Jurgen Klopp has reportedly spoken to Liverpool transfer target Gabri Veiga about a potential move to Anfield.
ESPN recently reported that the Reds are closely monitoring the 20-year-old, who’s also believed to be attracting the interest of Arsenal (Cadena Ser, via Football Talk) and Real Madrid (El Nacional).
Journalist Jacque Talbot also namechecked the Celta Vigo youngster as one of several midfielders on FSG’s radar ahead of the summer transfer window (via @jac_talbot on Twitter).
Spanish outlet El Nacional has now shared an even more encouraging update, stating that Klopp has informed Veiga of Liverpool’s willingness to pay his €40m (£35m) release clause.
The Reds manager has spoken personally to the player and his agent, with the Anfield club ready to pounce if their transfer target indicates his willingness to make the move.
Among the increasing abundance of transfer reports involving Veiga and Liverpool, this one may well give the strongest indicator over the possibility of this rumour ultimately coming to fruition.
If El Nacional’s claims are correct and Klopp has indeed made personal contact with the player, that could be the biggest domino to have fallen in this story so far.
The Reds’ apparent readiness to meet Celta’s release clause for the 20-year-old indicates just how serious they are to make this happen, and with the likes of Arsenal and Real Madrid also lurking, time could be of the essence in this ever-intensifying transfer race.
Hailed by former Anfield striker and current teammate Iago Aspas for his ‘desire, enthusiasm’ and ‘quality’ (via The Guardian), the youngster could be a superb prospective addition to a Liverpool midfield which looks set to undergo a radical summer overhaul.
The Reds have seemingly laid their cards firmly on the table – it’s now over to the Spanish gem to decide whether he’s just as eager to join up with Klopp as the German is to bring him to Merseyside.