of credible threats for this season.

Speaking at the world juniors championships in January, IIHF president Luc Tardif explained his federation's stance. We want them back as soon as possible," he said. "It will mean the war will be over....[Russia] is missed for any competition. But let them come too early, that's not going to be good."

Several NHL executives told ESPN they were hoping Russia would be brought back for the world juniors championships as it's an important scouting tournament. NHL teams have had extremely limited opportunities to watch Russian players live since 2022, with most of the scouting conducted on tape. While that has affected the draft stock of top Russian prospects, many teams have still selected Russians with high first-round picks including the Philadelphia Flyers drafting Matvei Michkov at No. 7 in 2023 and the Montreal Canadiens picking Ivan Demidov at No. 5 in 2024.

The IIHF said it will make a ruling for the 2026-27 season by May 2026.

The NHL's most valuable player award winners usually have one thing in common: They aren't goaltenders or defensemen.

There are all sorts of justifications for the Hart Trophy almost exclusively going to forwards: Like the fact that goalies and defensemen have their own awards or the classic "a goalie could be MVP every season!" harangue. The bottom line is that of the past 30 Hart Trophies, four went to goaltenders and one went to a defenseman.

That trend could be bucked this season, however. Not only is a goaltender leading the pack for the Hart, two defensemen are getting some MVP consideration as well.

Welcome to the NHL Awards Watch for February. We've polled a wide selection of Professional Hockey Writers Association voters anonymously to get a sense of where the wind is blowing for the current leaders. We've made sure it's a cross-section from the entire league, trying to gain as many perspectives as possible.

Keep in mind that the PHWA votes for the Hart, Norris, Calder, Selke and Lady Byng; broadcasters vote for the Jack Adams; and general managers handle the Vezina.

All stats are from Hockey-Reference.com, Natural Stat Trick and Evolving Hockey.

Jump ahead:
Ross | Richard | Hart
Norris | Selke | Vezina
Calder | Byng | Adams

Art Ross Trophy (points leader)

Click here for the updated point-scoring standings.

Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy

Click here for the updated goal-scoring standings.

Hart Trophy (MVP)

Leader: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Finalists: Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers; Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche

What a difference a long-term injury makes.

The front-runner for the Hart Trophy in last month's Awards Watch was Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild with 37% of the first-place votes. But he played only three games in January and is currently on long-term injured reserve after surgery on a lingering lower-body issue. He's still the Wild's leading scorer with MVP numbers (23 goals and 52 points) but his 37 games played isn't enough to keep pace in this highly competitive race. Kaprizov didn't receive a first-place vote in this month's balloting.

The new leader is Hellebuyck, the Jets' starting goaltender and last season's Vezina Trophy winner. While he didn't receive a first-place vote last month, he was a close second for a few voters. This time, he has earned 25% of the first-place votes, which is indicative of how tightly packed the MVP race is right now.

"Who has been more consistent and more vital to his team's success?" asked one voter.

"He's the best goalie by a long shot and on the best team in the league," said another.

The Jets have 37 wins this season. Hellebuyck has 33 of them. He leads all goalies (minimum 20 appearances) in save percentage (.925) and goals-against average (2.04). Hellebuyck leads all goalies in minutes played and shots faced, the latter of which he has done four times in his career.

The NHL hasn't had a goalie win MVP since Montreal's Carey Price in 2014-15.

MacKinnon was a runner-up last month and is once again this month, capturing just over 20% of the vote. He leads the NHL with 80 points in 54 games. There's a 22-point gap between MacKinnon and Cale Makar on the Colorado scoring leaderboard.

MacKinnon won the Hart last season. The NHL hasn't had back-to-back MVPs since Alex Ovechkin won the award in 2008 and '09.

"Nathan MacKinnon for the back-to-back, but let's not sleep on Leon Draisaitl," said one voter.

Draisaitl was the other runner-up last month and remains just slightly ahead of Quinn Hughes in this month's vote. Draisaitl had roughly 20% of the first-place ballots. Hughes was around 15%.

Draisaitl leads the NHL in goals (36) and is second to MacKinnon in points (77). He won the Hart once previously, in 2019-20.

According to Evolving Hockey, Draisaitl leads the NHL in goals scored above replacement (17.8) and wins above replacement (2.9). Teammate Connor McDavid is second in both categories. McDavid has also nearly matched Draisaitl in points per game (1.46 to 1.48), playing 46 games to Leon's 52. McDavid, who didn't receive a first-place MVP vote, has 67 points.

"I'm torn between Leon Draisaitl and Quinn Hughes but ultimately I will go with Hughes," said one voter. "He is completely dominating on the ice in all phases and the Canucks wouldn't be anywhere close to the playoffs without him."

Hughes has a slim lead over Makar in the scoring race among defensemen with 59 points in 47 games, skating 25:18 per game. There's a 25-point gap between Hughes and the next-highest scorer on the Vancouver roster (Conor Garland). Hughes is third in the NHL in goals scored above replacement (16.5) and wins above replacement (2.7), right behind Draisaitl and McDavid.

Only one other player received multiple Hart Trophy first-place votes in our survey: Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov, who won the award in 2018-19.

Kucherov has 24 goals and 76 points in 49 games. That's 22 points better than the Bolts' second-leading scorer, Brandon Hagel. Kucherov's 1.55 points per game leads the NHL. If he stays on that pace, it would be the ninth-best average over the past 20 seasons.

"While Kucherov is far from alone on his team, he does not have the elite support most of the other candidates have," said one voter.

"The NHL's preeminent playmaker -- who should've won this last year -- is averaging a whopping 0.78 primary assists per game," said another voter. "While others can debate MacKinnon vs. Leon Draisaitl vs. Connor Hellebuyck for the league's ultimate individual prize, Kucherov will go about his usual business of potting a point and a half per night while helping his club into a comfortable playoff position in the East -- again."

Two other players earned votes for the Hart. Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner's 70 points in 52 games put him fourth in scoring. He is also tied for fourth among forwards with Kucherov in goals scored above replacement (16.1). Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski leads his team in scoring (57 points) while skating an NHL-high 26:48 per game.

"If Columbus makes the playoffs, Zach Werenski will be a compelling candidate for the same reason as Kucherov -- he does not have the elite support," said one voter.

Norris Trophy (top defenseman)

Leader: Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks
Finalists: Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche; Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets

He might not be in the MVP top three, but Hughes is leading the Norris vote again.

Hughes won the Norris last season. The NHL hasn't had a back-to-back Norris winner since Nicklas Lidstrom won the award three straight years (2006-08) with the Detroit Red Wings. Hughes earned 45% of the first-place votes.

Hughes leads all defensemen in points (57) and is tied with Werenski in even-strength points among defensemen (37). Unlike Werenski and Makar, Hughes does not see significant time on the penalty kill, averaging just 10 seconds shorthanded per game.

"Vancouver is messy, but Quinn's special again this year," said one voter.

The Columbus Blue Jackets continue to be one of the best stories of the season, challenging for a playoff seed in the Eastern Conference after an unfathomably tragic offseason.

Werenski has had as good a season as any defenseman in the NHL, from his scoring (57 points) to his all-situations ice time. He earned 35% of the first-place votes, the clear second choice to Hughes. This is easily the most awards buzz Werenski has received; he has never finished higher than eighth in the Norris voting.

