Transfer Talk: Blues want gift of the Gab as Veiga draws admirers

Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga is grabbing the attention of Europe's elite.

Chelsea have emerged as the frontrunners for his signature but Liverpool, Barcelona and Real Madrid have also been linked with Los Celestes' homegrown sensation.

The 21-year-old enjoyed an explosive breakout campaign, helping his side retain their LaLiga status after a nail-biting relegation battle.

Ahead of his likely departure from Balaidos, we take a look at the qualities Veiga brings to the table.

Release clause

Celta president Carlos Mourino has been adamant that the Spanish club will not accept any bids below Veiga's release clause of around £34million.

Speaking in March, he said: "We do not want to sell Gabri Veiga, but they are going to buy him from us and we can't do anything about it. We know some of their offers and it's impossible for us to match them.

"There are several teams chasing Gabri. Real Madrid? They haven't spoken to us. We don't know if they have spoken to the player. 

"Of the top 10 teams in the Premier League, four have asked us about him.

"For us, and to make it clear, he is not for sale. We have nothing to negotiate with anyone. We refer to the clause. 

"The decision is Gabri's, he will play wherever he wants."

Ancelotti admiration

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti revealed his admiration for Veiga when his side faced Celta earlier this season.

He said: "I like Gabri Veiga, he's a good player — he has quality."

Los Blancos have already added Jude Bellingham to their midfield this summer and replacing Karim Benzema will be their No1 focus, potentially handing an advantage to other clubs in the race for Veiga's signature.

Barca brilliance

Veiga capped off his season by securing safety for Celta on the final day, scoring both goals in a 2-1 win over champions Barcelona.

He was superb, hitting the target with all four of his shots — the most of any player on the pitch.

That performance will only have generated further interest in his services, following a remarkable first full top-flight campaign.

Going the distance

Veiga's brace against the Blaugrana was not out of character for the Galician.

Those two strikes took him to an impressive 11 strikes for the season — 10 from open play — while he also recorded four assists.

He is particularly threatening from distance, having scored the joint-most goals from outside the box in LaLiga (four) after attempting 32 long-range efforts.

Low retention

Veiga profiles as a goalscoring midfielder.

Only four players were substituted more often than him (24) in LaLiga — and former Celta head coach Carlos Carvalhal's decision-making may have been influenced by the fact that he offers little in the way of ball retention.

The Spaniard's 540 completed passes ranks outside the league's top 200 and his accuracy of just 76.92% indicates that he is not the type of player who dictates games.

If he does move to Stamford Bridge, Mauricio Pochettino could perhaps deploy him in a similar role to the one he entrusted Dele Alli with at Tottenham — effectively operating as a second striker.

That would almost certainly get the most from Veiga's impressive skill set.