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The 20-year-old has been one of the stars of the season in La Liga, and he is set to be hot property once the transfer window opens

La Liga's February Player of the Month award had an unexpected recipient. It didn't go to Antoine Greizmann, who was spearheading a turn around in fortunes Atletico Madrid. Nor did it go to Ronald Araujo, whose dominance at the back had buoyed a Barcelona European defence that has been the best in Europe this season. Real Madrid superstars Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema were both also snubbed.

Instead, it went to a 20-year-old attacking midfielder who had only broken into a mid-table Celta Vigo side in August. But that player, Gabriel Veiga, was a deserved winner.

The midfielder had led a surging Celta side, pulling the strings for a team pushing up the table, and taking on the mantle of leadership from club legend Iago Aspas. Veiga has now scored nine and assisted four in La Liga in 2022-23, establishing himself as one of the most exciting youngsters in Spanish football.

Now, the rest of Europe has taken notice. Veiga is wanted by a host of clubs, both in Spain and abroad, with many tipping him to be a top-quality attacking midfielder for years to come.

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  Where it all began

  Veiga was born in O Porrino, a stone's throw from Celta's stadium, Balaidos. He joined Celta's academy at 11 and worked his way through the ranks as a promising but not exactly heralded talent.

  He was a distinctly unremarkable midfield product for most of his youth career, and like many in the Celta system, he idolised Aspas. But there was little suggestion that Veiga could reach the Spain international's heights.

  The midfielder instead took his chances as they came, and began to impress for Celta's reserve side as a 17-year-old.

  In 2020, he was handed his first-team debut, and made a smattering of appearances thereafter, including one start, for a Celta side that finished eighth in La Liga.

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• The big break

  Heads first started to turn in the 2021-22 campaign as Veiga scored nine for a Celta B side that finished sixth in the Spanish third tier, and was entrusted with a further 10 appearances for the first team.

  This season, though, things have skyrocketed. Veiga didn't figure to be a regular, but a series of departures in central midfield saw him forced into the picture.

  He settled for a series of appearances off the bench in the opening month, but cracked the starting XI after a star showing against Real Betis last October. Veiga scored the winner, a 30-yard-screamer, to hand his side a 1-0 victory.

  That showing — complete with a memorable goal — was enough to keep Veiga in new manager Carlos Carvahal's line up for good.

• How it's going

  Since then, Veiga has only improved. Previously tasked with being a more conservative box-to-box midfielder, the 20-year-old has been asked to get into advanced areas more regularly, playing as an active No.10 for a Celta side that likes to hit on the break.

  And he's produced a handy return of both goals and assists since the positional shift. Veiga scored the equaliser against Sevilla on December 30, bagged a brace in a 4-3 win over Betis in early February, and scored two of Celta's three in a drubbing of Valladolid at the end of the month.

  The midfielder has become a dangerous attacking threat with his pace and ball carrying ability. He has now created at least one chance in 12 of his last 13 appearances, and ranks in the 96th percentile of successful take-ons among midfielders, per .

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  Biggest strengths

  Despite being quite tall for a playmaker at 5'10 (178cm), Veiga is an excellent dribbler, and uses his power to work his way out of trouble in crowded spots before making driving runs into the final third. That he is able to receive the ball on the half turn and then hit full speed quickly makes him an incredibly difficult player to mark.

  And there's little he can't do when he gets into the right areas. Veiga has scored some terrific goals from distance this year, and has the rare blend of confidence and technique to shoot from outside the box — especially while on the run.

  But the 20-year-old also has a real finesse to his game, too — something he showed with a delightful dink over the keeper in Celta's recent win against Betis.

  Veiga is, then, the perfect attacking midfielder for sides that like to play on the break.

Belgium's greatest goal scorers features some top modern day stars.

Belgium have had many great players representing them internationally, with their so-called Golden Generation of the 2010s in particular making waves.

There's far more to Belgium than their current generation of superstars, though.

Sure, we all know of Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku and Dries Mertens, but what about Marc Wilmots, Belgium's greatest goal-scorer at the World Cup? Or Or all-time greats such as Paul Van Himst and Jan Ceulemans?