"I'm going Zach Werenski. He's been leading the charge for Columbus, who is in a wild-card spot and still in the thick of the playoff race. He's a big reason why," said one voter.

"Should they ultimately end up securing a playoff spot by season's end, the Columbus Blue Jackets will have one figure to credit more than any other," said another voter.

Makar's season-long hold on the Norris lead is over, as he received a smaller percentage of the first-place votes than Werenski and Hughes. Makar is second in scoring among defensemen with 58 points in 54 games. His underlying defensive numbers remain strong: The Avalanche give up fewer goals per 60 minutes with Makar on the ice (2.03) than the Blue Jackets do with Werenski (2.07) or the Canucks do with Hughes (2.17).

"It's a very tight race between Hughes and Makar. Hughes seems to be doing a little more with a little less in Vancouver, but this likely will come down to the wire. Maybe whichever one helps his team make the playoffs?" said one voter. "Both are just so much fun to watch."

These three defensemen were the only ones to receive a first-place vote. The only other defenseman who earned a mention from the voters was Josh Morrissey of the Winnipeg Jets.

Calder Trophy (top rookie)

Leader: Macklin Celebrini, San Jose Sharks
Finalists: Lane Hutson, Montreal Canadiens; Dustin Wolf, Calgary Flames

The Macklin Celebrini train keeps chugging along but the gap has closed.

Last month, the San Jose Sharks forward had 90% of the first-place votes. It is now down to 60%: a significant lead, but not an insurmountable one.

Celebrini, 18, has 16 goals and 21 assists in 42 games, missing a chuck of time to injury earlier this season. He has scored just 11 of his 37 points on the power play; the Sharks have the 26th-ranked unit in the league. His 0.88 points per game would rank in the top 15 for rookies since the 2005-06 season.

"With Mikael Granlund now traded [to Dallas], Macklin Celebrini is going to run away with the Calder. He will be forced into a more prominent role and ... is already better than what the Sharks expected," said one voter.

"Works just as hard skating toward his goaltender as he does skating away from him," said another voter.

While Celebrini is still the leader, the finalists had a significant change: Philadelphia Flyers star rookie Matvei Michkov drops out of the top three and didn't earn a first-place vote. He has 34 points in 52 games, but January/February has not been kind to him (2 goals and 2 assists in 15 games), and coach John Tortorella has played him fewer than 10 minutes in a couple of games. Still, he's among the league's top rookie point producers.

Moving up into the top three is Wolf, the outstanding rookie goalie for the Calgary Flames. He's tied for fifth in the NHL in save percentage (.917), with a 19-9-2 record. Money Puck has him ninth in goals saved above expected (12.5).

Unlike the other leaders for the Calder, Wolf's team is currently in a playoff spot. There's a very good argument to be made that the Flames wouldn't be there were it not for Wolf, and that could fuel his candidacy. He earned 25% of the vote.

"It's Wolf -- provided the Flames make the playoffs," said one voter.

Hutson was a finalist last month and earned the rest of the first-place votes this month. The Canadiens rookie is lapping the field among defensemen in rookie scoring: His 39 points in 52 games is over 30 points higher than that of the next-highest-scoring first-year defenseman.

"Give me Lane Hutson -- what a stud," said one voter.

"I usually give a lot of weight to rookie defensemen playing big minutes on competitive teams. We'll see how competitive the Canadiens will be, but for me, Hutson's playing a difficult role in games that are meaningful in the standings," said another voter. "But this is very tight with Celebrini and Wolf."

Despite his stats, Hutson still has to overcome the current leader in hype and perception.

"Maybe one day I'll crack on Hutson, but Celebrini is still my pick," said one voter.

Vezina Trophy (top goaltender)

Note: The NHL's general managers vote for this award

Leader: Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Finalists: Logan Thompson, Washington Capitals; Dustin Wolf, Calgary Flames

It's not exactly a shock to see a goalie leading the MVP race also leading for the NHL's top goaltending prize. A goaltender has won the Hart Trophy four times since the criteria for the Vezina Trophy was adopted in 1981-82. All four times, they also won the Vezina.

Through 42 games, Hellebuyck led the NHL in wins (33), shutouts (6), save percentage (.925) and goals-against average (2.04) in propelling the Jets to the top of the Western Conference. He earned 80% of the vote from our panelists.

"This isn't particularly close," said one voter.

"Just put his name on it already," said another voter.

"The gap is widening in what was already becoming a runaway race, and that's saying something because Logan Thompson has been spectacular," said another voter.

Ah yes, the Logan Thompson of it all. The Washington Capitals goalie had a 23-2-4 record through 29 games. Again, that's two regulation losses in 29 appearances. You have to go back only two seasons to find a goalie who had stellar stats but was an undeniable Vezina winner because of his record: Linus Ullmark of the Boston Bruins, who went a remarkable 40-6-1.

Thompson is right there with Hellebuyck in save percentage (.924) and just a shade behind in goals against average (2.15). He actually has a slightly better analytics case than Hellebuyck according to Stathletes with 0.38 goals saved above expected per 60 minutes to Hellebuyck's 0.26.

Thompson received 15% of the votes.

"Logan Thompson has entered the chat, and rightfully so. He doesn't take on the same workload as Connor Hellebuyck, but my goodness he's been an absolute brick wall," said one voter.

The only other goalie to receive a first-place vote was Wolf. He doesn't have the stats that Hellebuyck and Thompson have, either traditionally or analytically, but he has arguably done more with less in front of him.

Leaving the top three is Jacob Markstrom of the New Jersey Devils. His record (21-9-5) and stats (.912 save percentage, 2.20 goals-against average) are solid, but he has been out with a knee injury since Jan. 22 and should remain out through the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

Selke Trophy (best defensive forward)

Leader: Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
Finalists: Nico Hischier, New Jersey Devils; Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers

The good news for Reinhart is that he has a slowly building voting bloc that appreciates his defensive acumen, as the Florida Panthers forward enters the top three for the Selke after receiving only one first-place vote last month. Reinhart earned 25% of the first-place votes from our panel. He returns to the top three after falling out last month.

The bad news is that he'll have to overcome linemate Barkov, who has won the Selke twice in the past four seasons, including in 2023-24. Barkov remains the leader for this year's Selke with 60% of the first-place votes.

"Just name the award after him already. He's the Finnish Patrice Bergeron," said one voter.

"He remains at another level with his defensive stickwork. That and his deceptive speed are what set him apart," said another voter.

There's an analytic argument for Reinhart over Barkov for the Selke. The Panthers have a lower goals-against per 60 minutes (1.76) with Reinhart on the ice this season than Barkov (1.88). The same goes for expected goals against for Reinhart (1.82) vs. Barkov (2.02). The Panthers have a higher 5-on-5 save percentage (.926) with Reinhart on the ice than Barkov (.921). Obviously, it's all very close and the two have played the majority of their time together -- both also kill penalties -- which makes parsing the numbers more challenging.

Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs was a finalist last month but didn't receive a first-place vote this round. Replacing him in the top three is Nico Hischier of the New Jersey Devils, who received 15% of the first-place votes. He was second for the Selke in 2022-23 and has been in that tier of players that could rise up to win one soon. The Devils have a 1.69 goals-against per 60 minutes with Hischier on the ice.

