DONE DEAL: LIVERPOOL SIGN MIDFIELDER FOR £40MILLION

According to reports, Liverpool want Spanish midfielder Gabri Veiga but are not willing to pay the £40 million release clause that would wrap up the deal.

The 21-year-old is expected to leave Celta Vigo this summer after a fantastic breakthrough 2022/23 campaign, which saw him score 11 goals and assist four in 36 La Liga appearances.

His current contract is set to expire in June 2026, but it does include a release clause of approximately £40 million that has attracted interest from the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, and Barcelona.

According to Transfermarkt, Veiga is currently worth £30 million in the market but that figure looks incredibly likely to increase over the next few years.

The young midfielder has made two appearances for the Spanish National Team but is currently representing Spain at the Under-21 European Championship.

Veiga came on as a 74th-minute substitute in Spain’s opening game, which ended as a 3-0 victory against Romania.

COULD VEIGA BE AN ANSWER TO LIVERPOOL’S PROBLEMS?

Veiga mostly operates as a number eight, as a roaming playmaker who can pick the ball up in deep positions and push his side forward using his pace and technical ability

The youngster also has a talent of arriving late into the penalty area and finding himself in goalscoring positions, which has largely contributed to Veiga’s goal involvement.

These attributes have certainly been missing in Liverpool’s midfield lately with the likes of Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara and Fabinho not being able to play at such intensity.

Harvey Elliott would be the closest comparison to Veiga from Liverpool’s current options but the Englishman hasn’t been able to find a consistent run of form, despite showing plenty of glimpses of quality.

In Liverpool’s system, you would expect to see Veiga slot into the right-hand side of the midfield with Alexis Mac Allister slotting into Thiago’s role on the opposite side.

These two options would create a whole new dimension from Jurgen Klopp’s midfield, offering a level of creativity never seen from the midfield since the German’s arrival.

You can expect to see lots of progressive play and forward-thinking actions from Veiga, with the Spaniard completing 2.67 progressive carries and 4.28 progressive passes per 90.

I believe that Gabri Veiga would be a fantastic signing for the Reds and could easily become one of the best midfielders in the world.

However, I do understand why Liverpool might have reservations regarding the price tag slapped on the midfielder after just one breakthrough season.

If Liverpool were able to negotiate a price closer to £30 million, I would see this deal as a no-brainer for the Reds, especially with the recent speculation surrounding Fabio Carvalho’s future.

I think a partnership of Mac Allister and Veiga ahead of Fabinho or Liverpool-linked Kephrem Thuram would be a fantastic midfield formation for the upcoming season and the next five years.