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Manchester United would reportedly be willing to trigger the release clause for Celta Viga midfielder Gabri Veiga this summer.

The Lowdown: Veiga profiled

Veiga is just 20 years of age and has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the last 12 months, with his Transfermarkt valuation rocketing from €1.5m to a career-high €30m.

Primarily an attacking midfielder who can also play in a central midfield role, Veiga has made 29 appearances during the current campaign, scoring nine times and registering three assists.

The Spain U21 international has previously been hailed ‘amazing’ by talent scout Jacek Kulig and was linked with a move to Old Trafford last month. The Red Devils were on the lookout for Veiga and were monitoring the player alongside Arsenal and Newcastle last month, and there has now been a further off-field update.

The Latest: United update

Spanish outlet AS shared an update regarding Veiga in the last 48 hours, citing interest from United. They said that Manchester City and Liverpool have joined the Red Devils, Arsenal and Newcastle in the race for the midfielder, with any of the named clubs willing to pay his €40m (£35.2m) termination clause.

Veiga also appears to have interest from sides in Italy and Spain and could be about to change his representatives ahead of the summer window.

The Verdict: Shrewd move?

Erik ten Hag appears to be on the hunt for a new midfielder and striker this summer, so Veiga could be a player of interest and a possible star in the making, potentially at Old Trafford.

He’s been described as one of the fashionable players in La Liga and is clearly a player in demand, and you could argue that there is room for Veiga in Manchester heading into Ten Hag’s second season.

The United boss has just one out-and-out attacking midfielder on the books in Bruno Fernandes, so Veiga could come in and learn from the Portugal international as he continues to develop. You’d expect he’d also be able to continue featuring regularly in the first-team setup following his successful season with his current employers, with United on course to be playing in four separate competitions once again next season.

He could look to help take the workload off Fernandes at points while also providing Ten Hag with another exciting midfield option, and at just over £35m, a transfer could prove to be a shrewd one both in the sort and long run.

Tottenham Hotspur are looking to tie down the future of their 19-year-old winger, Romaine Mundle, in north London ahead of the summer.

Are Spurs in a crisis?

There is a lot going on behind the scenes in north London currently with the club having recently lost their manager and director of football.

And on the pitch, things are not much better with the Lilywhites now having gone six away games across all competitions without a victory.

Their last win away from home came back in January when they faced the Championship side Preston North End in the FA Cup.

Meanwhile, the club have the ongoing headache of whether Harry Kane will put pen to paper on a new deal to secure his foreseeable future in north London.

However, there is another name the club are seemingly looking to tie down in N17 and that is the 19-year-old prospect, Mundle.

The youngster's contract with Spurs is set to expire at the end of the campaign, but talks are believed to be ongoing to extend his stay.

Indeed, speaking on his YouTube channel, journalist Alasdair Gold has claimed the club are working to secure the future of one of their young talents despite him still waiting to make his senior debut:

(42:00) "His contract runs out this summer, Spurs don't have any more options to take on it. There have been discussions and conversations about extending it.

"But like I say, he's now kind of up there in the first-team. Spurs see him as a part of their long-term future. I guess they've just got to convince him that that can actually happen."

Is Spurs the best place for Mundle to develop?

Tottenham currently have two academy products playing in their starting XI in the form of Kane and Oliver Skipp who is stepping in for the injured Rodrigo Bentancur.

However, the midfielder is the latest of the academy products to make a real impact on the first team having now racked up 73 appearances for the Lilywhites (via Transfermarkt).

The likes of Alfie Devine have featured on the Spurs bench this season, but his only senior minutes have come in the FA Cup against Portsmouth.

So it will be interesting to see whether Mundle is keen to commit his future to the north London side given he is still yet to be given an opportunity like Devine.

The youngster has recently featured in the matchday squad in the games against Nottingham Forest and Everton, however, his only minutes have come in the youth sides (via Transfermarkt).

With this in mind, perhaps the managerial situation could bear a big influence on the 19-year-old's decision with a manager in the mold of Antonio Conte clearly not the best figure to work under for the youth players.

Whereas, if Spurs were to bring in a manager like Mauricio Pochettino who puts a lot of trust in youth, it could prove a positive factor that could see Mundle tie his future down to north London.

Arsenal's run to this potential Premier League title has been a tumultuous one, having overcome numerous setbacks to maintain their status as leading the pack for some time.

However, Manchester City remain frighteningly close to the Gunners; a feeling that Liverpool fans would be all too accustomed to.