Alas, the Devils' captain is currently week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

"That injury is going to affect his status here, no doubt. And that's sad," said one voter.

Jordan Staal was the only other player to receive multiple first-place votes. The Carolina Hurricanes' captain has been searching for his first Selke win for 15 years and finished second for the award last season. The Hurricanes average 1.79 goals against per 60 minutes with Staal on the ice.

Other players receiving first-place votes for the Selke were Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli, who was a finalist in December and Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (the Knights give up only 1.9 goals against per 60 minutes with him on the ice). He also kills penalties effectively.

Lady Byng Trophy (gentlemanly play)

This is the part where I mention that the Lady Byng Trophy for gentlemanly play should be voted on by the league's on-ice officials or by the NHL Players' Association instead of the PHWA.

Traditionally, this award goes to a player with a top-20 point total and the lowest penalty minutes among those players. Brayden Point is outside the top 20 in scoring (he is 25th) but has just one penalty in 46 games. That's incredible! His lone penalty was Nov. 30 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, a tripping minor. So, like, not even one of the nasty penalties.

Jack Adams Award (best coach)

Note: The NHL Broadcasters' Association votes on this award.

Leader: Spencer Carbery, Washington Capitals
Finalists: Scott Arniel, Winnipeg Jets; Dean Evason, Columbus Blue Jackets

The Washington Capitals remain near the top of the NHL, and Carbery continues to get the credit for it. The second-year NHL head coach earned 85% of the first-place votes from our panel. That's down from his unanimous claim to the top spot last month, but it makes him the heaviest favorite for any award on the ballot.

"It's not even close," said one voter.

Some of this love comes from the preseason expectations for the Capitals, which the team has thoroughly transcended.

"Show of hands: Who had the Capitals in a legit battle for the Presidents' Trophy by early February?" asked one voter. "When it's all going right, you have to credit the common denominator behind the bench."

Said another voter: "He's extracting every drop from that Caps team, and it's been a lot of fun to watch. Curious how their style adapts when the postseason arrives, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there."

The Blue Jackets' playoff push has resulted in Evason's candidacy for the Jack Adams. Evason, in his first year in Columbus, has helped lead his team through palpable grief in the preseason to an unexpected run to the Eastern Conference bubble. He earned 10% of the vote.

The only other coach to earn a first-place vote is Arniel, who has the Jets tangling with the Capitals for best record in the league. But even one of his supporters couldn't resist the job that Carbery has done.

"I've changed my vote from Scott Arniel to Spencer Carbery," said one voter. "Even when his team was in an offensive slump, Carbery got the most out of his team and now they are scoring again and winning, a lot. He's galvanized the group and gotten the most out of every player."

Hugo Viana has left his role as sporting director of Sporting CP, the Portuguese club announced on Tuesday.

Viana, who will replace the outgoing Txiki Begiristain as Manchester City's director of football, was due to leave Sporting CP at the end of the season.

"Sporting CP informs that Hugo Viana requested that his departure from the Club be brought forward, initially scheduled for the end of the current sporting season," a club statement said.

"Taking into account the arguments presented and by mutual understanding, the sporting director of Sporting CP ceased his duties after the closure of the winter market."

Viana, 42, spent time at Sporting, Newcastle United and Valencia as a player and won 29 caps for Portugal between 2001 and 2012.

He was appointed as Sporting's director of football in 2018 and helped the club win the Portuguese title in 2021 and 2024 despite strong competition from Benfica and FC Porto.

He is credited with bringing in now-Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim as manager in 2020, who also played a key role in returning Sporting to the top of Portuguese football.

"Hugo Viana played a fundamental role in the club's sporting growth during a period in which Sporting CP's main football team won several titles: two National Championships, three League Cups, a Super Cup and a Portuguese Cup," the statement said.

Sporting CP president Frederico Varandas praised Viana and said: "Viana's work over these years was fundamental to the implementation of a solid and winning sporting project.

"He played a crucial role in building a team that broke barriers and marked one of the most memorable phases in the recent history of our Club."

Bernardo Palmeiro will replace Viana as new general director of football at Sporting.

City, meanwhile, had a busy January transfer window.

Pep Guardiola's side spent 180 million ($225m) in an attempt to spark their season into life after a dismal first half of the campaign.

City brought in Eintracht Frankfurt's Omar Marmoush in a 59m transfer, followed by Palmeiras' Vitor Reis for 29.6m and Lens' Abdukodir Khusanov for 33.6m.

Before Monday's deadline, City secured the arrival of FC Porto's Nico Gonzalez by splashing 50m, equivalent to the player's release clause.

Mikel Arteta has admitted his disappointment at Arsenal's failure to sign a striker in the January transfer window but believes the club need to stay "very disciplined" to remain on track.

The Gunners had an offer in the region of 40 million ($50m) for Ollie Watkins rejected by Aston Villa last week and despite Arteta publicly declaring their need for attacking reinforcements following injuries to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus, the club was unable to bring anyone in.

Arteta said: "We had a clear intention which is obvious. There is a window open to explore the possibilities to improve our squad with players that can impact it. We haven't achieved it.

"So we are disappointed in that sense but as well we are very aware that we only want to bring certain kind of players. We have to be very disciplined with that as well and I think we were.

"I wouldn't like to go into too much detail. We couldn't do it for certain reasons and we have to accept it, that's it. It was a combination of things."

Pushed to explain how that show of discipline could impact Arsenal's summer plans -- when longer-term targets including Red Bull Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko and Newcastle's Alexander Isak could be available -- Arteta replied: "What I mean about that is in everything, in the kind of profile, in the kind of player that we believe can really make us much better.

"Financially. In a lot of ways, there are a lot of things that we must stay in the lane that has taken us this far and from there, try to improve."

Arteta suggested last week that Arsenal's decision not to sign a striker last summer left them "short" in terms of numbers and when asked how much of a gamble it was in that context not to add to his squad mid-season, the Spaniard said: "It is not a gamble, it is reality. We have to face the reality as well that we have. We have the players that we have.

"Some of them are on loan. We have never had a squad of 35, 40, 45 players. So many other clubs they have 45 players on the list. We don't have that size at the moment. It is our reality.

"We have had to do so much in the last few years that's where we are so we will have to evolve there as well and have more, more players from the academy and the ones that are here to be fitter for longer. That is a job that is permanent and it keeps evolving. We need to be on our toes."

Arsenal travel to Newcastle on Wednesday for their Carabao Cup semifinal, second-leg clash aiming to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the first leg.

Spain men's coach Luis de la Fuente has denied that he was involved in crisis talks at the Spanish football federation (RFEF) over handling the response to Luis Rubiales' kiss of World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso.

De la Fuente was giving evidence on Tuesday as a witness at Rubiales' trial for sexual assault, as well as alleged attempts by Rubiales -- and three other defendants -- to cooerce Hermoso into saying the kiss was consensual.

Rubiales, who denies the charges, kissed Hermoso on the lips during the medal ceremony following Spain's women's World Cup final win in Sydney, Australia, in August 2023, in an act which Hermoso has said "ruined one of the happiest days of my life."

Earlier in the trial, De la Fuente was named as one of those present on the flight from Australia back to Spain -- when Rubiales and officials first sought to control the growing scandal -- and then at RFEF headquarters in Las Rozas, for a crisis meeting days later.

