Fans online have torn Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea to pieces after his terrible mistake in the club’s most recent game.

What did David De Gea do against West Ham?

The shot-stopper has been the subject of plenty of debate over the course of the season with many uncertain about his suitability to play the sort of football Erik ten Hag wants to see at Old Trafford.

For instance, journalist Jacque Talbot recently questioned the sense of handing the Spaniard a new contract, accepting that he can make “world-class saves” but insisting “Man United need to progress” beyond just that and get a keeper who is more comfortable with the ball at his feet.

The Red Devils certainly have a big decision to make regarding the player’s future and they’ve already seen an extension worth £200k-per-week reportedly turned down by De Gea as they look to sign him on a new deal where he’ll earn less than his current £375k-per-week.

Well, the 32-year-old did his hopes of getting a big offer plenty of harm on Sunday night in the Premier League when coming up against West Ham United.

Indeed, with the score still at 0-0, winger Said Benrahma broke forward and fired a tame shot at goal from about 25 yards out.

It looked to be trickling harmlessly towards De Gea but the Spaniard somehow made a complete meal of it as he fell to the ground and failed to stop the ball from crossing the line.

As per Opta, De Gea has now made four errors leading to a goal in all competitions this term, which is the joint-most of any Premier League player – he shares the unwanted record with Tottenham Hotpsur’s Hugo Lloris.

It’s safe to say fans online were rather brutal when responding to the shocking mistake. Here are some of the best reactions…

Man United fans just couldn’t seem to believe what they were seeing…

Rangers have suffered a "big blow" with the news that Connor Goldson and Ryan Kent may be ruled out against Celtic, according to former player Alan Hutton.

What's the latest Rangers injury news?

The Gers have a number of injury issues to deal with heading into this Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic, with Ryan Jack set to miss out for a few more weeks, while striker Antonio Colak is also considered a doubt.

Goldson has missed the last three games due to an injury problem, with Kent missing the last two, and Hutton has now claimed the duo are unlikely to feature against Celtic on Sunday.

In an interview with Football Insider, the former Rangers man insisted that he does not expect to see too many changes to the side that were defeated 2-0 against Aberdeen last time out, saying: “Goldson looks like he is going to be missed from what I hear.

“Kent as well, they could be a big blow for Rangers moving forward. Unless they come back in and declare themselves fit, I do not see much change [to the team] from what we saw at the weekend.

“It was not a great result but the performance was not as bad as people think. So I do not really see too many changes from that game the other day.“

Will Goldson and Kent be fit to play on Sunday?

There are conflicting reports as to whether Goldson will be able to feature against Celtic this weekend, as Michael Beale has previously claimed he will be fit to play, so it remains to be seen whether the centre-back makes the starting XI.

If the £37k-per-week defender does get the nod at the back, it will be a welcome boost for the Light Blues, considering he is ranked by Sofascore as their fourth-best performing player in the Scottish Premiership this season, averaging a 7.27 match rating.

Kent has yet again hit double figures for assists in the Scottish Premiership, most recently setting up Malik Tillman's second goal in the 2-0 victory against Dundee United, and journalist Joshua Barrie has claimed the £18k-per-week winger looks an improved player since Beale took over as manager.

Both players what it takes to beat Celtic at Hampden, having started in last year's 2-1 victory in the Scottish Cup semi-final, so it will be a real blow for Beale if neither are available to play on Sunday.

A dramatic Yorkshire collapse gave Somerset hope of pushing for victory on the final day if the weather stays clear

David Hopps at Taunton17-May-2016
ScorecardAdam Lyth reached his hundred but few other Yorkshire batsmen prospered•Getty Images