When seeking out league titles, a squad cannot remain wholly reliant on just the starting XI to carry them to glory. It would be foolish to assume that everyone would stay fit for all 38 games, and so adequate depth is required to maintain a charge.

Whilst the Cityzens arguably have some of the best squad depth in history, given their untold riches and unabashed approach to spending it, the north London outfit are not blessed with such benefits.

They have been forced to rely on relics from previous regimes or academy graduates who are not quite up to standard to fill their gaps, but such is with any great manager, Mikel Arteta has managed to get them to raise their level.

It is therefore not outlandish to suggest that without the exploits of Eddie Nketiah, who featured heavily whilst Gabriel Jesus recovered from his knee surgery, this title race would already be over, back in Pep Guardiola's hands.

How has Eddie Nketiah played this season?

When play was halted for an unprecedented mid-season World Cup, every team sent their players off praying they would return with a clean bill of health.

However, before the group stages were even up it was revealed that their Brazilian marksman, who had enjoyed such a blistering start to life at the Emirates, would be ruled out for months. The former Cityzen had secured eight goal contributions in his first eight league games.

There was something of an inquest as to who might deputise in his absence, and who could possibly offer what the 26-year-old had done with regard to leading the press.

Handed his chance to shine, Nketiah took it with both hands, and the £100k-per-week finisher scored four goals across five games that spanned from late December into January. This bridged the gap towards Jesus' return date, whilst also allowing them to acquire a supplementary forward in Leandro Trossard who would add more creativity.

Although these have been the only four goals the 23-year-old has scored all season, his work during that nine-game period of starts was integral as they would lose just twice.

An ankle injury has since ruled the striker out, but with his 5 foot 9 teammate now back from injury, his work is done. Considering he was branded "useless" by writer Ifreke Inyang in late 2022, Nketiah's stint through the centre served to prove himself as a wholly necessary character in keeping the title race alive with just eight games left for the leaders to play.

Celtic moved one small step closer to securing a second successive league title after recording a 1-1 draw at home to Motherwell on Saturday afternoon, with the Old Firm giants now just two wins away from being crowned as champions.

While Ange Postecoglou's men may be rather frustrated to have dropped two points after winning their previous 12 Scottish Premiership games, that stalemate has ensured that the Hoops have remarkably still only lost once in the top flight all season.

It had initially looked set to be yet another routine victory for the Glasgow side as long-serving captain Callum McGregor netted early on through a deflected, long-range effort, only for Well's main marksman, Kevin van Veen, to equalise just after the break with his 20th Scottish Premiership goal of the season.

Despite the overall disappointment of enduring a rare home outing without a win, one standout figure was undoubtedly that of goalscorer, McGregor, with the 29-year-old having brought 'such a calmness to the team', as per Glasgow Live's Alan Galindo.

The Scotland international – who led the way with his 8.3 match rating, as per Sofascore – notably enjoyed a stunning pass accuracy rate of 95% from his 125 touches as a marker of his innate composure on the ball, having also been an effective presence defensively after winning seven of his 11 total duels.

The influential skipper wasn't alone in having been a shining light for Postecoglou's side, however, with fellow midfielder Matt O'Riley having also shown why he is a simply 'sublime footballer', as per Celtic Way's Tony Haggerty.

How did O'Riley perform against Motherwell?

Fresh from bagging a brace in the thumping win over Kilmarnock last weekend, the "wonderful" talent – as previously hailed by Ross County boss Malky Mackay – was again a real 'joy to watch', as per Haggerty, having run the show in his playmaking berth.

The Denmark U21 international was a real thorn in the side of the opposition due to his relentless creative threat, having provided a stellar haul of five key passes from his 108 touches – by far the most of any player for either side.

Hailed as 'the man in form' by Galindo, the 22-year-old also completed all three of his attempted dribbles and created two big chances, notably sliding in Kyogo Furuhashi on the hour mark.

Despite losing possession on 35 occasions, the £12k-per-week dynamo also offered real quality in a defensive sense after winning seven ground duels in his 79-minute outing, with it no surprise to see the former MK Dons man record an impressive 7.9 match rating, as per Sofascore – second only to that of McGregor.

While such an impactful display could not ultimately lead the Bhoys to victory – with January arrival Oh Hyeon-gyu missing a gilt-edged chance late on – it will be encouraging to see O'Riley looking back to his best, ahead of next week's Scottish Cup, semi-final showdown with Rangers.

Tottenham Hotspur manager target Vincent Kompany reportedly wants to stay at Burnley for the next Premier League season, according to Pete O'Rourke.

