The Wonderkid Files: Gabri Veiga - the £35m starlet wanted by Newcastle, Chelsea and Liverpool

Welcome back to The Wonderkid Files, 3 Added Minutes’ scouting reports on some of the best and brightest young talents in the global game – and today, we take a look at a gifted young midfielder who looks increasingly likely to become a Premier League player in the near future after a thrilling breakout season in La Liga. This is Gabri Veiga, and Chelsea, Newcastle United and Liverpool are all said to be interested.

Turning 21 just a few days ago, Veiga is an attacking midfielder, playing either centrally or wide on the right, with an elegant dribbling style and knack for getting into dangerous positions around the box that has drawn comparison with another Spaniard who made a splash in the English top tier – Juan Mata.

A product of Celta Vigo’s youth system, Veiga made gradual progress through the ranks at the club before spending some time in the first team early on in the 2020/21 season, making his senior debut as a substitute against Valencia. He returned to the B team soon after, but a productive 2021/22 season, which saw him score nine goals in the Spanish third tier, ensured that he was never too far from the first team, and he became a regular this season under new manager Carlos Carvalhal – playing in all but two of Celta’s league matches and scoring 11 goals, as well as making his debut for Spain Under-21s.

Now different outlets are reporting that both Chelsea and Newcastle are close to sealing a deal for the youngster, while both Liverpool and Real Madrid have been linked with him in recent weeks as well. Celta Vigo have made it clear that they have no desire to sell their star asset, but it’s expected that his release clause of around £35m will be triggered very soon.

So what has made Veiga such an in-demand commodity so early in his career? The first thing that stands out when watching the tape is his dribbling – he’s a superb technician with a smooth first touch and great footwork. He’s sent half of La Liga for a loop at some point over the past season, shifting his balance and the ball from one foot to the next with grace, ease and speed. That skill with the ball at his feet is where much of the comparison to Mata comes from – but he has a sudden burst of acceleration that’s better than Mata could manage in his pomp, which not only makes him an even more dangerous ball carrier but also helps with his ghosting late runs into the box.

Veiga is the kind of player who is always looking to get the ball down, get his head down, and get into the box – indeed, he rarely passes the ball when collecting it from deep, and his average of 29 passes attempted per game is less than 97% of midfielders in Europe’s big five leagues. He is a dribbler at heart and is always looking for chances to run at defenders.

His other great strength is his goalscoring – he’s a confident, composed finisher and his darting runs between defenders mean he’s a great target for final balls. He’s also got great shot selection and is happy to try anything needed to get the ball in the goal – whether it’s his precise dink over the goalkeeper against Sevilla, his precision-guided near-post finish against Átletico Madrid, or his curled strike into the top corner from the corner of the box against Espanyol. All 11 of his goals are different from the next, a testament to his range of skills and confidence in pulling them off. Between his increasingly dangerous presence in the box, his quick burst of pace and the way the ball can seem glued to his feet, another player with whom he bears comparison is Eberechi Eze.

It isn’t just his goals that make him a dangerous player in the box, either – he may not have an especially wide passing range, but he’s great with quick interchanges and two of his four assists this season came from instinctive close-range backheels in the box that took defenders out of the game completely. The cherry on top of all of this is that he’s a grafter in a pressing system, too – and is ready and willing to throw himself about to win possession back.

As with any youngster, though, there are some gaps in his game and a few wrinkles to iron out. His tendency to dribble demonstrates his confidence but is excessive, and he can give the ball away needlessly trying to beat his man when a simple pass would be the smarter choice. He also tends to drift over to the right wing when he’s needed elsewhere – he favour his left foot and is always looking to take the ball on the right and cut back inside. It can make him predictable, and can leave his team unbalanced in attack.

He’s also a relatively slight presence and while he’ll happily run hard to win the ball back, he isn’t physically imposing and some of the Premier League’s more strength-based defences could give him a rough ride. It’s a tedious old cliché to be concerned by how a foreign player would handle the physical rigours of the Premier League, but it is a relevant question mark in the case of Veiga. There’s also something of a query about his stamina – Veiga started the majority of his side’s games this season but only played the full ninety minutes three times in La Liga, typically being subbed off with ten or twenty minutes left to play. Some time in the gym may well be required.

We want your feedback on 3 Added Minutes - details here

None of which changes the fact that he’s had a fabulous first full season in Celta’s senior squad, winning La Liga’s Player of the Month award for February after he bagged braces against both Real Betis and Real Valladolid. Celta are resigned to losing him, and he could be gracing Stamford Bridge, St. James’ Park or even Anfield very soon – and his dribbling and direct play make him a joy to watch.

More from The Wonderkid Files

► Samuel Iling-Junior

► Arda Güler

► Matheus Gonçalves

► Ilias Akhomach

► Ryan Gravenberch

► Jurriën Timber

► Gonçalo Ramos

► Yunus Musah

► Habib Diarra

► Iván Fresneda