“If the cockerel’s arse is in the grass then it’s going to rain.” So revealed one of the Taunton stewards, gesturing at the weather vane on the top of St James’ Church which had its back firmly turned on the exertions below on the County Ground. “That was one of the first things I was ever told when I started working here. It sounded quite rude at the time.”When the cockerel swung round just enough for play to resume under sullen skies it presaged a remarkable passage of play in which Somerset claimed five wickets for 11 runs in 29 deliveries with the second new ball. Tim Groenewald stood out on a freshened pitch, only for Yorkshire to refuse to yield in a felicitous, unbroken last-wicket stand of 69 between Steven Patterson and Jack Brooks. Somerset still lead by 256 – the follow-on seemingly inevitable – but failure to make inroads into Yorkshire’s second innings has undermined their chance of victory.Presumably such an unexpected twist would have disappointed the cockerel which can be presumed to retain a Somerset affinity, even if its roost came under attack in 2003 when Ian Blackwell, one of the cleanest hitters in the county’s history, struck the church tower during the fastest first-class 200 ever made by an Englishman.This slice of Somerset folklore will prey on a few minds on the final day. The forecast is for more prolonged bursts of rain and it won’t require too many “gurt big clouds” heading for the square for Yorkshire to escape with their unbeaten record intact.For all the late excitement at Taunton, weather interruptions combined with too many dead pitches can be expected to deliver another collection of the draws that are dominating the Championship season. Every victory stolen from this Summer of Stalemate takes on huge importance. Warwickshire won it under Nick Knight’s captaincy with five wins in 2004 and a repeat could be on the cards.Since choosing to bowl and conceding 562 for 7 Yorkshire’s only task has been to save this game. Although they began this diligently enough, with 127 for 1 logged by the close of the second day, and although Adam Lyth went on to complete his hundred before lunch before edging Lewis Gregory to slip on 106, none of the other left-handers who fill Yorkshire’s top five looked in form and there followed calamity against the new ball after tea before Patterson and Brooks plotted an escape route.Lyth often prospers at Taunton and an uppercut six against Jamie Overton which damaged a chair in front of the Colin Atkinson pavilion and a cover drive against Peter Trego completed the transformation of his overnight 80 into a hundred. Others struggled: Will Rhodes fell hooking Trego and Andrew Gale’s edge to slip gave left-arm spinner Jack Leach his only wicket of the day.Regular interruptions then held the day captive, stealing 36 overs in all. It all seemed to leave Julian Cattanach, Somerset’s PA announcer, somewhat disorientated. Resumptions of play were twice announced an hour later than actuality, so encouraging the theory that he was on European time, some sort of gesture perhaps towards the forthcoming EU elections. Cattanach was asked if this perhaps revealed his voting intentions, but he responded in Latin so nobody was any the wiser.Making the best of it during such stoppages is a county cricket thing: how can it not be with the English climate and the dead tramp of contracting media coverage? If you want to change the world then Cattanach’s happy knack for impromptu impressions – Margaret Thatcher morphing into Chris Eubank with barely a pause for breath – might not adequately fill your day, but it passed the time for those of lesser ambition before the skies lightened and, in what had appeared to be the dregs of the day, Somerset revived their chances of victory in a trice.Lewis Gregory began the collapse, treating Jack Leaning to a successive lbw appeal and play and miss before having him caught at the wicket. Adil Rashid was sent back looking for a third by Gary Ballance as Tom Abell, from backward point, retrieved at third man. Tim Groenewald then took 3 for 5 in 8 balls in a controlled burst, Ballance and Liam Plunkett caught at the wicket, pushing defensively and Andrew Hodd cleaned up, middle stump.More seemed sure to follow; nothing did. Cattanach, whose forefathers were on the wrong side at Glen Coe, left with the expression of a man inured to disappointment.

Chelsea are still reportedly interested in signing Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar this summer, in what could be an audacious swoop.

Is Neymar leaving PSG this summer?

The 31-year-old is one of the most celebrated footballers of his generation, enjoying great success at both club and international level down the years. He is Brazil's all-time record goalscorer, netting 77 times for his country, and he has also won one Champions League title and six league crowns in his career, during spells at Barcelona and PSG.

It could be that Neymar leaves his current club at the end of the season, however, with supporters recently gathering outside his house to call for his exit. His current deal expires in 2025, and with the Ligue 1 giants potentially look to change their approach and bring in younger talent moving forward, it could be that the Brazilian leaves, along with the likes of Lionel Messi and Marco Verratti.

Chelsea are one of the clubs who have been linked with an eye-catching swoop for the £606,000-a-week attacker, and now a fresh update emerged regarding his future.

Could Chelsea seal audacious Neymar swoop?

According to UOL journalist Bruno Andrade [via Sport Witness], Neymar is willing to leave PSG this summer, having initially not wanted to move on. A move to the Premier League seems to be the most likely outcome, with Chelsea potentially the front-runners to acquire his services.

It doesn't look as though the forward will be a target for Newcastle United, further clearing the Blues' path, although Manchester United are providing competition.

While Neymar is an outrageously talented footballer – one who has been called a "genius" by Brazil legend Roberto Carlos in the past – there does feel like a lot of risk behind Chelsea signing him at this point in his career. Firstly, his price tag and wages will likely be eye-watering, while the fact that he is now 31 means that the Blues wouldn't be signing him at the absolute peak of his powers.