What's the latest on Kompany to Spurs?

The 37-year-old has been very regularly mentioned as a candidate for the Spurs job in recent weeks, with reports even claiming he is chairman Daniel Levy's top choice to replace Antonio Conte.

Lilywhites chiefs have apparently been impressed by Kompany's work in the Championship this season, leading to Levy considering a move for him more seriously.

It's also been rumoured that the Belgian is happy to speak with Spurs over their vacant managerial role, coming amid links to former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique and ex-Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann as well.

There is apparently division within Spurs over who should take the reins next campaign, with members of the squad calling for Mauricio Pochettino's sensational return whilst Levy favours Kompany (The Daily Mail).

It's set to be a very interesting few weeks in the Tottenham manager chase, especially as London rivals Chelsea reportedly target a move for the likes of Enrique who is also wanted at N17.

Going back to the 'unbelievable' (Jonny Bentley) Kompany, reporter O'Rourke has shared an update on Tottenham's chances of hiring the Man City legend, and it isn't good news.

Writing in a column for Football Insider, the journalist claims Burnley's boss is flattered by links to Spurs, but he is insistent on remaining at Turf Moor to help maintain their top flight status next season.

O'Rourke wrote:

"The future of Kompany is also a big talking point amid reported interest from Tottenham and Chelsea. I’m told the interest is flattering for the Clarets boss, but he wants to give it a crack with Burnley in the Premier League after his work to return them to the top tier. Despite the extensive links and speculation, it is unlikely that Kompany will take another job in the off-season."

Where should Spurs look now?

We believe the answer is staring Levy in the face – Pochettino. The Argentine is not only readily-available and free to hire, but also possesses the necessary Premier League experience and already has relationships with certain Spurs players.

The transition would be a far smoother one than that of other candidates as a result, with Pochettino's brand of open, expansive attacking football also coming as a big draw.

Supporters are regularly singing his name as they yearn for a potential return, a wish Levy must surely grant.

Liverpool have had a difficult season so far and have been making up for lost time in their more recent Premier League fixtures, however, it could be too little too late for the Merseyside giants.

The Reds are six points adrift of the Champions League qualifying spots inside the top four and have squandered all their chances to add another trophy to their illustrious collection since the turn of the year, so it is safe to say it has been a season Jurgen Klopp will be happy to write off when the whistle blows on the final day.

Due to the inconsistencies and poor form shown over the last nine months, it has become increasingly obvious that Liverpool are in dire need of reinforcements in key areas of the pitch, with the club's hierarchy expected to make moves in the summer transfer window.

However, the Anfield faithful will be under no illusions that their American owners will join the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United in splashing the cash to fix their problems and will instead continue to work within their strict financial structure searching for unearthed diamonds across Europe and beyond.

Indeed, there is no denying that Liverpool have been super successful in recruiting frivolously since the arrival of Klopp and in more recent times have looked to young players like Stefan Bajcetic to fill the gaps where injuries have plagued the squad, which has paid off a great deal.

Now the club could be set to unearth their next breakthrough star, who could be the second coming of Harvey Elliott if he can prove to the German coach that he is worthy of a regular spot in the first-team squad next season, with Ben Doak flourishing at youth level.

Who is Ben Doak?

The talented teenager joined the Reds from Celtic in the summer of last year and has been polishing his skills in the U21s set-up ever since, earning sporadic opportunities in the first team.

Doak was handed his Premier League debut on Boxing Day 2022 in the victory over Aston Villa, which was quickly followed up with an FA Cup debut just a few weeks later against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Over his 26 appearances in the youth teams, the 17-year-old talent has scored 11 goals and registered eight assists operating either on the right wing or on the right side of midfield, two positions his peer Elliott is prolific in.

Liverpool legend Phil Thompson spoke out about the youngster during a pundit tour on Wednesday evening at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall:

"What do I think of Ben Doak? Oh my goodness! What a player! I have done quite a few of the youth games for LFC TV and every time I have seen him he has been outstanding.

"One of the great things about Ben is that he just loves football. He has got a wonderful attitude. But he is aggressive and for a forward that is a great attribute to have. He has also got unbelievable pace, he can provide assists and he has got goals in him."

"You just look at him and think: ‘Wow!’ He has had such a rapid rise to fame this season. He has played in the first team this season, which is quite astonishing. I just hope he has got a nice feel for it because he is a tremendous talent."

