Despite their summer splurge, Chelsea are looking to add another high-profile name to their ranks, amid interest from Manchester City and Real Madrid. According to several reports, the Blues are eyeing Al-Ahli’s Gabri Veiga and could soon shell out an offer for the youngster’s services.
Chelsea are experiencing one of the worst seasons in their recent history, with Mauricio Pochettino’s men currently languishing in 11th place in the league. With no European football, Chelsea’s only shot at winning silverware this term is in the FA Cup and the EFL Cup.
To further strengthen their squad, the West London outfit are reportedly looking to rope in 21-year-old Gabri Veiga come summer. According to renowned media outlet Fichajes.net, Chelsea are currently the most eligible candidate to secure Veiga’s signature, despite interest from Manchester City and Real Madrid. The report also states that the Blues have already started preparing an initial offer of €40m to quickly wrap up the transfer.
The Spanish wonderkid was on the radar of multiple European clubs last summer, with Napoli emerging as the frontrunners for his signing. However, the Chelsea target surprised everyone by choosing to move to the Middle East with Al-Ahli for a fee of €30m.
Since his transfer, the youngster has failed to deliver on his immense potential, struggling to display the form that made him one of the hottest prospects in Europe. At the time of writing, Veiga has four goals and as many assists in 18 appearances for the SPL giants across all competitions.
Gabri Veiga shed light on his decision to move to Saudi Arabia amid interest from Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid
Gabri Veiga’s decision to sign for Al-Ahli shocked everyone in the football fraternity and even attracted criticism from some, including Real Madrid‘s Toni Kroos. However, the former Celta Vigo midfielder has since come out to give insight into his decision to turn down the likes of Napoli and Liverpool in favor of the Saudi Pro League.
Speaking to Cadena SER in October of last year, Veiga revealed:
“I understand that everyone has their opinion, but there were other decisions that tipped the balance. Among all the options, I think it was the one that allowed me to continue growing as a footballer and mature in a league that is growing a lot.”
Despite his move to the Middle East, Veiga continues to draw interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe. The Spanish international is touted to be the subject of a bidding war in the summer, as mentioned in the report by Fichajes.net.
Veiga has also shied away from ruling out a transfer to Europe, which could indicate his plans to return in the future. Nevertheless, the 21-year-old prodigy is currently well-settled in the Middle East and will face Al-Akhdoud in Al-Ahli’s upcoming SPL fixture.
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