Jude Bellingham, it seems, may not be the only site of battle chosen by Liverpool and Real Madrid with Gabri Veiga now reportedly being followed by Premier League clubs and the Spanish giants.
This update comes courtesy of a tweet from Fabrizio Romano, with it having already been claimed by ESPN that the Reds are keeping a close eye on the midfielder.
Celta Vigo president: “We want to keep Gabri Veiga but it will be impossible due to release clause. We know some bids he has, impossible to match”. 🚨🔵⭐️ #transfers
Release clause for 2003-born talented midfielder: €40m.
Premier League top clubs and Real are following him. pic.twitter.com/7hnMbvhmHT
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 23, 2023
With a release clause allegedly set at £35.3m, the 20-year-old would represent a potentially ideal piece of business for the Merseysiders if Jurgen Klopp is indeed thought to be an admirer and has spoken personally to the player and his agent (as has been claimed by El Nacional).
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It’s always worth taking reports from El Nacional with a pinch of salt (with all due respect), though given the level of interest in the Spaniard already and our obvious need for midfielders, we’d have to ask why we wouldn’t consider such a bargain at a time when quality midfielders are in extremely high demand.
The lack of supply means that it’ll be a struggle to rectify a concern that has plagued this Liverpool team all season, especially within the potentially limited budget FSG may set.
Assuming that the club has done its due diligence on the player, or is at least prepared to, we’d hope that such an option will be seriously explored if we’re prepared to also commit a vast amount of funds to the signing of Jude Bellingham.
Empire of the Kop’s prior understanding on the matter of the club’s summer kitty was that we would have between £200-250m to play with, so the addition of a Veiga and, perhaps, a comparatively more expensive (though not obscenely so) transfer like a Mason Mount would, theoretically, keep within those limits.
How much of an impact a lack of Champions League football next term will have on our flexibility in the market remains unclear, of course, though it’s encouraging to see a handful of options available at more affordable prices.