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While the likes of Lionel Messi and Eden Hazard will take most of the headlines, there is a new generation of talent about to burst onto the scene

The new La Liga season is just hours away, and fans are excited to see their club's latest big-money signings in action.

Perhaps even more satisfying for a supporter, though, is seeing a young player flourish when given the opportunity on the biggest stage.

But who should you be looking out for when the teams are named on the opening weekend?  Goal  breaks down some of the top talents the Spanish top flight has to offer in 2019-20…

Getty ImagesAnder Barrenetxea | Real Sociedad

While the likes of Martin Odegaard, Alexander Isak and Mikel Oyarzabal will capture most of the headlines when it comes to wonderkids at La Real, perhaps the most exciting youngster within their squad is Barrenetxea.

Much like Antoine Griezmann a decade ago, the 17-year-old was promoted to the first team squad without having ever played in the club's B team last season, and scored his first goal for the club in a victory over Real Madrid late in the campaign.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesSergio Camello | Atletico Madrid

It took 18-year-old Camello just 35 minutes of his Atletico Madrid debut to score his first goal for the club against Levante towards the back end of last season, and it is likely he will earn more opportunities this time around.

Diego Simeone has bolstered his attacking ranks over the summer, but Camello's talent is such that he should earn more than a few chances to impress within the first-team squad.

Getty ImagesBryan Gil | Sevilla

Though yet to start a match in La Liga, winger Gil was a regular on the Sevilla bench last season, and already has a goal and an assist to his name in the Spanish top-flight.

Still just 18, he will have to fight for further opportunities this time around with Monchi and Julen Lopetegui having overhauled the squad at the Sanchez Pizjuan over the summer.

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Getty ImagesTakefusa Kubo | Real Madrid

Tipped for greatness when part of Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, Kubo was forced to return to his native Japan in the wake of the Blaugrana's transfer ban in 2015.

And while the training he received back home may not have been at the same level as that in Catalunya, it did allow him more opportunities in senior football as he became one of the star names within the J-League.

Now 18 he is back in Spain, although this time with Real Madrid after they beat Barca to his signing. While he is likely to start the campaign playing with Castilla, some impressive performances in pre-season have hinted that he is ready to play a part for Zinedine Zidane.

With the Red Devils struggling at the back, Goal looks at those who have tried – and, in most cases, failed – to establish themselves at Old Trafford

Getty Images10Tyler Blackett

Drafted in during the early days of Louis van Gaal's tenure amid a defensive injury crisis, Blackett was soon found to be out of his depth at the highest level, at both centre-back and left-back.

Sent out on loan to Celtic in a bid to gain more experience, he only made three appearances for the Bhoys before being sold to Reading in 2016.

AdvertisementGetty Images9Paddy McNair

Another who broke into the side during Van Gaal's first season, McNair's early performances saw him earn a call-up to the Northern Ireland squad.

However, he soon began to struggle and fell down the pecking order, eventually leaving in 2016 to join Sunderland, where he was last seen playing as a No.10!

Getty Images8Victor LindelofSigned for £30.75 million from Benfica in the summer of 2017, Lindelof has barely been seen since arriving at Old Trafford, with the Sweden international having struggled to adapt under Jose Mourinho.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty Images7Jonny Evans

Evans remained at the Theatre of Dreams for one season following the departure of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic but, after an injury-hit campaign, he left for West Brom.

Needless to say, with Manchester City and Arsenal keen on signing him, it might have been better for United to keep hold of the Northern Ireland international.

Arsenal keeper Aaron Ramsdale has been savaged on social media as supporters react to the admission that he struggles to concentrate for 90 minutes.

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Goalkeeper joined Gunners in 2021Has lost his place at presentOften interacts with rival supportersWHAT HAPPENED?

The England international has lost his place in the Gunners team at present, with summer signing David Raya taking over between the sticks. Plenty were shocked at that decision from Mikel Arteta, with Ramsdale famed for his reflexes and confidence with the ball at his feet.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

He has made the odd error at times, while never being afraid to interact with rival supporters, and conceded during a chat with Arsenal icon Ian Wright that he needs distractions in order to help him realign focus on match day. Ramsdale said: “If you ask me to focus on a game of football for 90 minutes I'm finished. I can't do it. So that's why I get involved with the fans and I sing along with the songs. Someone's giving me abuse, I'll turn around and give them a bit back. I have had my two/three minutes of sort of madness in my head – straight back to the football. I've got 10/15 minutes of pure concentration again. Next thing you know, half-time is around.”