Or even Wesley Sonck, who scored against Spain in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, thus ending Iker Casillas and Pepe Reina's 710 minute joint-undefeated streak.

But who is Belgium's most lethal attacker ever?

Let's take a look!

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  1Romelu Lukaku | 72 goals

  The greatest goalscorer Belgium has produced with 72 goals so far, Romelu Lukaku has been part of the national team setup ever since making his debut back in 2010 against Croatia.

  His first goal for the Red Devils came against Russia in November 2010 as part of a brace, while Lukaku scored four goals at the World Cup in 2018 in Belgium's run to the semi-final in what will have been another personal career highlight.

  At the same tournament, he became the first player since Diego Maradona to score two or more goals in consecutive World Cup games, after he scored twice against Panama and Tunisia respectively.

  The former Manchester United striker was the star for Belgium in what was an underwhelming performance by the team at Euro 2020 as he was the only player from his team selected for the UEFA Euro 2020 Team of the Tournament.

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  2Eden Hazard | 33 goals

  Part of Belgium's golden generation for over a decade, Eden Hazard made his debut against Luxembourg, coming on as a substitute in the 67th minute for Wesley Sonck.

  The Chelsea great scored his first goal against Kazakhstan in October 2011, almost three years after making his debut for the national team.

  Hazard has a total of 33 goals so far for Belgium, making him the second-highest goal scorer for his country.

  He also captained Belgium at the 2018 World Cup, leading them to a third-place finish and winning the Silver Ball.

• 3Bernard Voorhoof | 30 goals

  Third on the list of Belgium's all-time top goal scorers is Bernard Voorhoof.

  Voorhoof is one of five known players to have appeared in all three pre-war World Cup tournaments.

  In 1934, he scored twice in the 2-5 defeat to Germany, the first goals Belgium scored at the World Cup.

  The striker was the highest goal scorer for Belgium when he retired, until Paul Van Himst equaled his tally in 1972.

  Voorhoof scored 30 goals in just 61 games for the Red Devils.

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  4Paul Van Himst | 30 goals

  Paul Van Himst made his debut for Belgium on October 19, 1960 in a match against Sweden and quickly became a mainstay in the national team.

  He was part of the Belgian side that finished third at Euro 1972 and amassed 30 goals in 81 appearances for the Red Devils, with his most-clinical performance coming against Israel when he scored a hat-trick in their World Cup qualifier in November 1965.

Exactly how much money have Napoli spent on new players in this millennium?

One of the most famous clubs in Italy, Napoli have been one of the most competitive football teams on the European stage in recent years.

We have seen many great players who feature for them, like Diego Maradona, who needs no introduction. They even named their stadium after the Argentina legend.

Then there's Marek Hamsik, Dries Mertens, and even Edinson Cavani in the modern day, who spent their prime in Naples.

But, all top players eventually left for other clubs leading to Napoli spending towards new talent.

How much did they spend? Was it worth it? Who is Napoli's most expensive signing ever?

Let's take a look!

Napoli most expensive transfers by season

Napoli's top 10 most expensive player signings

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  10Stanislav Lobotka | €21 million | Celta Vigo | 2019

  Napoli signed Stanislav Lobotka in the January transfer window of 2020, paying €21 million for his signature from Celta Vigo.

  The Slovakia international signed a four-year contract with the club and has since then gone on to make over 60 appearances for the Italian club.

  The midfielder had made his debut for Napoli against Juventus in January 2020 when he helped them to a famous 2-1 win.

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  9Matteo Politano | €21 million | Inter | 2021

  One of the most exciting Italian wingers to have broken through the youth academy at Roma in Italy, Matteo Politano moved to Inter from Sassuolo in 2018 on a one-season loan before his move was made permanent in 2019 for €21.10 million.

  After just the first half of his first season at Inter, Politano was offloaded to Napoli on a loan in January 2020 with an obligation to buy in the summer of 2021.

  Napoli later decided to make the move permanent for €21m.

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  8Simone Verdi | €24.50 million | Bologna | 2018

  Considering his impressive performances at youth level, in May 2010, Milan CEO Adriano Galliani announced that Verdi is expected to join the senior team in the 2010-11 season before the forward signed a professional contract with the club.

  But, he couldn't make a single senior official appearance for Milan before being transferred to Torino in 2011 for €1 million.