Whether he would have the work ethic and desire to be a success under Pochettino remains to be seen, and while he flourished with him in charge at PSG, the Premier League is a very different challenge. Chelsea need to be signing players who are willing to fight for the cause week in, week out, and they arguably wouldn't be getting that with Neymar, considering he has averaged just 0.1 clearances and 0.2 interceptions per game in Ligue 1 this season.

Vernon Philander is looking to reinvent himself as a Test allrounder as he seeks to regain his place in the South Africa team. Philander sat out most of the 2015-16 summer after tearing ankle ligaments during the warm-ups before the Bangalore Test in November. The injury kept him out of seven of the eight Tests in the season and all the limited-overs fixtures, and saw him lose ground to a younger crop, including Kagiso Rabada. But Philander is hopeful he can still bring something to the national side.”What I do is unique: I do what I do. When it comes to the batting side of things, that’s a bonus as well,” Philander said at a sponsorship announcement on Wednesday. “We are all different types of bowlers in that set-up. It’s all about combinations at the end of the day. I’ve played a couple of crucial innings towards the back end. Batting at No.8 is just unique. If you have a guy who can bat at 8, that makes a difference. So yes, my all-round ability is something, I would like to see that still being part of the fold. That’s what I bring to the party.”Not only was Philander the fastest South African to 100 Test wickets but he has also scored four fifties in 32 Tests. With South Africa’s Test slide from No.1 to No.6 in the space of five months, it’s easy to see why they might want to recall someone with Philander’s record. However, with Dale Steyn back in the Test frame, Philander will need to replace one of the other pacers, such as Kyle Abbott. South Africa are still searching for an allrounder and they last used Chris Morris in the role but Philander hopes he can claim that spot despite a lack of recent game time.Since his injury, Philander has played only two first-class matches for his franchise but believes he has recovered well enough to be recalled. “The first match was touch-and-go from the mental side of things. The second one was much better,” he said. “I have been working hard in the gym. I am getting tired of the gym actually. The body is feeling good and I am looking forward to the season.”In the two matches, Philander bowled 33 overs and took five wickets at an economy of 2.18, showing signs of his usual miserly self. He also scored 64 runs in three innings. Philander had secured a short county stint, but failed to get a deal and was also not selected for South Africa’s ODI tri-series in the Caribbean next month. Instead, he hopes he will be picked for the A side and then the Test side to play two matches against New Zealand in August.”I know there is an A side tour going to Zimbabwe and I will probably want to play those four-day games before the New Zealand series, if selected. I am probably looking to get ready for that.”

Journalist Dean Jones has claimed that Newcastle United winger Miguel Almiron could be sold sooner than expected due to the way the club continues to grow.

What's the latest on Almiron and NUFC?

It wasn't that long ago that the Magpies were fighting for their lives at the bottom of the division. However, thanks to a change in ownership, they are now almost certain to finish in the top four and secure Champions League football next season.

With that being the case, some players may soon be judged as not quite good enough for that step up. And so, there are plenty of players fighting for their future at the club.

One surprising name that could be at risk is Almiron. Eddie Howe has certainly favoured playing the winger at times, with the £60k-p/w man playing 29 times in the Premier League scoring 11 goals – his best ever in a single campaign in England.

However, in recent weeks, following an injury, the 29-year-old has struggled for regular minutes, starting once in the last four league outings for the Magpies.

And when talking about this little dip in form on the latest episode of Chasing Green Arrows, Jones suggested that the Howe-favourite could soon be replaced in the transfer market due to the rapid growth of Newcastle under their new ownership.

He explained (19:25): “I'm not even sure Almiron stays around the club for much longer the way that Newcastle are moving forward.

"You just don't know how fast they're going to evolve.”

Why would Newcastle sell Almiron?

In the first stages of the season, Almrion was in great form and manager Howe noted this. Indeed, speaking to the press in October he told the press (via the Independent): "For me, he’s given me everything from day one, very committed to the team. He’s a real team player and he’s getting the recognition that he deserves. You can’t underestimate the quality of the goals that he’s delivered for us.

“I don’t think I’ve noticed a difference in his character. He’s been very consistent – that’s a strength – he’s been very happy every day, very pleased to be part of the team, has very close friends within the squad.

