Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing a move for an “excellent” young Spaniard, seeing him as an alternative to midfield targets Kalvin Phillips and Ruben Neves.
Newcastle linked with Phillips and Neves
The Magpies have been strongly linked with signing a midfielder in the January transfer window, following the news that Sandro Tonali has received a ten-month ban and won’t be able to play professionally until next autumn. There have arguably two players two have stood out as the most commonly-tipped individuals to head to St James’ Park, with Phillips and Neves both linked with moves to Newcastle once January arrives.
The former is currently out of favour at Manchester City, struggled to enjoy any serious playing time under Pep Guardiola, and with Euro 2024 around the corner, more minutes elsewhere will improve his chances of starting for England at the tournament in Germany.
Meanwhile, Neves’ head could be turned by a move back to the Premier League, even if it is on a temporary basis, with the Portugal international currently playing in the Saudi Pro League with Al-Hilal.
It looks as though those two are far from Newcastle’s only possible solutions when it comes to making up for the loss of Tonali, with another name also believed to be in the mix.
Newcastle transfer news – Gabri Veiga
According to a new update from Football Insider, Newcastle could move for former Celta Viga prodigy Gabri Veiga in the January transfer window.
It is stated that the midfielder “could also emerge as a target for Newcastle despite him only leaving Celta Vigo for Al-Ahli in the most recent summer window”, with Neves seen as a “target” from the Middle East as well. It is Phillips who “remains the priority target”, though.
Back in July, it was claimed that Newcastle had held talks with Veiga over a move to the club before he traded Celta Vigo for Al-Ahli, so it seems clear that he has been admired for some time. The 21-year-old could be a great alternative to Phillips and Neves in the middle of the park, considering he is comfortably younger than both of them, and can provide more of an attacking spark in the final third.
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Gabri Veiga strengths |
Gabri Veiga weaknesses |
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Dribbling |
Tackling |
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Shooting |
Decision-making |
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Long passes |
Defensive instincts |
Last season, Veiga’s statistics were hugely impressive, with 11 goals coming his way in La Liga, and he still represents a great option for the Magpies, even if some may question his decision to move to the Saudi Pro League at this stage in his career.
The Newcastle target has been likenened to former Chelsea and Manchester United star Juan Mata in the recent past, and been hailed as “excellent” by Carlo Ancelotti, and he could be a long-term acquisition, should the funds be available to sign him permanently.
Veiga has 13 caps to his name for Spain’s Under-21s and a senior call-up may not be too far away, with the youngster possibly feeling that there is more chance of that happening if he returns to a major league, rather than potentially wasting away his talent in a less competitive environment.