  Between 2011 to 2015, he featured in just 16 games for Torino while making loan moves to Juve Stabia in 2013 and Empoli from 2013 to 2015, before returning to Milan because they could not agree on a co-ownership deal with Torino. Verdi's future was actually determined by a blind auction which Milan won.

  More loan moves came before Bologna signed Verdi for €6.40m in 2016. Two years later, Napoli came calling, splashing €24.50m on his signature.

  Verdi could just survive one season at Napoli before being loaned to Torino and being sold to them in 2020 for €22m.

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  7Alex Meret | €26 million | Udinese | 2019

  Napoli signed Udinese youth product, goalkeeper Alex Meret on a season-long loan in the summer of 2018 before signing him permanently for a €26 million fee in 2019.

  After an initial rotation with David Ospina in his first two seasons, Meret came to prominence at the club in the 2020 Coppa Italia Final when his penalty saves helped Napoli win the shootout.

  Since 2018, Meret has gone on to make more than 70 appearances for Napoli.

In recent comments made on Twitter, Caught Offside’s Leah Smith claimed that Liverpool have completed the signing of RB Leipzig centre-back, Ibrahima Konate.

So far this season, Liverpool have been extremely unlucky with injuries to their central defenders, with all three of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip being ruled out until the summer.

As a result, Jurgen Klopp brought in both Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies in the January transfer window, however, with Kabak struggling for form somewhat – the 21-year-old has averaged a WhoScored match rating of 6.69 over his eight Premier League appearances – and with Ben Davies having yet to make an appearance for the club, it would seem as if greater depth is still required in the position.

And, according to Smith, Liverpool have just secured the addition of RB Leipzig centre-back, Ibrahima Konate, with the journalist stating on Twitter: “MASSIVE! Ibrahima Konate to Liverpool is DONE and will be official on May 1st, 2021! £32m.”

Transfer Tavern Take

Despite having missed a large part of this season due to a number of injuries – something that could be a slight concern for Liverpool – the signing of Konate would certainly appear to be an impressive one for the Reds, with the former RB Leipzig manager, Ralf Rangnick, stating that the 21-year-old is “so good that he could play for Real Madrid or Barcelona.”

Furthermore, if Smith is to be believed, the £32 million fee Liverpool have paid for the France U21 international would seem to be extremely reasonable, as this figure is only slightly higher than his Tranfermarkt valuation of £31.5 million.

Given Konate’s age, assuming his injury woes don’t follow him to Merseyside, this could be a really astute piece of business.

In other news: ‘Get out of my club’, ‘How can you even tweet this?’ – Lots of Liverpool fans rip into key man – find out more here!

Who got the nod from head coach Herve Renard as Saudi Arabia prepare for 2022 World Cup?

Saudi Arabia will be making their sixth appearance at the World Cup in Qatar.

They first made it to the finals of the tournament in 1994 and made an instant impact as they reached the round of 16 on their debut.

Can the Green Falcons do even better in Qatar?

Well, coach Herve Renard would definitely want to, but he will be well aware of the threat posed by other nations in their pool.

Saudi Arabia have been drawn in Group C along with Argentina, Mexico and Poland.

Not the easiest of groups, but Renard would hope that his troops can cause a couple of upsets and make it to the knockout stages.

Here are the 26 players who will make the trip to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

ALSO READ: World Cup 2022 Group C: Fixtures, results, standings, squads & full details

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  GOALKEEPERS

  Mohammed Al-Owais is the undisputed No.1 for Renard between the sticks. The 30-year-old played a crucial role in Saudi Arabia's World Cup qualification campaign and has started in every international fixture in 2022.

  Mohammed Al Rubiae of Al-Ahli and Fawaz Al-Qarni are likely to be the second and third-choice keepers. Al-Rubaie, 25, has been impressive in the domestic league for Al-Ahli and is a solid option on the bench.

  Nawaf Al-Aqidi is another option between the sticks.

  Name	Club
  Mohammed Al Rubaie	Al-Ahli
  Mohammed Al-Owais	Al-Hilal
  Nawaf Al-Aqidi	Al-Nassr

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  DEFENDERS

  Renard has tried plenty of combinations in the last year to find the right balance in defence.