“What I have noticed is a real confidence in his training, in his technical delivery of what we’re asking him to do – I think that’s definitely gone up a level.”

With that being the case, it would be a shock if Howe was to decide to offload Almiron in the summer but he hasn't been at his best since the turn of the year.

Indeed, only two of his 11 league goals have come in 2023 so far. With that being the case, his form has been closer to what it was before the current manager took charge – when his top goalscoring season saw him deliver just four strikes.

If NUFC want to go to the top, they will have to be ruthless and maybe Almiron could be the first notable casualty of that. Only time will tell.

According to journalist Paul Brown, Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has an 'outside chance' of leaving the Emirates Stadium this summer as rumours continue to swirl over his future.

What's the latest transfer news involving Granit Xhaka?

As per Sky Sports, Bayer Leverkusen are keen on signing Xhaka from Arsenal, though any deal is more likely to take place in the summer of 2024 when his £120k-a-week contract in north London expires.

The report states that Bayer Leverkusen see the Switzerland international as an 'aggressive leader' who can marshal their midfield and the player is also said to be open to completing a transfer.

Intriguingly, The Sun have claimed that Xhaka could actually look to depart the Emirates in the upcoming off-season and Mikel Arteta won't stand in his way if he desires a new challenge.

Arsenal are in the market for midfield reinforcements, with West Ham United man Declan Rice being one name on their radar, which could prompt Xhaka to seek an exit to avoid being on the periphery in his last year at the Gunners.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown thinks that there is a slim possibility that Xhaka could leave Arsenal in the forthcoming transfer window.

Brown said: "I think there's an outside chance that Granit Xhaka might leave. The thing that people don't realise about him is that while he has a lot of critics for what he does on the pitch sometimes, he is actually quite an important part of that squad behind the scenes. He's always been one of the loudest voices in the dressing room, the younger players do really respect him and look up to him."

Should Arsenal let go of Granit Xhaka this summer?

Xhaka has been a pivotal player for Arsenal this campaign in their Premier League title challenge and it would be a shame if his time in north London was to end this summer.

In 2022/23, the 30-year-old has made 44 appearances for the Gunners in all competitions, registering seven goals and seven assists, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored show that Xhaka has obtained an average rating of 6.99/10 for his exploits on the field, making him Arsenal's sixth-most consistent performer this term behind Thomas Partey, Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus.

Nevertheless, Xhaka only has a year left on his deal and is 31 in September, making him an outlier in a youthful Gunners squad, which could mean that a mutual parting of ways in 2024 is the best option for everyone involved.

Brendon McCullum has been brought in to help upgrade Middlesex’s white-ball cricket but as Hampshire’s spinners took control at Radlett the task looked far from easy

Will Macpherson at Radlett07-Jun-2016
ScorecardLiam Dawson led Hampshire to victory•Chris Whiteoak

There was something rather contradictory, yet ever so appropriate, about Brendon McCullum’s first meaningful act as a Middlesex player taking place at Radlett.Beyond the fact that Radlett is not actually in Middlesex (it is in Hertfordshire), it is a funny little place. So little, in fact, that T20 cricket – the game from which McCullum now makes his living – cannot be played here. The boundaries are just too diddy, as the New Zealander showed in this Royal London Cup fixture with four simply-struck sixes in his 74. One easily cleared the sightscreen, another – towards cow – hit a tree 15 metres up.But Radlett is also the ground that proves that Middlesex, like the All Blacks, and like McCullum’s Black Caps, as he so eloquently explained when giving the Cowdrey Lecture on Monday evening, have a no-d*ckheads policy.It has a different name in these parts – Angus Fraser speaks of the ‘Middlesex DNA’ – but the comparison rings true. When the county played at Radlett in previous years, it had been felt that one end, which leads down to a clear field, meant that plenty of time was being wasted chasing the ball. So, this off-season, Middlesex’s squad were brought up here, and they built a fence. This was not just a practical benefit for Radlett and Middlesex, but a neat team-building exercise too.Dawson’s Lions lift

Liam Dawson, Hampshire’s match-winner, said he felt his time with the England Lions last winter had helped his all-round game and added: “This is a great win. We have been struggling in one-day cricket recently, and we have been a little bit low in confidence across all formats so it’s nice to start this competition this year with two wins.
“Chasing down targets is something I have got better at over the last year or so. My game awareness is better. I had a few thick edges and a little bit of luck but you need that in one-day cricket. I enjoy the 50-over competition and this victory is a real boost to our dressing room.
“I think Mason Crane and myself complement each other well as spinners. Mason’s young and will bowl some bad balls but we have to accept that at the moment because he is a wicket-taker and, in this type if cricket, if you keep taking wickets in the middle overs you are always in the game.”