De la Fuente denied that he had been aware of any discussions on the plane regarding efforts to secure Hermoso's cooperation.

"After over 36 hours without sleeping, I was very tired," he said. "I was focused on resting, reading, watching films. I didn't see anything."

The Spain coach -- who led the men's team to victory at Euro 2024 -- was then asked about his alleged presence at a meeting in Rubiales' office on Aug. 25, three days later.

On Monday, the Spain women's press officer Patricia Pérez said in testimony that she had felt pressurised in that meeting -- which she described as "an ambush" -- to change her account of what had happened with Hermoso, as part of report for the RFEF's Department of Integrity.

De La Fuente denied any involvement in those discussions, saying that he had instead been present "in an adjacent office."

"I had a meeting with the president, the only meeting I took part in," De la Fuente said. "He called me in to talk, 10 days before [I was due to give] a squad list, to talk about football matters with Mr. Rubiales.

"There was the main office, and a smaller office. I was there. He was dealing with other matters and then when he had time, we talked about our things: naming a squad, an initial squad, travel plans... In total, for four or five hours, from midday until around 5 p.m."

De la Fuente said he was only present in the main presidential office "at midday, when we ate some sandwiches."

"When I arrived there in the morning -- I've said publicly that I don't consume information from the media -- they told me there was a growing fuss over the kiss," De la Fuente said. "But I was only there to discuss issues that concerned me."

At one point, Judge José-Manuel Fernández Prieto grew impatient with the persistent questioning of De La Fuente.

"He's a witness who's been saying for 10 minutes that he doesn't know anything," the judge said. "And we appear set on calling him a liar. I'm not saying he is or he isn't, but let's continue."

Rubiales and three other defendants -- ex-women's national team coach Jorge Vilda and former RFEF executives Albert Luque and Rubén Rivera -- will give evidence later this month.

Prosecutors are seeking a two-and-a-half year prison term for Rubiales, although under Spanish law, defendants given sentences under two years can often avoid jail time by paying damages.

The January transfer window has officially closed and we're sifting through the deals and dollars to assess what every club managed to accomplish in the winter. However, this just brings us all one step closer to the summer window -- which runs from July 1 to Aug. 29 -- which is when teams will make bolder moves and a slew of high-profile free agents could potentially hit the market.

So, let's review which clubs got what they needed -- or didn't -- in the January window, and weigh that against what they'll need to address when the summer window arrives. After all, the time to look ahead to the next slate of moves is now for the top clubs throughout Europe.

Liverpool

Arrivals: FW Kaide Gordon (Norwich City, loan ended)
Notable departures: MF Stefan Bajcetic (Las Palmas, loan), DF Calvin Ramsay (Kilmarnock, loan)

How well did Liverpool meet their transfer needs in January?

If any club could afford not to bolster their squad in the transfer market this month, it's Liverpool.

Arne Slot's side has defied expectations to climb to the summit of the Premier League and Champions League tables and looks in rude health heading into the business end of the campaign. Standing pat and keeping on as the team has been appears to be a winning strategy.

That said, Liverpool could come to regret not making a defensive addition, with injuries to Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konaté at various points over the past few months having raised concerns over depth at the back, while Andy Robertson's erratic form has highlighted the need for a left-back.

The biggest disappointment this month, though, is that Liverpool have been unable to get Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk or Trent Alexander-Arnold signed to new deals. There remains an expectation that Salah and Van Dijk, at least, will commit their futures to Anfield, but the longer these sagas go on, the more unlikely that becomes.

What transfer needs must they address in the summer?

Much of Liverpool's summer business will hinge on whether their out-of-contract trio signs new deals. As things stand, the Anfield club will have to replace their captain, vice captain and top goal scorer in the one window, and replacing players of that calibre will not come cheap.

Contract impasse aside, however, the most pressing issue in Slot's squad is probably at left-back. Robertson was integral to Liverpool's success under former manager Jurgen Klopp, but has struggled for form this term, while Kostas Tsimikas is not viewed as his long-term successor.

With the jury still out on whether Darwin Núñez has a future on Merseyside and Diogo Jota still plagued by injuries, it would also be shrewd to invest in a first-choice No. 9, though the competition for such a player is likely to be fierce, with many of Europe's top clubs in a similar position.

Defensive midfield was Liverpool's biggest priority last summer, with Liverpool coming close to striking a deal for Real Sociedad's Martín Zubimendi, who now looks set to join Arsenal at the end of the season. Ryan Gravenberch's emergence as one of the best No. 6's in world football diminishes the need to strengthen in that area of the pitch. However, considering the amount of games Slot's side are likely to play in all competitions next term, bringing in a rotational option would be wise, particularly if Japan international Wataru Endo should leave the club. -- Beth Lindop

Arsenal

Arrivals: None
Notable departures: DF Ayden Heaven (Man United)

How well did Arsenal meet their transfer needs in January?

To be blunt, they didn't meet them at all.

If Arsenal gambled by opting against signing a striker last summer, then choosing not to do so again in January is a brave move to double down given the stakes.

Manchester City's dramatic fall from grace has created an unexpected opportunity to win the Premier League -- a feeling exacerbated by the Gunners' 5-1 win over Pep Guardiola's side on Sunday -- and many wanted Arsenal to risk a signing or two to give them the best shot at glory in the run-in. Two serious injuries to Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus prompted Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to publicly change his stance through the course of the window from being open to a new signing to insisting the club were seeking to act with significant urgency.

As it was, the Gunners made a late attempt to pry Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa with a bid that fell considerably short of his valuation. They looked at loan options including a deal for Mathys Tel, but they decided to go with what they have and pursue longer-term targets in the summer. It is a judgment call that may well define their season.

What transfer needs must they address in the summer?

Arsenal made a head start in their summer planning by advancing a deal to sign Zubimendi from Real Sociedad. That agreement is not finalised, but all signs are that the 26-year-old will move to Emirates Stadium in what represents a significant coup given Liverpool, Manchester City and other major clubs were credited with an interest.

The expected arrival of Zubimendi also eases pressure on the two midfielders who are out of contract at the end of the season. Jorginho is expected to leave and is close to agreeing to move to Brazilian club Flamengo, while it's still unclear whether Thomas Partey will be offered a new deal. The 31-year-old would have to take a pay cut if a fresh contract is forthcoming given that he earns around 250,000 a week.

Of course, the big issue remains around a centre-forward. It would be a surprise if Arsenal pushed again for Watkins -- though the 29-year-old is a Gunners fan and would be open to a move if Villa allowed it -- and more likely they will revert to one of their leading targets.

Arsenal have been tracking Benjamin Sesko since before last summer, when he chose to sign a new contract to stay at Red Bull Leipzig. There is a suggestion he will be allowed to leave this summer for a fee between 70m to 75m. That would be of interest to Arsenal, as would any encouragement Newcastle were willing to offload Alexander Isak.

There are other players in different positions under consideration, too, including Nico Williams at Athletic Bilbao. They will also have a question to answer in goal, with Neto's seasonlong loan as David Raya's backup set to expire. -- James Olley

Chelsea

Arrivals: DF Trevoh Chalobah (Crystal Palace, loan ended)
Notable departures: MF Cesare Casadei (Torino), MF Carney Chukwuemeka (Borussia Dortmund, loan), DF Renato Veiga (Juventus, loan)

How well did Chelsea meet their transfer needs in January?