  Ali Al-Bulaihi has been the most-used centre back, whereas others like Abdulelah Al-Amri, Ziyad Al-Sahafi, and Hassan Tambakti have been used in rotation.

  Sultan Al-Ghanam and Saud Abdulhamid are the two preferred choices at right-back, while Yasser Al-Shahrani and Nasser Al-Dawsari have been mostly deployed at the left-back position.

  Yasser Al-Shahrani is one of the most experienced defenders in the Saudi-Arabian back-line and his presence in Qatar will be vital to keep a check on fiercely offensive opponents like Argentina and Poland.

  Name	Club
  Sultan Al-Ghanam	Al-Nassr
  Abdullah Madu	Al-Nassr
  Abdulelah Al-Amri	Al-Nassr
  Ali Al-Bulaihi	Al-Hilal
  Saud Abdulhamid	Al-Ittihad
  Yasser Al-Shahrani	Al-Hilal
  Hassan Tambakti	Al-Shabab
  Mohammed Al-Breik	Al-Hilal

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  MIDFIELDERS

  Salman Al Faraj and Abdullah Otayf are mostly used as the two defensive midfielders. They play together for Al-Hilal, which benefits their understanding at the centre of the park.

  Salem Al-Dawsari must be one of the first names on the team sheet as he has been sublime for Saudi Arabia on the left wing.

  Hattan Bahebri is another experienced candidate who is usually deployed as an attacking midfielder. The 30-year-old plies his trade with Al-Shabab and is a regular for them.

  Fahad Al-Muwallad, meanwhile, was initially included in the team but was dropped as a precaution as he failed a doping test in February and the case is still going on. Instead, Nawaf al-Abed was called up in his place.

  Name	Club
  Salman Al-Faraj	Al-Hilal
  Salem Al-Dawsari	Al-Hilal
  Ali Al-Hassan	Al-Nassr
  Sami Al-Najei	Al-Nassr
  Nawaf Al-Abed	Al-Shabab
  Nasser Al-Dawsari	Al-Hilal
  Riyadh Sharahili	Abha
  Hattan Bahebri	Al-Shabab
  Mohamed Kanno	Al-Hilal
  Abdullah Otayf	Al-Hilal
  Abdulrahman Al-Aboud	Al-Ittihad

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• ATTACKERS

  Firas Al-Buraikan should be the first choice to lead the lines. The Al-Fateh striker has been hitting the right chords at club level and will be eager to replicate his performances in the World Cup.

  Saleh Al-Shehri was at his prolific best during the qualification stage as he scored seven goals in 13 appearances. He is expected to provide stiff competition to Al-Buraikan.

  Name	Club
  Firas Al-Buraikan	Al-Fateh
  Haitham Asiri	Al-Ahli
  Saleh Al-Shehri	Al-Hilal

GOAL looks at some of the contenders to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as Manchester United manager

Manchester United announced on Sunday that they had parted ways with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and that Michael Carrick would be taking charge temporarily. 

The club confirmed the former midfielder will lead the team in their next games until someone is hired to manage the team on an interim basis until the end of the season. 

It is then expected that a permanent replacement for Solskjaer will be hired. Here GOAL looks at some of the names who have been linked and whether or not they are likely to be making the move.

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  Mauricio Pochettino

  A name that will keep being linked due to United’s long-standing interest. United are admirers of the former Spurs boss and he would be their first choice for taking the position on a permanent basis next summer. They considered appointing him the summer after Jose Mourinho was sacked but Solskjaer ended up getting the job on a permanent basis. When Solskjaer was under pressure last season and Pochettino was out of a job there was a suggestion he had been approached but he went to PSG and Solskjaer stayed put. His current position makes a move now more difficult but a move in the summer could suit all parties and it’s understood he’s interested.

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  Michael Carrick

  For now Carrick is the one who will be taking charge of the team. He was promoted to the first-team coaching staff under Jose Mourinho but has never managed a first team and his lack of experience makes him a temporary replacement rather than an option for the long term. Carrick and Kieran McKenna were the two who would lead sessions under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer so how much of United’s game will change now the Norwegian has gone will remain to be seen.

