With the departure of Kai Havertz to Arsenal all but confirmed and Manchester United continuously courting Mason Mount, a massive gap has appeared in Chelsea’s squad for a new attacking midfielder.
Chelsea are in the hunt for an inventive, prolific, and young playmaker, as Celta Vigo’s Gabri Veiga ticks all those boxes.
What’s the latest on Gabri Veiga to Chelsea?
According to Florian Plettenberg, the 21-year-old is “ready for the next step” in his career and talks have been initiated with Chelsea.
The tweet also details that the Spaniard has a release clause €40m (£34m) which is active this summer, so a player of this quality available for such a modest fee would be a huge coup for the Blues.
It was previously reported by the Guardian that Pochettino is “prioritising additions in midfield” and this aim will only be augmented given the outgoings at Stamford Bridge.
Why do Chelsea want Gabri Veiga?
The attacker enjoyed a phenomenal breakout season in his homeland, registering 15 goal contributions in 36 La Liga outings throughout 2022/23.
The youngster finished the season in style – with this boyhood side needing a victory on the final day to avoid relegation, he netted twice to sweep aside title-winning Barcelona.
Across the year, no one in Spain’s top-flight outperformed their expected goals (xG) more than the prodigy, whilst his commendable four goals from outside the box were also the highest in the division.
His magnificent rise to international prominence means that the sensation is set to play a starring role at the U21 European Championship this summer.
Indeed, Veiga’s been named by The Athletic as one of the players to watch at the tournament.
The joyous technician has produced incredible numbers this term as he ranks in the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90, touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, non-penalty goals per 90, and total shots per 90.
His direct effervescence, coupled with a keen eye for goal and sparkling creativity means he has been likened to Eberechi Eze via FBref. That should no doubt be an attractive proposition with the Eagles star sparkling bright towards the climax of last season, winning an England call-up in the process.
Described as “amazing” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, Veiga has performed very similarly to Eze for goal involvements (15 vs 14), shots on target (29 vs 25), shot-creating actions per 90 (3.14 vs 4.03), and average shot distance in yards (19.8 vs 21.9).
This shows that while they are crafty providers for their teammates, they also harbour their own ruthless ambitions to find the net.
Both talents have evolved as the chief creators for their respective sides and irreplaceable figures within offensive sequences.
If the West London outfit secured this signing, it would be an excellent way to replace Havertz and Mount.