Arsenal and Newcastle United hope to sign Gabri Veiga but the Celta Vigo star favours a move to Real Madrid over the Premier League, according to Cadena Ser.
This would not be the first time Real Madrid snapped up one of the most exciting homegrown talents in Spain’s top flight.
But while things might not have gone to plan for Dani Ceballos, Theo Hernandez and Alvaro Odriozola, Veiga is not letting the failures of the past impact his future plans.
The most prolific midfielder in La Liga, Cadena Ser report, likes Real Madrid as much as they like him; Veiga’s attitude on and off the pitch earning him plenty of admirers at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Arsenal, Newcastle, Man United and Real Madrid like Gabri Veiga
Arsenal, Newcastle and Manchester United are also in hot pursuit but Veiga plans to ask Real Madrid to match any offer put forward by a Premier League club. Newcastle, AS say, are willing to trigger the £33 million release clause in Veiga’s Celta Vigo contract; offering the Spain U21 international around £85,000-a-week at St James’ Park.
Real Madrid, however, have an ace up their sleeve in the shape of 20-year-old Castilla prospect Rafa Marin. Los Blancos could reportedly offer Marin as a makeweight in the Veiga deal. Luis Campos, who works as an advisor for both Celta Vigo and Paris Saint-Germain, is one of Europe’s most renowned talentspotters. And Marin’s potential has not passed him by.
Veiga, meanwhile, scored his ninth goal of the La Liga season during Saturday’s 3-1 win away at Espanyol. A player 17 years Luka Modric’s junior could form a key part of an exciting new era. Real have invested sizeable sums in Eduardo Camavinga (20) and Aurelien Tchouameni (23) in recent transfer windows.
‘Outstanding player’
“(Veiga’s) physical development has greatly influenced his career. He had a great development in the youth team; he became very powerful and very strong,” Carlos Hugo Bayon, director of the Celta academy, tells AS.
“That has helped him play his type of football. ‘Box to box’, as they say in England. A midfielder with these numbers and these instincts in the opposition penalty area are pure gold. An outstanding player.”
“Gabri Veiga is obviously a talent that’s getting better and better. He is going to be hard for Celta to keep,” Spanish football expert Terry Gibson says on El Tel and Jon’s La Liga Weekly podcast.
“He is an attacking midfielder, scores goals. A good player. If you are on top, you’ve got the ball and you’re attacking, he’s a massive threat.
“He has clearly come to the attention of other big clubs around Europe because he’s a really talented player. There are a lot of really good young players in La Liga, and he is one of the best.”
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