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  Zinedine Zidane

  Probably the most glamorous name on the list of potential replacements and he’s currently out of work which puts him in the available category unlike a number of the others. Sources were keen to dismiss a move for the Frenchman a couple of weeks ago but it’s someone who could be revisited. However, it’s believed the former Real Madrid coach has reservations about a move and may not consider it even if it was offered.

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  Erik Ten Hag

  Current manager of Ajax which means any potential move becomes more difficult. He’s won two Eredivisie titles with Ajax and got them to the semi-final of the Champions League. He was recently asked about leaving Ajax for a different challenge abroad and he said he was happy where he is. He’s got admirers at Old Trafford and his resolve may be tested if United make a formal approach.

The two Spanish giants have recruited teenage talent from across the world – here are some of the best from the category 2000 and below

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  1Miguel Baeza | Real Madrid

  Baeza has been ever-present for Real Madrid in the 2018-19 Youth League, scoring two goals on the way to help his side become the first to qualify for the quarter-finals. 

  A talented young midfielder with a rocket for a shot, the 18-year-old has impressed all the right people at the Bernabeu. Towards the end of last season he was invited to train with the senior side by Zidane and should be knocking on the doors of the first team sooner rather than later.

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  2Alejandro Marques | Barcelona

  At just 18 this Venezuelan wonderkid is still some way from making his mark on the first team. But he has wasted no time in endearing himself to Barcelona fans after engineering 2018's UEFA Youth League final victory. 

  Marques, who has lived in Spain since he was 13 and previously played in the Espanyol youth set-up, scored a fine double in his club's victory over Chelsea to seal Barca's first-ever title in the competition. He is eligible for both Spain and Venezuela at international level, with both nations keen to secure the services of this natural young goalscorer. 

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  3Juan Miranda | Barcelona

  Miranda's road to the Barca first team will not be easy. In front of the 19-year-old left-back is none other than Jordi Alba, one of the best in the world in his position. 

  The fleeting signs he has shown so far though are encouraging. Miranda made his debut at the tender age of 17, and appeared for the first time in the Champions League in December to hold Tottenham to a draw. 

  He has also been a regular face for his club in their journey to the Copa del Rey final this season, and much is expected of this young prospect.

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• FC Barcelona / Autor: Marc González
  

  4Mateu Morey | Barcelona

  Right-back Morey celebrated his 19th birthday at the start of March, and is among a select group of Barcelona prospects that have already achieved success at club and international level. 

  He was part of Spain's triumphant Under-17 European Championship team in 2017, and the following year played as Barca took the UEFA Youth League title. Bayern Munich have been linked with the teenager's services in the past, but for now Morey looks set to pursue his career at his hometown club.

Glasgow Rangers fans are far from happy with the reported £6m fee they are said to be looking for if they are to sell Filip Helander this summer.

As per Football Insider, both Aston Villa and Leicester City are believed to be interested in making a move for the  £1.8m-valued 27-year-old Sweden international (Transfermarkt). He signed for the Ibrox outfit in the summer of 2019 and, even though he is now approaching the end of his second full campaign at the club, Steven Gerrard’s side are yet to lose with him in the starting line-up (Transfermarkt).

He has plenty of football left ahead of him, while he represents a strong country internationally – as such, the £6m fee the Gers are said to be looking for does feel surprisingly low, even if Transfermarkt rate him significantly lower at just £1.8m.

The Gers supporters, clearly, do not believe the fee mentioned is a true reflection of what he is really worth. The fans took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts on the matter.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Helander news below

“Laughable”

Credit: @gingernator88

“No chance”

Credit: @wilber1955

“That’s an insult. 6 million? Everyone knows for sure if he went to either English team and was outstanding his first season 27/28 or no he’d be off again for crazy money”

Credit: @Scotty24891

“How is it when Rangers players are rumoured with other clubs the fee is always far too low yet when it’s that mob across the city the fees are hicked through the roof, 6 million is a joke we should be looking at least 15million he’s a full international and league winner”

Credit: @gers1973

“Never heard so much nonsense. £6m for a Swedish international… They want his left ear? Not happening”

Credit: @s26mcm

“When Maguire went for £85m it raised eyebrows, £6m for Helander is derisory.”