WHAT THEY SAID

Former Arsenal striker Wright struggled to hide his surprise at Ramsdale offering advice to rivals on a potential weakness in his game, while fans have suggested that the 25-year-old should have kept that secret to himself – with some pointing out goals that could have been a direct result of Ramsdale losing focus, including one effort scored by Southampton in which the Three Lions star appeared to be distracted by a bird.

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WHAT NEXT?

Ramsdale joined Arsenal in 2021, making a similar admission at that time, and is not the only goalkeeper in world football that needs to switch off occasionally in order to get back into the game. He fills a position that can see him left with little to do for long periods, making it difficult for full concentration to be maintained for a full 90 minutes and beyond.

Hakim Ziyech's agent has denied saying that the winger has asked to leave Galatasaray amid reports claiming his loan from Chelsea will be cut short.

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Ziyech struggling in TurkeyCould head back to London in JanuaryAgent labelled exit statement as fake newsWHAT HAPPENED?

According to Turkish outletNTV Spor, Galatasaray are looking to end Ziyech's loan deal in January. The 30-year-old has endured an "ineffective" spell in the Super Lig since he moved on loan to Istanbul from Stamford Bridge in the summer. He has featured in just nine matches so far this season, which has given rise to speculation that his time in Turkey might be over, despite his contract expiring in the summer.

AdvertisementWHAT GEORGE GARDI SAID

Amid the uncertainty, Ziyech's representative George Gardi was alleged to have said in a statement: "Hakim Ziyech's Galatasaray adventure started well, but it did not continue well. We conveyed to Galatasaray that we wanted to leave. Galatasaray will not cause us any difficulties."

However, Gardi set the record straight on his Instagram story, labelling the statement "fake news".

"I never made ay statement on Ziyech and I don't know this person who wrote using my name," he wrote.

InstagramTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ziyech's future remains uncertain as Mauricio Pochettino might not find a place for him at Chelsea given his options in attack and the squad's bloated nature. For now, Ziyech will shift his focus to international duty with the Morocco national team. He has received a call-up to Walid Regragui's squad for the Africa Cup of Nations and will have his sights set on a deep run at the prestigious international tournament.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Ziyech has just four goals and two assists to his name in all competitions for Galatasaray. The team management reportedly do not deem his efforts to be enough to keep him on board until the summer, and are looking to get him off their books before the January window slams shut.

South Africa are wary of the heat and greater help for spinners in Sri Lanka but captain AB de Villiers believes they are better prepared

Firdose Moonda05-Jul-20141:42

Winning in SL will be big before World Cup – Domingo

A tour to Sri Lanka typically involves turning tracks, talented tweakers, heat and humidity. South Africa thrive on pace and bounce and the weather at home is rarely extreme. Overcoming those factors present the main challenge when the series begins on Sunday.Last July, the visitors had succumbed to spin and stifling heat to lose the ODI series 4-1 and caused intense introspection about their fifty-over strategy.Some of the reasons for their underperformance were self-explanatory. South Africa were beset by injury and absentees – Hashim Amla manned his usual opening position only twice and he played only three games. Dale Steyn was rested for the tour, Jacques Kallis had opted out of the Champions Trophy and was yet to recommit to the one-day side. There was uncertainty over team composition and a fair amount of inexperience.But there were other areas which raised more questions. Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath shared 16 wickets between them in the series while South Africa’s spinners, Aaron Phangiso and JP Duminy only managed five. Had South Africa slipped back into their struggles both against spin and in finding a decent exponent of their own? Sri Lanka had two centurions across the five matches, South Africa had none. Was the correct batting line-up in place and was it being used to the best of its ability?AB de Villiers believes South Africa have the answers this time. “We did quite a few things wrong last year but we’ve got a more experienced team now,” he said.AB de Villiers has said Jacques Kallis is “ready to go”•AFPAmla is fit, Steyn is in the squad but most importantly, Kallis is back. Despite missing the warm-up match with an upper back problem, de Villiers declared Kallis “ready to go,” in the first match but cautioned that he may not be able to function as a fully-fledged all-rounder. “It’s all a matter of how much he can bowl,” de Villiers said.With South Africa’s pace contingent including Steyn, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander, Ryan McLaren and a choice of left-armers in Wayne Parnell and Beuran Hendricks, Kallis’ bowling role may be minimised anyway and his contribution as a batsman and mentor will take greater precedence. Already, de Villiers said he “has been working with some of the younger guys on how to play spin properly,” because South Africa want to show improvement from last year.While South Africa hope Kallis and his influence will takes care of one side of the spin coin, they have identified Imran Tahir as the man to deal with the other. “Immi is a match winner; he has got that x-factor. He is in a very good space with ball in hand at the moment and he is bowling really well,” de Villiers said. “I look forward to using him in some very big moments.”Tahir has embraced the responsibility and is eager to perform. “I have always been really confident, but maybe in the past I wasn’t sure where I stood in the team. At the moment I am playing T20s, ODIs and Tests so that automatically gives me good confidence about myself,” he said. “Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara are two of the greatest players of spin in the world. They obviously grew up facing spin rather than fast bowling so it will be a good challenge.”And then there is the weather. Temperatures in Sri Lanka are hovering near the 30-degree mark which does not sound so bad, but combined with humidity above 70%, the real feel is far more intense. De Villiers said last year South Africa found it “difficult to build proper innings and partnerships,” and that does not even take into account the effects it would have had on the bowlers.Since then South Africa have played in similar conditions in the UAE where they tried novel things like wearing ice vests and necklaces between overs and during drinks breaks and using an umbrella when they could for some cooling. South Africa’s fitness trainer Greg King confirmed neither method would make an appearance this time because South Africa discovered they did not provide as much relief as they hoped.Instead they will resort to old-fashioned tactics like staying hydrated and grinning and bearing it. De Villiers called it knowing “how to look after the weather better.” He didn’t explain what that means but later mused that there are “no secret recipes to a winning formula.” For South Africa to have a successful run in Sri Lanka, they may do well to remember there are some things they can’t control and the forces of nature are some of them.