Well, their spending had to slow down sometime. Chelsea need further squad reconstruction to become serious Premier League title contenders, but a period of relative calm was inevitable after the outlay of more than 1 billion since the new owners took charge in May 2022.

Recalling Trevoh Chalobah from his loan at Crystal Palace was a short-term measure that made sense, and they continued their policy of trying to identify the best future prospects with a deal worth 15m for Saint-Etienne's teenage midfielder Mathis Amougou. Interestingly, the 19-year-old is expected to join up with Chelsea's first-team squad.

Meanwhile, securing exits for fringe players including Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka and Axel Disasi, in addition to receiving around 15m from Torino for Cesare Casadei, helps give a once-bloated squad a more streamlined feel.

What transfer needs must they address in the summer?

Given neither Graham Potter nor Mauricio Pochettino lasted more than one full season as manager under Chelsea's owners, the future of Enzo Maresca cannot be guaranteed. A top-five finish, which is likely to be good enough for Champions League qualification, would likely be enough to keep the Italian in the post a while longer.

The Blues' transfer strategy -- signing top young talent on long contracts with incremental incentives built in -- is well established regardless of who the head coach is, but Maresca and his staff will inevitably shape some of Chelsea's thinking this summer. There is a strong suspicion that Chelsea need an upgrade in goal, at centre-back and at centre-forward. It is difficult, although not impossible, to see goalkeeper Robert Sánchez lasting at the club amid persistent external criticism of his decision-making.

Elsewhere, the Blues tried late in the summer window to sign Victor Osimhen before he left Napoli for Galatasaray. It might be one they revisit, though they've also tracked Liam Delap at Ipswich Town. Should Ipswich be relegated from the top flight, a deal would become theoretically cheaper and easier to complete.

Benjamin Sesko (Red Bull Leipzig) or Alexander Isak (Newcastle) could also be of interest, while talk of a move for Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho dominated much of January without ever really going anywhere. Chelsea would also be open to a move for Kobbie Mainoo if United's financial position forced them to offload. -- Olley

Manchester City

Arrivals: MF Nico Gonzalez (FC Porto), FW Omar Marmoush (Eintracht Frankfurt), DF Abdukodir Khusanov (Lens), DF Vitor Reis (Palmeiras), MF Claudio Echeverri (River Plate)
Notable departures: DF Kyle Walker (AC Milan, loan)

How well did Man City meet their transfer needs in January?

City left it late, but they got the central midfielder they wanted in Nico Gonzalez. Losing Rodri has had a major impact on their season and the hope is that Gonzalez can soften the blow until he returns.

Omar Marmoush was also a key signing to replace Julián Álvarez, as City have missed Alvarez's goals since he left for Atletico Madrid last summer. Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis were identified as summer transfer targets, but they've been brought to the club early to help cope with continued injury problems in defence. Rúben Dias and Nathan Aké are still out while John Stones has struggled to stay available.

What transfer needs must they address in the summer?

City didn't do much transfer business last summer and Guardiola ended up regretting it. They're unlikely to make the same mistake again, and there's a feeling around the club that there could be some major changes to the squad at the end of the season.

The old guard has already started to move out with Kyle Walker's transfer to Milan, and there's the possibility that others could follow. Kevin De Bruyne is out of contract and his future remains up in the air. Ilkay Gündogan could also be leaving just one year after his return from Barcelona.

Ultimately, City's strong position in line with PSR (profit and sustainability rules), means they will have money to spend. Check-in calls have been made on Bayern Munich pair Joshua Kimmich and Jamal Musiala: Kimmich is out of contract in the summer and Musiala's deal expires the year after. There's interest in Juventus full-back Andrea Cambiaso and Atalanta midfielder Éderson.

Like everyone, City are waiting to discover the outcome of the Premier League's case against them for alleged financial regulation breaches, and the punishment -- if any -- may shape what they can do in the summer. The plan right now is to reestablish City as the dominant team in England after a disappointing campaign. -- Rob Dawson

Manchester United

Arrivals: DF Patrick Dorgu (Lecce), DF Ayden Heaven (Arsenal)
Notable departures: FW Marcus Rashford (Aston Villa, loan), FW Antony (Real Betis, loan)

How well did Man United meet their transfer needs in January?

United's priority in the January window was to sign a left wing-back, and they've done that with the 35m arrival of Patrick Dorgu from Lecce. It was the position that manager Ruben Amorim was focused on because it helps him implement his 3-4-3 system, and he'll be happy the club got someone over the line.

One issue that has not been addressed, though, is the chronic lack of goals. In fact, Amorim has seen his attacking options diminish with the departures of Antony to Real Betis and Marcus Rashford to Aston Villa. Rashford hasn't played for more than a month, but still has more Premier League goals than Man United forwards Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee this season.

What transfer needs must they address in the summer?

A lot.

The first thing United need to do is to secure permanent exits for a number of senior players. Victor Lindelöf and Christian Eriksen will leave on free transfers. United also need to get Casemiro and Antony -- as a minimum -- off the books as quickly as possible. The long-term futures of Rashford, Zirkzee and Harry Maguire are also up in the air.

You could argue that every area of the squad needs to be strengthened. They are certainly in need of a quality striker, but finances are tight at Old Trafford and high-class goal scorers don't come cheap. There is interest in Viktor Gyökeres at Amorim's former club, Sporting CP, while Jonathan David -- available on a free transfer in the summer -- is a cheaper option.

United are also looking closely at Gyokeres' Sporting teammate Geovany Quenda. There's hope he could be acquired for around 60m, but United are likely to face stiff competition for his signature. Former academy player Angel Gomes is another option. Like his Lille teammate David, he's also out of contract in the summer.

United are planning an overhaul of the squad in the summer -- an effort to give Amorim more of the tools he needs -- as long as their limited budget stretches that far. -- Dawson

Tottenham

Arrivals: GK Antonin Kinsky (Slavia Prague), DF Kevin Danso (Lens), FW Mathys Tel (Bayern Munich, loan)
Notable departures: None

How well did Tottenham meet their transfer needs in January?

They left it late -- what's new? -- but Tottenham have managed to bolster their squad in a manner that has given manager Ange Postecoglou something to work with.

They almost had to sign Antonin Kinsky given injuries to goalkeepers Guglielmo Vicario and Fraser Forster, but there will be a degree of satisfaction at Spurs that they beat several Premier League clubs in the race to sign Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich, albeit tempered by the fact they compromised on a straight loan with no option having initially pushed for a 60m permanent deal.

Tel gives Postecoglou the attacking option he craved while at the back, while Kevin Danso's arrival from RC Lens helps offset a season-ending injury to defender Radu Dragusin. They wanted more -- failed pursuits for Axel Disasi, who left Aston Villa for Chelsea; Randal Kolo Muani, who joined Juventus from PSG; and Fikayo Tomori, who stayed at AC Milan are evidence of that -- but something is better than the nothing it long appeared was likely.

What transfer needs must they address in the summer?

A lot will depend on Postecoglou's future. The 59-year-old is under mounting pressure given Spurs are 15th in the Premier League, but the cup competitions offer hope of a first trophy since 2008. He may have to deliver one to save his job.