The game, however, was less impressive for Middlesex and went a long way to explaining why they were so keen to bring a white-ball cricketer of McCullum’s pedigree and calibre to the club.His innings had got them off to a flyer on a slow pitch yet, having been 190 for 2 in the 30th over, they contrived to limp to just 295, with Mason Crane’s legspin claiming four vital wickets, including McCullum himself, a ball after he had plonked him down the ground for six.Then, after a two-hour rain delay spat out a DLS equation that seemed to favour Middlesex (the visitors needed 202 from 26 overs), Hampshire cruised home with greater ease than the scorecard – three balls remaining – suggested. Middlesex, as McCullum’s T20 debut v Gloucestershire proved last Thursday, still do not know how to close out white-ball games.That they did not was largely down to Liam Dawson, who shared 89 in nine overs to turn the game with Sean Ervine, and finished unbeaten on 68 from 40. Dawson, such a canny cricketer, pulled beautifully and knew exactly where the gaps in the deep lay, with the six twos he found proving vital.Middlesex managed to feed the strengths of both he and Ervine, who was rather more belligerent in his approach, with only Toby Roland-Jones, who earlier claimed the vital wicket of Jimmy Adams, caught at deep cover, able to limit scoring.Shortly after Adams fell, Paul Stirling, who, with damp ball in hand, would be relentlessly attacked by Ervine and Dawson, had Adam Wheater stumped outside off and Middlesex were back in control. Dawson, even after James Fuller yorked Ervine, always looked to have a tricky chase in hand. His non-playing role in the England squad at the World T20 is unlikely to be his last involvement with the national side.Middlesex’s innings had seen a progression of batsmen get settled, and then, emboldened by McCullum’s gung-hoism, depart. The top three breezed to 190 but Crane bowled Dawid Malan and McCullum’s knock – not always fluent but with those brilliant wrists and powerful forearms to the fore – came to end when he tamely edged a turner to slip. Nick Gubbins, as strong on the cut as ever, was pinned in front trying to flick to leg.And that is when the stuttering started. Eoin Morgan looked ready to explode, a beautiful late cut followed by a fine cover drive and a six down the ground, but then – with 19-year-old Crane bowling the first ball of a new spell – he slapped straight to deep midwicket.Crane had seemed unperturbed by being given some tap – his ten overs did cost 80 compared to Dawson’s 32 – but he returned to bowl the 46th over, dismissed a fourth set batsman, James Franklin, and ended Middlesex’s hopes of the score their start had demanded: all but one of the top seven passed 20 but none reached 75. All of which, as Dawson calmly negotiated the target Hampshire’s spin pairing had set up, seemed very important indeed.

Azhar Ali made his second century in two innings as they eased to 363 for 5 while Misbah-ul-Haq spent useful time in the middle albeit against a weakened Sussex attack

