Arsenal have been given a wakeup call in the race to sign Gabri Veiga following Carlo Ancelotti's glowing review of the 20-year-old. The midfielder has been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium lately as he continues to impress for Celta Vigo.
Veiga, who sees his contract at the Estadio Municipal de Balaidos expire in 2026, has featured 28 times for Carlos Carvalhal's side in La Liga this season, directly contributing towards 13 goals. The Spain youth international's impressive performances have rightfully attracted the attention of some top clubs and, with Mikel Arteta eager to further bolster his options in the centre of the park, he's emerged as a target.
According to Spanish radio network Cadena SER, the Gunners are joined by Liverpool in the race to sign Veiga, while Newcastle and Real Madrid are keeping tabs on his situation. With plenty of interest in the Spaniard, the Celta Vigo president has conceded that the youngster will probably leave this summer.
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Speaking earlier last month, Carlos Mourino outlined that Veiga's release clause must be met. He said: "Under no circumstances do we want to sell Gabri but we also I say that they are going to buy it from us and there we can do absolutely nothing.
"We know of some of the offers that Gabri has had and as much as we would like, we could not pay him what other teams offer him. We would love for Gabri to be at Celta next season, for him to continue with us for the centenary season, but we know it will be very difficult.
"We compete with clubs that are stronger than us. Our response to all the clubs is very easy, they have to agree with him and they only have to pay us the clause."
With Real Madrid watching the saga unfold from the sidelines, Carlo Ancelotti has heaped great praise on the Arsenal target. Speaking ahead of the Spanish giants' clash against Celta Vigo, the former Chelsea boss said: "We have great respect for Celta, who are doing well.
"They are well set-up on the pitch and produce good patterns of play, with players like Aspas and Gabri Veiga. We'll try to do our job," Ancelotti added. "He’s a top footballer, like Aspas. They’re quality players who have something special and they’re having very good seasons."
In an interview with Marca, Celta Vigo icon Patxi Salinas revealed that Veiga will be attracted to the prospect of living in London. He said: "We will have to enjoy him in another shirt. It is very difficult for a club like Celta to keep him.
"Today, a €40 million (£35.4m) clause is very easy to pay for many clubs, and the figures they offer you are dizzying. It is extremely difficult to retain these players. If I were the president of the club, I would fight with all my strength and until the last second.
"If I am the one who has to make the decision, I would not let him go just like that. I would fight even, if he signed for a big club, so that he could stay on loan for one or two years," added Salinas. "If a club comes, pays the clause and the player wants to leave, perfect.
"But as a club you must fight until the end to keep him. Maybe the surprise will come, and the footballer says he wants to stay. There are players who love their clubs and don’t move."
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