Either way, the club are likely to strengthen their forward line in the summer, as Tel will return to Bayern while Timo Werner's loan is unlikely to be renewed. Pair that with growing fears that Son Heung-Min may not quite be the all-conquering force he once was, and the need for attacking reinforcements is clear.

Spurs have an eye on Jack Grealish, though it is unclear whether they would make a move for the England winger should he decide to leave Manchester City. Grealish turns 30 in September and Spurs typically target younger players. They also need a robust defensive midfielder able to give them greater control in matches. Among the defensive options Spurs have scouted are Gonçalo Inacio at Sporting Lisbon.

Rumours also persist about the club being up for sale, and any new owners could of course rip up the rulebook and go for broke. After years of conservatism in the market, many Spurs fans would welcome that. -- Olley

Barcelona

Arrivals: GK Wojciech Szczesny (free agent)
Notable departures: None

How well did Barcelona meet their transfer needs in January?

Barcelona have a relatively settled side at the moment, but in an ideal world, they would have strengthened in some areas during this window. Another forward, preferably someone able to play wide, would have been welcome.

They held talks about a deal for Marcus Rashford, but it wasn't financially viable. Depth is also desired at the full-back positions, but they were never close to recruiting competition for Jules Koundé or Alejandro Balde in part because of the club's ongoing financial limitations.

Instead, they spent January trying to maintain Dani Olmo's and Pau Víctor's registrations in the face of the club's failure to get compliant with LaLiga's financial fair play rules. They eventually did get it done, but only via a temporary order from Spain's sports ministry. They also focused on renewing contracts, with Ronald Araújo, Gavi and Pedri all signing new deals, too. None of them are shiny new signings, but assuring their futures remain at the club was arguably more important than adding more bodies for the sake of it.

What transfer needs must they address in the summer?

Barça have various needs to address in the summer, some more pressing than others. A forward -- preferably a left winger -- is on the list.

At some point they will also need to explore signing another No. 9 as Robert Lewandowski turns 37 this year. The Polish striker remains in good form, though, scoring 30 goals already this season -- he's also set to play enough games (at least 45 minutes in 55% of Barca's fixtures) to trigger an automatic contract extension until 2026.

Elsewhere, Barça do want to sign a full-back. Either side will do -- or someone who can play right or left -- as they feel Kounde and Balde need more support and more competition. The centre-back situation is also constantly changing. After Araujo's renewal, it is not as clear if they will still go for Bayer Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah, who is out of contract in the summer. It may depend on the futures of Eric García and Andreas Christensen, but Tah may also have been put off by Araujo's renewal, coupled with the form of Pau Cubarsí and Iñigo Martínez.

That leaves the goalkeeper situation, which is a delicate area at Barça at the moment. Iñaki Peña has been cast aside by Hansi Flick for Wojciech Szczesny, who signed through the summer as cover for the injured Marc-André ter Stegen. But how, and when, will Ter Stegen come back? Could Peña feel it's time to move on? Will Szczęsny stick around? If an alternative option comes up and Barça have the finances to pounce, they may well act.

Finally, teenage sensation Lamine Yamal will extend his contract until 2030 at some point soon -- if not before the summer -- and the club also have to try to convince Frenkie de Jong to renew or risk losing him for free in 2026. -- Sam Marsden, Moises Llorens

Real Madrid

Arrivals: None
Notable departures: None

How well did Real Madrid meet their transfer needs in January?

They didn't.

Real Madrid needed to strengthen their defence this window, and after Liverpool rebuffed an early approach to sign Trent Alexander-Arnold this month, they opted not to do so. It means that Lucas Vázquez, a loyal servant who has repeatedly been exposed defensively this season, remains Madrid's only option at right-back.

At centre-back, untimely injuries for Antonio Rüdiger and David Alaba this week mean Madrid will go into crunch games like Saturday's Madrid Derby and next week's Champions League playoff first leg with Manchester City fielding a makeshift partnership of midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni and youngster Raúl Asencio.

Madrid's decision to postpone any reinforcements until this summer means they go into a critical phase of the season with an already shaky defence looking weaker than ever. It's quite a gamble.

What transfer needs must they address in the summer?

The arrival of Alexander-Arnold is still Madrid's top priority, now -- as was their original intention, before Dani Carvajal's long-term injury increased their urgency -- on a free transfer in the summer. The Liverpool lad would be a multipurpose solution for Madrid: providing long-term competition for Carvajal at right-back, and also adding to the team's deep-lying creativity and long-range passing options, which have been lacking since the retirement of Toni Kroos.

Madrid have also been on the lookout for a fourth elite centre-back to complement Rudiger, Alaba and Éder Militão. Asencio, 21, has outperformed expectations since being drafted in, but Madrid may still look to make a signing in the position, with Militao having suffered two consecutive cruciate ligament injuries and Alaba's long-term prospects uncertain having just returned from an ACL himself at 32.

In midfield, the prominence of Dani Ceballos alongside Federico Valverde in recent weeks has highlighted Madrid's need for that kind of tempo-setting, ballplaying central midfielder, too: but perhaps one with a better injury record, and higher ceiling, than Ceballos.

Madrid's other, major preoccupation this summer will be Vinícius Júnior's future. The Ballon d'Or runner-up's contract is up in June 2027. Vinícius entertained interest from the Saudi Pro League last summer, and the Saudis have stayed in touch with his representatives. This summer, the Brazil international will have a big decision to make and if Madrid want to keep him, they'll have to offer him a significant pay raise. -- Alex Kirkland, Rodri Faez

Atletico Madrid

Arrivals: None
Notable departures: MF Arthur Vermeeren (RB Leipzig)

How well did Atletico Madrid meet their transfer needs in January?

Atletico didn't have any urgent needs in this transfer window.

They invested heavily last summer, bringing in Julian Alvarez, Alexander Sorloth, Robin Le Normand and Conor Gallagher, which left them with arguably the most complete, well-rounded squad in LaLiga. As a result, they were never going to be busy in January. Any business would have been contingent on moving a high-earner -- and in particular, injury-hit midfielder Thomas Lemar, who has made just one league appearance this season.

Atletico couldn't drum up any interest in Lemar, and that meant they couldn't seriously look at making a signing, either.

What transfer needs must they address in the summer?

The top position Atletico would like to strengthen is in central midfield, with the addition of a deep-lying pivot, a creative midfielder, or both. Club captain Koke is being slowly phased out of the team -- seven of his 21 LaLiga appearances this season have come as a substitute -- and while Rodrigo De Paul is having his most consistent campaign yet, and Pablo Barrios is an exciting homegrown talent, they could do with some competition, especially with coach Diego Simeone seeming to prefer Gallagher out wide.

One name mentioned by sources as a priority target is Villarreal's in-demand playmaker Álex Baena, who just turned down a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia and has an accessible release clause in his contract. Baena didn't want to leave Villarreal midseason, but he might just be persuaded to join Atletico this summer, having said in December that he would depart for only "a top-10 club in the world." Otherwise, Atletico won't be as active this summer as they were last.

