Chelsea are set to battle Liverpool for the signing of Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga in the summer transfer window, according to the Guardian.
Both Premier League clubs are keen on bolstering their squads for next season after a disappointing 2022/23 campaign which saw them miss out on Champions League qualification.
The Blues finished 12th after a disastrous season, while the Reds managed to recover from a poor start to finish fifth in the Premier League table but had to still settle for the UEFA Europa League.
Chelsea and Liverpool have already been busy ahead of the transfer window with the former appointing Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager while the latter named Jorg Schmadtke as their new sporting director.
The newspaper claims Jurgen Klopp’s side will step-up a move for Veiga after completing the signing of the Brighton midfielder Alexis Mac Allister. The German wants to wrap up his signings as early as possible before the Liverpool squad reconvenes at AXA Training Centre for pre-season on July 8.
However, signing Veiga won’t be straightforward for Liverpool. Chelsea missed out on Sporting midfielder Manuel Ugarte, who is expected to join Paris Saint‑Germain in the coming weeks and have now switched their focus to Veiga. According to the Guardian, the West Londoners are ready to battle Merseysiders for his signature in the upcoming transfer window.
Reinforcement
Chelsea are planning a massive clearout and are willing to sell several players after spending close to £600m on signings in the past 12 months under their new owner Todd Boehly.
It is expected that the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount, and N’Golo Kanté will leave this summer as they’ve been linked with moves away, therefore Chelsea will need reinforcements in midfield.
Liverpool, on the other hand, are set to say goodbye to James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, as they’ll leave Anfield when their contracts expire at the end of the month, so Klopp also needs to bring in new midfielders.
According to the Guardian, Veiga, who is regarded as one of the best young midfielders in Europe, has a contract that contains a £34m (€40m) buyout clause. Any club that wishes to sign him must trigger the release clause of the 21-year-old.
He racked up 40 appearances across all competitions for the La Liga side, scoring 11 goals and providing four assists in the process as he helped his side escape relegation by scoring a brace in their 2-1 win over champions Barcelona on the final day of the season.
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