It will be interesting to see whether Doak has done enough over this campaign to stake a claim to be in contention for first-team football on Merseyside next season and whether he will feature in the pre-season tour when the Reds break from Premier League football in the summer.

The future is certainly looking bright for Doak at Liverpool and if he can continue to impress Klopp, there is no reason why he won't follow in the footsteps of both Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic when his opportunity comes around.

Tottenham Hotspur's season has been a frustrating one, in which three managers have taken over the poisoned chalice and few of the playing staff have shown up.

With Ryan Mason the latest, following their drubbing at the hands of Newcastle United, it seems that the 31-year-old has at least mustered some kind of spirit back in a squad that previously looked devoid of any confidence.

This culminated in two big comebacks, the first to draw 2-2 with Manchester United and the second to come back from 3-0 down at Anfield only to lose 4-3 to Liverpool.

Whilst there were certainly positives to take, it yet again marked a huge number of goals conceded for a Lilywhites side that has predominantly played in a three-at-the-back system.

Despite packing out their back line, it seems they remain incapable of keeping out the opposition. As such, they have conceded 57 goals in just 34 games. Only four teams have shipped more, three of which remain embroiled in a relegation battle.

Whilst usually the number one would come under particular scrutiny, both Hugo Lloris and Fraser Forster have contributed heavily this season given the former's injury. Therefore, both are equally as culpable for this defensive mess and should be ditched this summer in what has to be a huge squad overhaul.

How have Fraser Forster & Hugo Lloris played this season?

Yesterday marked the 35-year-old's tenth league game of the season, with his French teammate featuring in 25.

Lloris has been on the end of particular scrutiny this season for his culpability on numerous occasions, having made four errors leading to goals and conceding 1.6 goals per game, via Sofascore.

Whilst Forster has conceded slightly more at 1.8 per game, the Englishman is yet to make an error leading to a goal or even a shot, via Sofascore.

Both have their deficiencies, and have been on the end of poor scorelines of late. 36-year-old Lloris was substituted at half-time in that aforementioned embarrassment on Tyneside, having already shipped five goals. Meanwhile, yesterday saw Forster see four sail past him, three inside the first 15 minutes of the game.

With these two stoppers both reaching the twilight years of their career, highlighting the poor recruitment Daniel Levy has overseen that has led to such a mess in such a vital position, this summer marks a moment for change.

A new manager is set to be appointed, and for the chairman, it has to be the right one. This coach's first port of call must be to gut this squad and replace it with young and hungry winners; of which neither of the £75k-per-week or £100k-per-week 'keepers are nowadays.

Arsenal may feel hard done by following their victory against Newcastle United on the weekend with one of the home players potentially being let off with a red card offence.

Can Arsenal still win the league?

After a turbulent few weeks in the Premier League, the Gunners have been able to get themselves back on track in their last two outings.

A convincing victory at home to Chelsea during the week was followed up by a strong away performance at St James' Park as the Gunners climbed within touching distance of Manchester City.

Of course, it has to be remembered Pep Guardiola's side still hold the points advantage and still have a game in hand over the north London side.

However, Mikel Arteta's side are back to doing all they can to get their hands on the Premier League title for the first time in almost two decades.

Despite taking all three points in a 2-0 victory, it seems the afternoon could have been made even easier for Arsenal had Fabian Schar been disciplined for a potential elbow on Gabriel Jesus.

In the second half, the Swiss defender went in for a challenge with Arsenal's striker, however, Eddie Howe's player seemingly struck the Brazilian in the face with his elbow.

Footage of the incident emerged on social media and has shed light on a potential error from the referee who was guilty of overturning a big decision of his earlier in the game.

Should Schar have been sent off?

There was certainly significant contact made between the Swiss defender and Jesus, however, there will be questions as to whether the incident was accidental or whether there was intent behind it.

Perhaps the saving grace for Schar was he had backed into the tackle which meant he led with his elbow rather than swinging his elbow back at Jesus.

The Newcastle man walked away from the incident without a yellow card and this was on a day when VAR did not shy away from intervening.

Howe's men were awarded a penalty in the opening stages of the game for a handball against Jakub Kiwior, however, VAR checked the incident and sent Kavanagh over to the monitor.

Having reviewed the incident, Kavanagh overturned his initial decision and deemed it not worthy of a penalty.

Had Schar been red-carded for this incident, it would have likely sent the home fans will – and not in a good way – with them already feeling aggrieved by the penalty call.

But Arsenal – and Jesus – can walk away from this incident now with the peace of mind having taken all three points away from a side which had only lost at home once before in the league all season.