One player to watch is Antoine Griezmann. A superfan of U.S. sports, he's made it clear that he'd like to play in MLS one day; the only question is when. -- Kirkland, Faez

Paris Saint-Germain

Arrivals: FW Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli)
Notable departures: MF Xavi Simons (RB Leipzig), MF Cher Ndour (Fiorentina), MF Marco Asensio (Aston Villa, loan), DF Milan Skriniar (Fenerbahce, loan), FW Randal Kolo Muani (Juventus, loan)

How well did PSG meet their transfer needs in January?

PSG did exactly what they wanted and needed. After missing out on the signing of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia last summer, they went back for the Napoli winger and this time managed to recruit him for 65m. He was their priority and really the only player they wanted in this window. They did look at a defender, but decided not to move.

The club's other objective was to reduce their squad in terms of numbers, and they managed to loan out playmaker Marco Asensio (to Aston Villa), defender Milan Skriniar (to Fenerbahçe) and forward Randal Kolo Muani (to Juventus). They also concluded a permanent transfer with RB Leipzig for Xavi Simons -- 50m, plus 30m in bonuses -- which is straight profit considering they got him as a free agent at 16. Overall, a great move toward balancing their books.

What transfer needs must they address in the summer?

The summer should be very interesting. Manager Luis Enrique and sporting director Luis Campos are hoping this squad reaches new levels in the second half of the season so that they have to make only a couple of adjustments prior to next season. They are convinced that they will be able to keep all their best players -- Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola, Vitinha, João Neves, Willian Pacho, Achraf Hakimi, Warren Zaïre-Emery and Kvaratskhelia, to name just a few -- and so then they can just focus on strengthening two positions: goalkeeper and centre-back.

In goal, there are doubts over the future of 25-year-old Gianluigi Donnarumma, who has blown hot and cold at times since joining the club in July 2021 as a free agent. He wants to stay, but there are no talks about extending his contract after 2027. According to reports, 23-year-old Lucas Chevalier, the very promising Lille No. 1, is a target to replace the Italian.

In central defence, with Marquinhos turning 31 in May and Lucas Beraldo struggling to convince, the Parisians will look at options. At the moment, they have two players on their short list, sources tell ESPN: Ronald Araujo, if Barcelona have to let him go, and Illia Zabarnyi, who is having a great season with Bournemouth. They should have around 150m to spend on enhancing these two positions. -- Julien Laurens

Borussia Dortmund

Arrivals: MF Carney Chukwuemeka (Chelsea, loan), DF Daniel Svensson (Nordsjaelland, loan), MF Salih Özcan (Wolfsburg, loan ended)
Notable departures: FW Donyell Malen (Aston Villa), FW Sebastien Haller (FC Utrecht, loan)

How well did Borussia Dortmund meet their transfer needs in January?

Dortmund's biggest issue during the January window was the fact that the club only started to be proactive on the market once Niko Kovač was signed, following the sacking of previous manager Nuri Şahin.

At the end of the window, Dortmund made a big push in the transfer market, loaning left-back Daniel Svensson from Nordsjaelland as well as Carney Chukwuemeka from Chelsea. Chukwuemeka is on loan from Chelsea and could be signed permanently only for a fee close to 50m.

Dortmund also recalled midfielder Salih Özcan from his loan at Wolfsburg, after Felix Nmecha had been diagnosed with a ligament tear. By adding Svensson, Dortmund addressed their shortage of quality full-backs, while Chukwuemeka can be seen as reinforcement for the central midfield just like Özcan.

Dortmund also intended to sign Rayan Cherki as a replacement for Donyell Malen, but the deal ultimately fell through because Lyon rejected Dortmund's deadline day offer. The timing of the offer might have been bad due the club's delayed activity as explained above. Malen, however, was offloaded to Aston Villa for a 21m fee earlier in the window.

It's hard to say whether Dortmund addressed all their needs in January because the overlaying question remains whether the squad is not good enough or the coaching has been responsible for a disappointing campaign.

What transfer needs must they address in the summer?

Before any future transfers should be made, Dortmund need to decide what kind of club they want to be. They could easily offload Jamie Gittens for a transfer fee beyond 50m, but that would also mean Dortmund lose another talented young player soon after they broke through. Year after year, it seems as if Dortmund lose a few percent of their quality and if that trend continues, the club are in danger of falling well behind Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen.

Even though they have just signed Svensson, Dortmund might have to sign another full-back who can offer them offensive productivity. Moreover, the team are in need of a transition midfielder who can play between the No. 6 and the attacking midfield.

On the other side, the club's higher-ups together with manager Niko Kovač, who has signed a contract until 2026, need to decide who out of the current squad should be moved on. The contracts of Niklas Süle, Giovanni Reyna, Emre Can, Julian Brandt and Pascal Gross run out in 2026. If Dortmund aren't convinced by some of these players, they need to be sold next summer. -- Constantin Eckner

Bayern Munich

Arrivals: GK Jonas Urbig (Cologne)
Notable departures: None

How well did Bayern Munich meet their transfer needs in January?

As predicted by Bayern Munich's director of sport Max Eberl before the transfer window opened, Bayern remained pretty inactive in January. In fact, the only signings the record German champions made were done to put things in place for the future. Goalkeeper talent Jonas Urbig has joined the club immediately and will get some playing time next season. Meanwhile, 19-year-old midfielder Tom Bischof will come on a free transfer from Hoffenheim after the season.

One talent that has left Bayern is Mathys Tel. Last week, Bayern and Tottenham reached an agreement over a 60m transfer, but Tel did not want to join Spurs at the time. On deadline day, the 19-year-old winger changed his mind and ultimately moved to Tottenham on loan, with an option for the Premier League club to sign him permanently for 55m.

Bayern had hoped to extend the contracts of Joshua Kimmich, Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala in January. While some hiccups have prolonged the negotiations, it remains probable that these players will extend their respective deals. Manuel Neuer extended his contract until 2026, apparently agreeing to give up a small portion of next season's games to Urbig.

What transfer needs must they address in the summer?

Eberl's skills as a dealmaker will be tested this year because he has been asked to reduce the salary budget by 40 million, which would mean the club spends less than 300m on salaries every year. This will even be harder if Kimmich, Davies and Musiala all stay. For instance, the contract that has been proposed to Davies would run until 2030 and have a value of 120m.

To reduce ongoing expenses, Bayern might part ways with veteran squad members like Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sané and Kingsley Coman. While Sané's contract runs out at the end of the season, Bayern could find new clubs for Gnabry and Coman and recoup respectable fees.

At the same time, Eberl would have to find one or more replacements especially on the wing, with Dortmund's Gittens and Chelsea's Christopher Nkunku being potential targets. While the transfer fees for both would be high, the salaries should be lower than what Sané or Gnabry commanded in Munich. Also, it is understood that Bayern's interest in Florian Wirtz will be unaffected by any plans to save money as he remains the No. 1 target for Bayern.

Bayern will also be tasked with finding a competitive striker as a backup for Harry Kane. Even though the England skipper is scoring on a weekly basis, he is getting up there in age and a significant injury would leave Bayern in danger. -- Eckner

Bayer Leverkusen

Arrivals: DF Mario Hermoso (Roma, loan), FW Emiliano Buendía (Aston Villa, loan)
Notable departures: None

How well did Bayer Leverkusen meet their transfer needs in January?

Leverkusen didn't have to address any pressing needs during the January window and thus remained rather quiet, only loaning defender Mario Hermoso from Roma and attacking midfielder Emiliano Buendía from Aston Villa.

