Liverpool may be concentrating on adding a holding midfielder before the start of the 23/24 Premier League season next week, but rumors of a deal for Celta Vigo prospect Gabri Veiga continue to circulate.
How far along is Gabri Veiga’s move to Liverpool?
Deportes COPE Galicia (via Estadio Deportivo) reports that Veiga has received a €25 million (£21 million) opening bid from the Reds, capping off a fantastic breakout season in La Liga this year.
While Jurgen Klopp’s team hopes to ease negotiations by proposing the player stay with Vigo for a year on loan, this is some distance from the Sky Blues’ demands that the 21-year-old’s €40 million (£35 million) release clause be met to justify his exit from the club.
Liverpool’s stance was verified by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano in June, who also disclosed that Chelsea had enquired about the midfielder’s availability. Liverpool had been “watching” the player’s situation closely, according to Romano.
Gabri Veiga’s talent level?
The fact that Liverpool wants to close a deal this summer and keep Veiga with his team for the upcoming season may be more of a testimonial to Veiga’s talent than a reflection of it.
The Spaniard, who was one of the most in-demand players in his native country last season, dazzled with his return of 11 goals and four assists from just 28 starting appearances during his first full season in the Spanish top-flight. As a result, journalist Euan McTear praised him for his “dangerous” skills.
Veiga, who Romano calls “one of the top talents in the world” and a “very electrifying player,” possesses a creative arsenal to rival the game’s titans and, given his explosive on-field style and natural goal-scoring ability, maybe Klopp’s Kevin De Bruyne.
Since moving to Manchester City from Wolfsburg for £55 million in 2015, De Bruyne has proven to be a true wizard. The Belgian star completed a stunning treble with the Citizens last season, and in 356 games for the illustrious team, he has scored 96 goals and provided 152 assists.
De Bruyne, who Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp referred to as “the greatest” midfielder in Premier League history, is without a doubt a brilliant playmaker with exceptional technical skill, and he masterfully combines the facets.
According to FBref, the phenom earning £400k per week is among the top 4% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for goals, assists, and shot-creating actions over the past year, as well as the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 2% for progressive carries, and the top 3% for touches in the attacking box per 90.
While Veiga focuses more on his striking than as the orchestrator of openings for teammates, he still ranks among the top 20% of positional peers for assists per 90, also ranking among the top 1% for goals, the top 12% for progressive carries and successful take-ons and the top 11% for touches in the attacking box per 90.
Previously hailed as a “wonderful talent” by journalist Josh Bunting, Veiga boasts the glitz and the glam but also a footballing intellect that has formed the foundation of his exploits.
He has even been dubbed “baby Kaka” by content creator Rimedi for his velvet touch and breezy elegance on the pitch – like a leaf in the wind.
Under the guidance of Klopp, he would dazzle Premier League turf with incredible quality and emerge as one of the division’s greatest maestros, even if Liverpool were to permit him to spend one season on loan to cultivate his precocious gifts.