Andrew McGlashan at Hove08-Jul-2016
ScorecardThis was a gentle day by the seaside for the Pakistanis. Azhar Ali made his second century in two innings as they eased to 363 for 5 while Misbah-ul-Haq spent useful time in the middle albeit against a weakened Sussex attack.Azhar, who reached his hundred from 205 balls, and Younis Khan added 125 for the third wicket. Azhar then put on a further 146 with Misbah; their three-figure stand came up when the Pakistan Test vice-captain swept a six over the roof of the pavilion at square-leg. The over-rate for the day was so good that the innings was only one short of the mandatory 100 overs by stumps.Sussex had only returned home at 3am following last night’s T20 match against Glamorgan in Cardiff, so the five players from that fixture who were named in this XI could be forgiven for being a touch bleary-eyed.One of those who did not make the trek to Wales and back was debutant Jofra Archer, a former West Indies Under-19 allrounder with a British passport who is aiming to secure a full-time contract with Sussex, and he enjoyed a memorable first day in first-class cricket, finishing with 4 for 49 in a wholehearted display of nippy seam bowling. “I hope I’ve put my foot in the door,” he said. “The coach said just enjoy it, but I was a bit nervous.”A telling part of the day came early on and reinforced that England will view Pakistan’s opening pair as a weak link to target. Shan Masood became Archer’s maiden first-class wicket when he struck with his 11th ball, finding a touch of extra bounce as he slanted the ball across the batsman to take the outside edge.Archer’s morning got better when he trapped Mohammad Hafeez, who had been dropped on 15, playing across a full delivery. This meant that Hafeez’s first three innings on the tour had failed to produce a substantial score or substantial time in the middle.Pakistan would have been 53 for 3 had Azhar been taken low at second slip by Harry Finch, the drop denying club debutant, Abidine Sakande, a wicket. It was not, though, a day without good news for Sakande, who found out he had achieved a 2:1 in a Human Science degree from Oxford University.Younis escaped an inside edge past the stumps off Ajmal Shahzad before reaching double figures, but he and Azhar soon settled against bowling that, from the seamers other than Archer, veered far too frequently into the pads.A lapse in concentration, or the feeling that enough was enough, appeared the likely route to a wicket and so it proved during the afternoon session when Younis advanced at Danny Briggs but only picked out mid-off.During their innings, Younis and Azhar both passed milestones: 16,000 and 8,000 first-class runs respectively. That the junior partner has half felt quite apt; sooner rather than later the baton will be passed as the fulcrum of Pakistan’s batting.Azhar’s average outside of Asia is 28.70 compared with 52.36 in UAE, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh combined but he has the defensive technique to withstand England’s bowlers. This is a tour for him to cement his senior standing in the batting order in conditions he has found less comfortable.He was dropped again on 57 at deep mid-off, then on 72 an outside edge ran fine of first slip. He eventually brought up his century after tea with his 16th boundary from 205 balls.Misbah was not entirely convincing to begin with but in the final session settled into his familiar block-and-bash mode against the spinners as Briggs and Will Beer operated in tandem. He skewed one lofted shot against Briggs over mid-off then started to pick off Beer: it was a shame a young legspinner only bowled seven overs in the day, they have to bowl to learn. Misbah’s fifty came off 65 balls when he swept Briggs for his ninth four. Moeen Ali will be in for a challenge if he has to bowl extended spells during the series.Sussex took the new ball as soon as it became available and in the fourth over, Archer claimed his third wicket of the day when Misbah padded up to a ball that would have taken off stump. Archer struck again when Azhar was late on a pull and was taken by the keeper. It is the mark of a promising bowler when his last spell of the day can be as good as the first.

Newcastle United were the first side to travel in person to watch transfer target Gabri Veiga and Celta Vigo could be powerless to stop the midfielder moving to Tyneside, according to a new report from Spain.

The Magpies have done brilliantly under Eddie Howe this season, losing just four games in the Premier League all season. Having drawn 11 times, there is also huge potential for Newcastle to improve and further threaten the so-called 'Big Six' given that they now dwarf every club in the world in terms of owner wealth.

What is the latest on Gabri Veiga to Newcastle?

AS journalist Manu Sainz reports that Real Madrid have bid for the 20-year-old but that he is not considered to be "close" to joining the Champions League holders. Given that Jude Bellingham is closing in on a move to the Santiago Bernabeu, it would be surprising to see them sign another midfielder given the wealth of talent available to Carlo Ancelotti in that department.

Liverpool is another side mentioned in Sainz's report but he states that “Newcastle is a club that were the first to travel to Vigo to monitor him and you know they are willing to pay the €40m of his release clause".

Given Newcastle United's wealth since their takeover, it's unlikely that a €40m (£35m) fee would stand in the way of signing Veiga. Crucially, Sainz reports that with the ball in "Veiga’s court" – it's up to the player himself to decide between the three options at hand. If Newcastle submit a €40m (£35m) offer to trigger his release clause, Celta Vigo will be powerless to stop him leaving.

How would Veiga fit in at Newcastle United?

The Spaniard, dubbed a "very interesting" talent by scouts, is able to play in a variety of positions much like many other attackers in the modern game. While he is a natural attacking midfielder, he has played 64% of his games in central midfield this season. Signing him or a player of his profile would allow Newcastle greater tactical flexibility in-game – Veiga can play as a central midfielder, as a no.10, on the right wing and even played as a striker once this season.

In La Liga, Veiga has scored nine goals while laying on four assists for teammates. Howe has shown a preference for midfielders that can score as well as contribute to build-up play, though they also need to prove that they can play the ugly side of the game – Joelinton leads the top flight in yellow cards for example..

All in all, Veiga would be a fine signing especially if he's recruited with a view to alleviating stress and fatigue on starters with Champions League football all but guaranteed at St. James Park for the 2023/24 season.