Hermoso has not been brought in as a potential replacement for Jonathan Tah: the German international's contract ends in June, and he will be on his way out at the end of the season. Instead, Leverkusen signed Hermoso on a loan deal to fill Jeanuël Belocian's gap because Belocian has suffered an ACL tear. Buendía, meanwhile, is a temporary replacement for Martin Terrier, who will be out for a while due to a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Meanwhile, Leverkusen have made progress in negotiations with Wirtz over a potential contract extension until 2028. The sole point of disagreement remains the value of a release clause, with Leverkusen for a fixed transfer fee of 150m; Wirtz's camp would prefer 100m.

What transfer needs must they address in the summer?

It would help Leverkusen tremendously to reach an agreement with Wirtz until the summer and thereby immediatelyo eliminate most of the rumours regarding their playmaker. Moreover, Leverkusen need to find a viable successor to Tah or add a quality defender to their squad and promote one of their other defenders. Edmond Tapsoba in particular has the makings of a defensive leader.

Moreover, Victor Boniface's future has become uncertain this season -- he was on the verge of joining Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr, only for the deal to fall through during the January window. If the 24-year-old is determined to leave Leverkusen, the Werkself need to find another high-level striker. It would be unwise for Xabi Alonso & Co. to rely on Patrik Schick given his injury history, even though he has been in peak form this season.

Moreover, Leverkusen will need to evaluate if any of their three loan players -- Hermoso, Buendía and Nordi Mukiele -- could and should be signed on a permanent deal. Mukiele is an interesting option at right-back from a tactical standpoint.

At the same time, the team might be in need of some fresh blood, with a few ageing players possibly declining next season, with 35-year-old goalkeeper Lukáš Hrádecký and 32-year-old midfielder Jonas Hofmann coming to mind. -- Eckner

AC Milan

Arrivals: FW Santiago Giménez (Feyenoord), DF Kyle Walker (Man City, loan)
Notable departures: DF Davide Calabria (Bologna), FW Álvaro Morata (Galatasaray, loan)

How well did AC Milan meet their transfer needs in January?

The big one, obviously, is the arrival of Santiago Giménez. They were crying out for a top-drawer centre-forward: It may take him some time to settle and at 35m, he represents a commitment, but they have one now. Shifting Álvaro Morata on loan was necessary to keep the books balanced, but in any case, he had developed into more of a No. 10.

Is Kyle Walker an upgrade over Davide Calabria (who joined Bologna) and Emerson Royal at right-back? Maybe, maybe not. Warren Bondo is another dynamic body in midfield, certainly more so than the exiting Ismaël Bennacer.

The gamble is João Félix, who arrives on loan. He's a huge talent who's never quite gotten it together: this has "Uncle" Jorge Mendes' (who also represents coach Sérgio Conceição) fingerprints all over it. It's a weird one too, given his best position are at No. 10 or on the left wing and arguably Milan's two best players -- Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leão -- tend to occupy those roles. Riccardo Sottil is another wide option I guess.

All in all, a lot of wheeling and dealing plus a lot of short-term stuff: other than Gimenez, I don't love any of it.

What transfer needs must they address in the summer?

That's an open-ended question given so many players are on loan or on short-term deals. And obviously, it's all subordinate to whether Conceição does well enough to stick around as manager. Assuming he does, they will have to make a big call on Felix, since he won't come cheap (in terms of transfer fee and wages). If he turns out to be a dud (again), they'll want to find a viable option on the right wing, or a No. 10 and move Pulisic to the right flank on a permanent basis.

The midfield is pretty settled otherwise, though against teams that park the bus, a deep-lying playmaker type might come in handy. At the back, it's anyone's guess. Theo Hernández is a crap shoot -- a liability and superstar rolled into one -- at left back, while right back remains up in the air.

And then there's central defence: they hope Strahinja Pavlovic and Malick Thiaw play well enough to keep the job, but that's by no means guaranteed. Expect them to move again in the market if either comes up short. -- Gab Marcotti

Inter Milan

Arrivals: DF Nicola Zalewski (Roma, loan)
Notable departures: None

How well did Inter Milan meet their transfer needs in January?

Inter have a deep squad, and they got their contract renewals done, at least for the guys they risk losing -- some of the older ones, like Stefan de Vrij, Francesco Acerbi and Matteo Darmian, they can slow-play. Tajon Buchanan was getting no playing time, so it's good that they sent him on loan to Villarreal; Nicola Zalewski, who arrived on loan from Roma, gives manager Simone Inzaghi yet another wide alternative.

All around, job done.

What transfer needs must they address in the summer?

They're actually in pretty good shape. They'll want an alternative in goal to Yann Sommer, who turns 37 thi year, but they hope Filip Stankovic (on loan at Venezia) can be that guy. If they don't extend De Vrij's contract, they could probably use another center back though again, they'll see if Tomas Palacios can provide an in-house solution.

Mehdi Taremi divides opinion as a third striker and they'll want a fourth, but they also feel that in the Esposito brothers (Francesco Pio and Sebastiano) and Martín Satriano, they have kids on loan who could make the grade. Otherwise, they'll look to shift one of them and spend on another striker.

All the above, of course, is contingent on them hanging on to their crown jewels (Alessandro Bastoni, Fede Dimarco, Marcus Thuram, Nicolò Barella and Lautaro Martínez). If the right offer comes in, Inter will cave and then they'll have to find a replacement. -- Marcotti

Juventus

Arrivals: DF Alberto Costa (Vitoria de Guimaraes), DF Lloyd Kelly (Newcastle, loan), DF Renato Veiga (Chelsea, loan), FW Randal Kolo Muani (Paris Saint-Germain, loan)
Departures: MF Arthur Melo (Girona, loan), DF Danilo (Flamengo, loan)

How well did Juventus meet their transfer needs in January?

Juve needed bodies at the back and got them in the form of Alberto Costa from Vitoria Guimaraes, Renato Veiga from Chelsea and Lloyd Kelly from Newcastle, the latter two on loan. It's nothing to write home about, but at least Costa is young.

They failed to find a home for Dusan Vlahovic (he had all the leverage anyway) and that could come back to bite them. Either he extends his deal (with a hefty pay cut), or he'll be a year away from free agency in the summer, which isn't great. As for Randall Kolo Muani, they needed another centre-forward, so I guess there's that. I'm just not excited by any of these names: then again, they're on a budget.

What transfer needs must they address in the summer?

A lot, and a lot will depend on whether they want to continue with Thiago Motta at the helm.

Assuming they do, they'll want to address the centre-forward situation. It's hard to see how Vlahovic can stay -- he'll have a year left on his deal at a monster wage -- and they'll have to decide on Kolo Muani, who is on loan from PSG. Either way, they're OK in terms of wingers, but you could see them sacrificing someone like Kenan Yildiz to raise the funds to strengthen elsewhere, especially if Motta stays. They'll also need to add depth in midfield and decide what they want to do with Weston McKennie.

At the back, it will depend on what condition Bremer and Cabal are in when they return from their long injuries. Making Pierre Kalulu's deal permanent is a no-brainer, but Milan may have other ideas. And, of course, we'll see if Veiga and Kelly make the grade. -- Marcotti