Liverpool are firmly in the mix for Celta Vigo prodigy Gabri Veiga this summer and could make their move swiftly amid rising interest from Premier League rivals such as Chelsea.
What's the latest on Gabri Veiga to Liverpool?
That's courtesy of an update from the ever-reliable Fabrizio Romano, who claims that the affluent Blues have "inquired" over the 21-year-old's availability as they look to turn the page on a disgraceful campaign.
Liverpool are said to have done the exact same one week ago and are aware of the player's situation with his LaLiga outfit, with a €40m (£34m) release clause wedged into Veiga's contract.
James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have all departed Anfield upon the conclusion of their contracts this summer and Veiga could be the precocious and vibrant force to rekindle the fire at the club.
How would Gabri Veiga perform at Liverpool?
Having already tied up a deal for Brighton & Hove Albion's World Cup-winning star Alexis Mac Allister this summer – for just £35m – boss Jurgen Klopp has started with conviction as he looks to rise from the rubble after Liverpool finished fifth in the top-flight this season.
Veiga, who is a similarly progressive presence and has been called a "top talent" by Romano, would represent the perfect addition to reshape the Reds' midfield in a new, refined form, with the burgeoning Spaniard flourishing this season with the Sky Blues, scoring 11 goals and supplying four assists from only 28 starts in LaLiga after playing for the side's reserve unit last year.
It's not hard to discern the abundant potential this star possesses, and given Liverpool's recent success in delving into Celta Vigo's ranks to procure a prodigious talent, it must be a move that sporting director Jorg Schmadtke jumps upon.
Indeed, in the winter of 2020, Liverpool signed Stefan Bajcetic from Vigo for just £224,000, with the midfielder arriving as an exciting 16-year-old with a belief that he would forge a path towards prominence on Merseyside over the next several years.
Bajcetic got his breakthrough this year, and still only 18, the energetic box-to-box star made 19 appearances for Liverpool's senior side, scoring one goal, and left the likes of Jamie Carragher waxing lyrical over the calibre of his performances, calling him "outstanding" as he belied his tender age and inexperience with his feats.
The "wonderful" Veiga – as he has been described by journalist Josh Bunting – is a similarly advanced prospect, above his peers in his devastating technical ability and gliding gait, ranking among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for non-penalty goals, the top 20% for assists, and the top 12% for both progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.
This kind of box-surging prowess is exactly what the Reds need to discard the woes of the season gone past, and having already reaped the rewards of raiding Celta Vigo's pool of talent, history would repeat with another foray into the market to secure the signing of a highly-coveted midfield maestro.