Credit: @bigaljnr

In other news, Rangers fans are livid at this billboard vandalism.

As the summer transfer market heats up, Goal looks at the big names likely to switch clubs before the start of the new season

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  Gonzalo Higuain

  Gonzalo Higuain's agent may have been talking up the prospect of his brother forming a formidable striking partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo but, in truth, it was obvious from the moment that the Portuguese superstar arrived in Turin that the Argentine attacker's days at Juventus were numbered.

  The only outstanding issue is his next destination. A move to Chelsea would make the most sense, given it would mean a reunion with Maurizio Sarri, under whom Higuain broke the Serie A single-season goals record with Napoli.

  However, AC Milan are desperate to land a prolific goalscorer after Andre Silva's struggles in Serie A last season and are now apparently willing to give Leonardo Bonucci back to the Bianconeri, just a year after the defender joined from Juve, as part of a sensational swap deal.

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  Miralem Pjanic

  Miralem Pjanic is undoubtedly one of Juve's most important players, the creative hub of the Bianconeri midfield, but speculation is mounting that the Bosnian could depart before the close of the transfer window.

  Juve stand to make a huge profit on the €32 million they paid to release Pjanic from his Roma contract in 2016. Indeed, while Pep Guardiola has insisted that Manchester City are not interested, Chelsea, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are all huge admirers of the 28-year-old playmaker.

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  Daniele Rugani

  Ronaldo's arrival in Turin for over €100m means that Juve now have some book-balancing to do and Daniele Rugani is one of the Old Lady's most valuable assets.

  The 23-year-old has never quite exhibited the requisite grit to establish himself as a regular member of the Bianconeri's backline but the two-footed centre-half is as elegant and classy as they come, and would doubtless excel if reunited with former mentor Sarri at Chelsea. 

  As Goal has confirmed, the Blues are locked in talks with Juve over the former Empoli defender and all that remains to be decided is the transfee fee, with the Italian champions pushing for €50m.

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• Alex Sandro

  Juventus refused to allow Alex Sandro move to Chelsea last summer, a decision which undeniably affected the Brazilian's form during the first half of the 2017-18 season.

  However, the Old Lady's stance has now softened, not least because of the return of Leonardo Spinazzola after a successful loan spell at Atalanta.

  Coach Massimiliano Allegri would still like to keep Alex Sandro but Juve would be willing to consider a colossal offer for the versatile 27-year-old left-back, especially if the player doesn't sign a new contract which expires in two seasons.

France's top flight has long been a source of low-cost, high-quality players for some of Europe's biggest clubs. Here's some who could be on the move.

• Gael Kakuta (Amiens)

  Once a highly rated prospect in Chelsea’s youth academy, Gael Kakuta has since globetrotted his way around a variety of clubs from Vitesse to Lazio and Sevilla to Hebei China Fortune. He is at little Amiens on loan from the CSL side and has already stated that he wants to move back to the big time, and after scoring five Ligue 1 goals and broadly impressing upon his return to Ligue 1, there is every chance that he could get his wish.

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  Karl Toko-Ekambi (Angers)

  In January, eyebrows were raised when the 25-year-old Cameroon international striker elected to turn down the opportunity to move to Brighton in the Premier League, where he was being offered four times his salary with Angers. He felt he had unfinished business at Stade Raymond Kopa, where he has scored 13 goals this season – the highest tally for a player outside Ligue 1’s top four. More interest is sure to come in the summer.

• Malcom (Bordeaux)

  One of the breakout talents in Ligue 1 this year, Malcom is his side’s leading scorer with eight tallies, several of them spectacular. The young Brazilian has seen plenty of interest from the Premier League over the course of the season, as well as numerous other big clubs elsewhere. Bordeaux resisted offers in January, but they will not be able to in the summer as well.

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  Damien Da Silva (Caen)

  With only four years top-flight experience under his belt, it may be a little late for the centre-back to secure a really big more, but there is no doubt that the 29-year-old has been one of Ligue 1’s outstanding defensive players for several years. Not only is he solid at the back, but he carries a goal-scoring threat form set pieces and has tallied four times this season. It would not be entirely surprising to see him follow N’Golo Kante’s footsteps with a move to England.