Todd Boehly is eyeing up a Chelsea bid for Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga this summer as he looks to sign an ideal alternative to Moises Caicedo.
What’s the latest on Gabri Veiga to Chelsea?
According to the Telegraph, Chelsea are frontrunners to sign Caicedo, however they could face a challenge to negotiate terms for the youngster and this may lead Boehly to perhaps look for alternatives if a deal is proving too difficult to seal.
Journalist Jacob Steinberg has stated that a “Chelsea bid for Gabri Veiga could arrive soon” and with the Spaniard having a release clause of just £34m, he could certainly come at a cheaper price than the Ecuadorian international, who could cost around £100m.
Could Gabri Veiga improve Chelsea?
The 21-year-old midfielder could offer a greater positional versatility than Caicedo if he joined Chelsea, as he is able to operate either as a defensive or an attacking midfielder, while also being comfortable in the centre of the pitch, whereas the Brighton and Hove Albion star is primarily deployed just in front of the defence.
From an attacking perspective, Veiga would be a perfect alternative, as he ranks in the top 5% across Europe’s top five leagues for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.43) and total shots per 90 (2.43) while Caicedo ranks in the lowest 26% for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.03) and lowest 33% for total shots per 90 (0.8) across the same top five leagues.
His ability to push forward whenever possible is also much better than Caicedo’s as he makes more progressive carries per 90 (2.67 to 1.09) while also taking more touches in the opposition box per 90 than the Brighton midfielder (2.63 to 0.8) and there is no doubt he is among one of the continents finest for his attacking abilities.
For Celta Vigo last term, he registered 15 goal contributions – 11 goals and four assists – across 36 matches, which was two more goal contributions than any Chelsea player achieved last term, indicating that he could be an improvement on their midfield options, especially going forward.
The young maestro even managed to score twice against La Liga winners Barcelona in their final league match of the season, underlining his class and there is no doubt Mauricio Pochettino could certainly take him to the next level should he join the Stamford Bridge outfit.
Journalist Euan McTear dubbed him as “dangerous” and although Caicedo may have plenty of Premier League experience, spending just £34m on Veiga could turn into a very shrewd investment indeed.