Nick Compton who has re-joined Middlesex on a three-year contract, has described returning to Lord’s as like “a return home.”

George Dobell12-Dec-2014Nick Compton, who has rejoined Middlesex on a three-year contract, has described returning to Lord’s as like “a return home.”Compton, who last month announced his departure from Somerset despite having two years remaining on his contract, played for Middlesex between 2001 and 2009 and has previously announced a desire to return to London to pursue media opportunities and spend more time with his friends and family.He also has a strong affinity for Lord’s, where Middlesex play the majority of their home games, as it was the playing home of his grandfather, Denis Compton, and the ground features a stand bearing his name.”As a boy I left my family home to move to London to play for Middlesex,” Compton said. “Because of this, playing for the club at Lord’s has and always will be close to my heart.”Leaving Lord’s to play for Somerset was a step in my development I felt I needed to make. The time I spent at Taunton was great for me. Whilst at Somerset I grew as a player and a person. I also fulfilled the dream of representing England, which is something I am determined to do again.””Returning to Middlesex as a senior player is an exciting challenge for me. Lord’s is the home of cricket and with my family ties here the time feels right to return home. The prospect of playing and scoring runs at Lord’s has always excited me and hopefully I can come back and reproduce my best cricket here. By doing this I hope to play a key role in bringing success to Middlesex over the coming seasons.”While the England selectors appear to have washed their hands of Compton, he remains one of the most prolific batsmen in county cricket. He scored 5,140 first-class runs an average of 55.87 in his five years with Somerset and will provide a significant boost to a Middlesex batting line-up that scored fewer batting bonus points than any of the seven Division One sides that avoided relegation in 2014.”Players of Nick’s ability do not become available very often and when we were made aware of his desire to move back to London we immediately moved,” Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s managing director of cricket said. “With Chris Rogers hopefully playing for Australia next summer we needed to find a high quality top order batsman and in Nick we have secured the services of one.”I was in charge at Middlesex when Nick left at the end of the 2009 season and, even though I could at the time totally understand his reasons for moving to Taunton, I was disappointed when he left. The move proved to be a good one for Nick – at Somerset he became an international cricketer. But it will be great to see him once again wearing a Middlesex cap and sweater, and I believe he has a lot to offer us both on and off the field over the course of the next five or six years.”

Jordan Silk has been named the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year, rewarded by his peers for an unfashionably patient approach to batting and some spectacular fielding

