Chelsea, Barcelona & Liverpool in race to sign £34m Spanish starlet

Liverpool are reportedly in a race to sign Celta Vigo’s talented young midfielder Gabri Veiga but face stiff competition from Chelsea and Barcelona.

The Reds are already poised to announce the signing of Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister this week after agreeing a deal, but with four central midfield departures already, we can expect multiple midfield signings to fill the void. Targets such a Nice’s Khephran Thuram and Borussia Monchengladbach’s Manu Kone have been heavily linked, but another has cropped up in recent days - Celta Vigo’s Viega.

Viega, 21, has developed a strong reputation as one of Spain’s best young midfielders after producing a season-best campaign in La Liga, which saw him register 11 goals and four assists from central midfield. His deal expires in 2026 but according to the Guardian, his contract contains a €40m (£34.4m) buyout clause and Liverpool will consider moving for Veiga once they complete the signing of Mac Allister. However, they will face stiff competition from La Liga winners Barcelona and Chelsea, with Mauricio Pochettino keen to recruit in midfield after the Blues endured a miserable campaign.

What makes Veiga an interesting proposition is the fact that he is not like the sterotypical Spanish midfielder, as in he isn’t a diminutive presence that can be likened to a Xavi or Andreas Iniesta for example. Standing at six foot one, he is strong and athletic and offers a goalscoring threat - all three of those would certainly be welcomed at Anfield. He also likes a strike from distance, which is a threat that Liverpool’s midfield hasn’t possessed consistently for a long time.

Rayo Vallecano’s manager, Andoni Iraola, can certainly attest to that, as he spoke prior to their meeting with Celta Vigo in March, describing the qualities that the midfielder possesses: “He carries the ball, cleans players out and does a lot of damage. He’s intelligent, very strong, and he can get into area to finish.”

However, he offers little in the form of an overall defensive contribution and isn’t an accomplished passer of the ball by any means, but Veiga loves to drive with the ball and utilise his physicality - something that Jurgen Klopp certainly likes in a midfielder.