Hugo Sotelo

Key strength: Work rate

Box-to-box midfielder

As Celta de Vigo ride a resurgent WDLWW run that has steadied them at 13th in La Liga, a quiet revolution is taking shape in Claudio Giráldez's midfield. Hugo Sotelo, the 22-year-old Spanish box-to-box dynamo, has transformed from peripheral squad player to indispensable starter, logging 540 minutes across 8 appearances this campaign. While his goal and assist columns remain blank, Sotelo's value lies far beyond the stat sheet—he's the metronome linking Celta's defensive steel to the creative brilliance of Williot Swedberg and company. His 58-rated passing range and tireless transitional graft have made him a fixture in a side fighting for survival. Those three yellow cards tell their own story: a combative disruptor who wins second balls, triggers presses, and embraces the dirty work that defines modern midfield play. With a €5 million market valuation already attached to his name, Sotelo represents exactly the profile coveted across Europe—young, tactically flexible, and willing to sacrifice for the collective. In a season where every point is precious, his evolution could prove decisive.