Daniel Brettig20-Jan-2014A little over a year ago, Jordan Silk was a substitute fielder for Australia in a Test match and yet to make his first-class debut for Tasmania. Now, he is the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year, having been rewarded by his peers for an unfashionably patient approach to batting, and some spectacular tricks turned in the field.Among the bevy of young players pushing for higher honours over the past 12 months, Silk has stood out for his determination at the batting crease, grinding out centuries when others have preferred a more hasty approach, encouraged in part by the avalanche of Twenty20 cricket and its attendant riches.Following that sub appearance in the Hobart Test against Sri Lanka, Silk was brought into the Tasmanian Sheffield Shield side and quickly showed a level of application rare among batsmen of his age. Four hundreds during the voting period included a six-hour effort against Queensland in the Shield final at Bellerive Oval, its sheer obstinacy driving the Bulls’ bowlers to distraction.Silk was rewarded for that innings with an Australia A call-up during the winter, and maintained his first-class form at the start of this summer. He has since taken part in the Big Bash League for the Sydney Sixers, stunning the Gabba crowd with a rasping catch at mid on against the Brisbane Heat.Another honour was awarded to Cameron White, who was named the Domestic Player of the Year. White’s award arrived during a season in which he has enjoyed the freedom provided by Victoria’s decision to bestow the state captaincy on Matthew Wade, showing rare consistency in both four-day and limited overs matches.”Matt’s doing a great job and I’m just enjoying the role and batting with a fair bit of freedom,” White said during the domestic limited overs tournament in October. “As you can see the team’s in a fairly good spot as well – everyone’s enjoying their cricket including myself. When you’re captain you probably do think about more things than just yourself, you can really concentrate on your own game when you’re not captain, so I’m sure in many ways it’s probably a good thing.”White’s success arrived at the end of a period in which his career had trailed off badly from a time when he was a fixture in both Australia’s ODI and T20 teams. He has been granted a recall to the T20 team for the forthcoming matches against England, and will hope that the domestic award will mark the start of a renewed career.

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Arsenal were completely outclassed by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon in a fixture which Mesut Ozil played no part despite being available on the substitutes bench.

What’s the word?

The future of Mesut Ozil has been a topic of rife discussion in north London this season.

Aaron Ramsey’s imminent summer move to Juventus has already provided Emery with one significant body blow, but comments from former Arsenal forward Ian Wright hint that Ozil will follow the Wales international out of the exit door.

Indeed, Emery left Ozil on the bench against the Premier League champions despite the fact his side were hopelessly devoid of creativity in the second-half, opting instead to hand Denis Suarez his debut against his former club.

While speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day 2 show (via Goal), Wright had this to say about Ozil: “Captain one week, next week he plays a left-back in midfield ahead of arguably our most creative player.

“Doesn’t look very good for him.”

Emery’s biggest setback yet?

To say it doesn’t look very good for Ozil is an understatement; the writing is firmly on the wall after Emery’s latest snub.

Whether Emery has personally fallen out with Ozil behind the scenes or if his decision-making is purely football orientated remains unclear, but the enigmatic playmaker’s position at the club right now is markedly more transparent: Emery simply doesn’t trust him.

While there is no room for friction and distracting sub-plots in Emery’s endeavour to help Arsenal progress into a positive future, the fact the club look set to wave goodbye to another immensely talented senior player in the summer is hugely concerning.

Not only would losing a player of Ozil’s ability represent a blow to Arsenal’s long-term ambitions on the pitch, it would also represent a metaphorical setback for the club.

The departure of Alexis Sanchez in 2018 and the imminent exit of Ramsey have already set a dangerous precedent for the future regarding their most indispensable players, and Ozil’s decision to follow them out of the Emirates will further compound the regressive theme which has emerged at Arsenal.

Wright’s assessment of Ozil’s position at Arsenal is a damning indictment of how tentative the situation is between player and manager right now, and one can only assume that Emery’s latest selection decision is just another sign that a bitterly disappointing summer departure is looming on the horizon.

India Under-19s beat Sri Lanka Under-19s by 22 runs in the second Youth ODI in Kurunegala