Junior Firpo is fortunate that his careless red card didn't cost Leeds United a point in their recent draw against Newcastle United, although the Spaniard was at fault when he handballed Joe Willock's cross in the second half.

The former Barcelona man has certainly proven himself to be error-prone during his time at Elland Road and his red card may be something of a blessing in disguise for Sam Allardyce ahead of this weekend's game against West Ham United.

The Hammers are all but safe so this represents arguably Leeds' best chance to pick up three points in their fight for survival against Allardyce's former side, and while not having Firpo available may be seen as a blow, it could allow Pascal Struijk to make his return to the side at left-back.

Is losing Firpo a blow for Leeds?

This season has seen the 26-year-old make 18 appearances in the Premier League, contributing one goal and one assist, with a shocking 6.42 average rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Considering this ranks him as the 19th-best performer at Elland Road, while he has previously been dubbed a "liability" defensively by journalist David Anderson, it is something of a surprise that he has started both of Allardyce's games in charge thus far, given the Englishman's reputation as a defensive-minded coach.

He certainly didn't repay Allardyce's faith in him over the weekend against Newcastle, giving away the second penalty before earning a red card after bringing down Anthony Gordon when he was the last man late on, with his performance lambasted by the pundits on BT Sport following the game.

Gary McAllister said (via Daily Mail): "It's unexplainable why he goes so high with his hand, he gets himself in a terrible position, it's a desperate and wrong decision."

These are exactly the sort of decisions Leeds need to avoid in the final two games if they are going to retain their Premier League status, so Firpo's red card may actually work in the Yorkshire outfit's favour.

Should Allardyce unleash Struijk?

This leaves the English manager with two to choose from at left-back, and considering Max Wober has been featuring as a centre-back in recent fixtures, it would not be a surprise to see Struijk given the nod at left-back.

The former Ajax man may have struggled in the heavy defeats against Arsenal, Crystal Palace and Liverpool, earning below a 6/10 rating from WhoScored in all three of those fixtures, but he has still ranked as the third-best performer at Elland Road so far this campaign.

Dubbed a "ridiculous talent" by journalist Conor McGilligan earlier in the season, the 23-year-old can offer Allardyce physicality and defensive nous against West Ham, as he ranks second for tackles, fourth for clearances and fifth for blocks per game in Leeds' squad.

He could perhaps find himself unfortunate to have been dropped by Allardyce for his two games in charge thus far but the Belgian-born defender certainly has the quality to make a real difference and could be one to really benefit from Firpo's rash red card last weekend.

Michael Beale could be getting close to signing defender Dujon Sterling for Glasgow Rangers ahead of the summer transfer window.

What’s the latest on Dujon Sterling to Glasgow Rangers?

According to the Evening Standard (via the Daily Record), Sterling is close to a move to the Ibrox side as Chelsea have given him the green light for the deal.

His current Chelsea deal expires at the end of the season and the Gers could be set to secure the player on a free transfer, and it appears that the potential of Champions League football and the chance to win silverware has sealed the deal, with a few other clubs interested.

Could Dujon Sterling replace James Tavernier at Rangers?

In the short term, the answer is probably no. However, there could be potential over the coming seasons for the Englishman to replace the captain at right-back.

Tavernier has been an excellent club stalwart, recently earning his place in the Hall of Fame following a Rangers career which has seen the defender make 398 appearances and score a staggering 100 goals – an outstanding tally for a full-back.

He will turn 32 in the first few months of 2023/24 and the supporters may not have long left to appreciate his talents, while Sterling could certainly be a solid alternative.

The 23-year-old has spent this season on loan at Stoke City and demonstrated his talents during a solid campaign. Sterling has made 28 appearances in all competitions for the club so far, and although he doesn’t quite have the same attacking qualities as Tavernier, registering zero goals or assists, there surely has to be an acceptance that the current Gers defender is one of a kind.

Sterling, meanwhile, is at the opposite end of his career, and Rangers have unearthed defensive gems from south of the border in recent years, with the likes of Calvin Bassey and Connor Goldson just a couple of their recent successes in this regard.

Another reason why Sterling could be keen on a move to Rangers is due to the fact he has already worked with Beale before, when the current Rangers' manager was a youth coach at Chelsea, and he will be well aware of his potential.

Indeed, he was dubbed a “fantastic talent” by his U23 Adi Viveash coach previously and if he can find his feet at the Ibrox side, Beale could seal a bargain deal for one of his former proteges.