Aston Villa were linked to La Liga star Gabri Veiga towards the closing stage of the 2022/23 season, as Unai Emery aims to bolster his squad with the assistance of former Sevilla colleague Monchi this summer.
The Villans enjoyed a strong first season under the Spaniard, who will hope to take his side to the next level this transfer window as the club prepare to feature in Europe next campaign.
What’s the latest on Gabri Veiga to Aston Villa?
Back in April it was claimed by The Daily Mail that Villa were one of the teams that Veiga had attracted interest from.
However, as we've found out in the early exchanges of the transfer window, the Spaniard has plenty of other suitors lurking.
Indeed, the previous report stated that the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool from the Premier League were interested in his services.
The midfielder has a release clause of €40m (£34m), as relayed by The Guardian.
What could Gabri Veiga offer to Aston Villa?
Lauded as “highly talented” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Veiga could be a significant upgrade to Emery’s setup at Villa Park.
Deployed as a box-to-box midfielder, the 21-year-old lit up La Liga this term, scoring 11 goals and registering four assists in 36 appearances in what has marked his first full senior campaign in football, via FBref.
The youngster is a wanted man this summer, and would undoubtedly be a strong addition to Emery’s side in a midfield that prides itself in being free-flowing and attack-minded.
While the Spaniard has a number of attractive options to deploy in his midfield, the 21-year-old could be an upgrade, particularly to a star that has failed to live up to expectations since his arrival in 2022.
Philippe Coutinho was once one of the Premier League’s most dangerous stars when adorning the red of Liverpool, however, things haven’t ticked for the Brazilian in the Midlands, contributing just nine G/A in 39 league appearances.
The rise in form of those around him have forced the 31-year-old further away from the starting XI – something that the potential arrival of Veiga would not ease.
The most prominent area in Veiga’s game is his ability in front of goal, seeing him excel in comparison to fellow midfielders in Europe, ranking in the top 1% in terms of average number of non-penalty goals, recording 0.43 per 90, via FBref.
Coutinho ranks far behind the Spaniard in this area, registering just 0.11 non-penalty goals per 90, to show the difference between the two in front of goal in the past year.
Veiga also averages better in terms of progressive play when getting the ball upfield, recording 2.67 progressive carries to the Brazilian’s 2.06, as well as the 21-year-old creating more chances, registering six big chances in La Liga with Coutinho failing to register one. It's perhaps no surprise with ball-carrying skills such as those that he's been dubbed a "Baby Kaka" by one Copa90 writer.
Taking £125k per week from the Villans, it’s imperative that Villa offload the 31-year-old, which they could finally achieve by securing the signing of one of the continent’s hottest prospects in Veiga.