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Aug-2013
ScorecardFile photo: Vijay Zol struck a second consecutive fifty to help India beat Sri Lanka by 22 runs•ICC/GettyVijay Zol hit ahis second consecutive half-century to guide India to a 22-run victory in a closely fought match against Sri Lanka in the second Youth ODI in Kurunegala.Sri Lanka, chasing 241, were comfortably placed at 152 for 4, but Priyamal Perera’s wicket triggered a collapse, with the hosts losing the remaining batsmen for just 66 runs, as all the Indian bowlers kept up the pressure and bowled at under six an over.India, electing to bat, got off to a good start as the openers Ankush Bains and Akhil Herwadkar struck a total of seven fours and one six, and added 70 for the first wicket. However, medium-pacer Chamika Karunaratne got the breakthroughs for Sri Lanka by dismissing the pair, as well as Sanju Samson in quick succession to leave India precariously placed at 84 for 3. Karunaratne was the pick of the bowlers, and eventually finished with 4 for 44.But Zol, coming in at No. 3, followed up his 76 in the first ODI with another crucial fifty, as India began to seize the initiative. Zol struck six fours and one six during his 75-ball 67, and put up a 62-run fifth-wicket stand with Ricky Bhui to take India to 177 after 38.Zol was eventually caught by Sadeera Samarawickrama off Roshan Anurudda, but offspinner Aamir Gani gave a late flourish to the innings with an 18-ball 25 that included three fours, pushing India to 240.Sri Lanka began their chase slowly, as medium-pacers Atit Sheth and Abhimanyu Lamba removed Kavindu Kulasekara, Minod Bhanuka and Kusal Mendis inside 10 overs. Samarawickrama tried to counterattack with a 52-ball 36, but was out leg before by left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav to leave Sri Lanka struggling at 77 for 4.Perera and Thilaksha Sumanasiri fought back with a 75-run fifth-wicket partnership to keep the match evenly poised, but Lamba bowled Perera in the 38th to hand India the initiative.Sumanasiri remained unbeaten by scoring 73 off just 82 balls, but with wickets falling regularly at the other end, he could make little difference, as the Indian bowlers held their nerves to bowl Sri Lanka out for 218.

Dav Whatmore, on his final assignment as Pakistan’s head coach, picked out complacency on the part of his side as one of the main reasons for the first Test against Sri Lanka ending in a tame draw

Umar Farooq in Dubai06-Jan-2014Dav Whatmore, on his final assignment as Pakistan’s head coach, picked out complacency on the part of his side as one of the main reasons for the first Test against Sri Lanka ending in a tame draw.Pakistan had dominated the first three days of the Test in nearly all departments, but their bowlers were unable to close out Sri Lanka in the second innings. Angelo Mathews struck a career-best 157 not out to help his side draw the game. “It wasn’t the batting collapse [of the lower order in the first innings]. It was a case of thinking it would be easy,” Whatmore said. “The boys batted extremely well but everyone was thinking that it will be easy thereafter, despite talking about it and letting each other know that more hard work had to be done.”Pakistan started well in their first innings courtesy centuries from captain Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan, but slipped from a strong 301 for 3 to finish 383 all out. “At that point, there were still nine sessions in the game and the reality is that we lost regular wickets. We could have got more runs but we left the door open.”Whatmore was appointed head coach in March 2012 and Pakistan are yet to win a Test series under him, and have been successful in only two out of 11 matches during his tenure. He was eager to correct those statistics, especially in his last chance to do so. “[The goal is] obviously to win, particularly against Sri lanka, the team I coached for six years,” he said with a genial smile. “It is my country of birth and I am keen on doing well against them. Some of them are very good friends but when I enter the field we are enemies, so I am keen to finish the stint with a win.”It [Abu Dhabi] was a decent Test pitch but day three was the turning point for both teams, in a negative way for us and positive way for them,” he said. “They had us under a bit of pressure in their second innings, but still we did a pretty good job and with little bit of luck – had we not lost Ahmed Shehzad [in the chase] – we may have certainly thought about going on to win the match.”Pakistan’s search for a resolute pair at the top of the order has been a long and arduous affair, but Whatmore was pleased to note how Shehzad, on Test debut, showed his credentials to open the batting.”There have been so many positives to take through to the Dubai Test. Our top-order batting carried on with the form they had been in in the recent limited-overs series. Debutant Ahmed Shehzad had a pretty good game and he knows that and young [Bilawal] Bhatti demonstrated that he’s got the ability to take wickets.”We wanted to sort out the top order sooner rather than later. One of the areas of concern was negotiating the new ball and we did that well. We didn’t lose a wicket until say 20 overs and they [openers] made good contributions, but we need consistency.”With the second Test beginning on Wednesday, Pakistan chose to rest the bowlers who played in Abu Dhabi at training. Whatmore has placed the onus on them to pick up 20 wickets.Saeed Ajmal, an important factor in that regard, went wicketless in 49 second-innings overs, but Whatmore was quick to support his ace offspinner. “I don’t think it [Ajmal’s performance] was a worry, it was a combination of the difficulties he faced extracting something out of the wicket as well as opposition playing very well,” he said. With Dubai traditionally known to provide turn, Whatmore also hinted at Abdur Rehman getting a game, “but we have to look at the pitch. It rained today in Dubai and the weather changed so we have to look at the pitch.”Whatmore was wary about Sri Lanka’s skill at playing spin but reiterated that the nature of the pitch would have a major say in the team selection. “Well, you can say that but I am a firm believer that regardless of who you play against, it [the composition] depends on what pitch you play on. The nature of the pitch determines what combination you play.”