Celta Vigo president Carlos Mouriño has admitted that he fears they will end up losing Gabriel Veiga to the likes of Newcastle United this summer.
Veiga is the current rising star of La Liga, having established himself as a key player for the Spanish side this season with a series of impressive performances.
He’s already being linked with a big move this summer, with Mundo Deportivo covering that today and comments from Mouriño on the matter.
The newspaper explains that Mouriño ‘almost gives up’ Veiga for next season after the youngster became the ‘great revelation’ of this season.
He is aware that the player has a €40m release clause in his current contract, a figure the biggest clubs in Europe won’t bat an eyelid at to get one of the rising stars.
Newcastle are one of those, according to Mundo, who say the player has been ‘associated’ with them in recent weeks as well as the likes of Real Madrid.
“We do not want to sell Gabri Veiga, but he will be bought from us. And not there we can do anything,” Mouriño is quoted as saying.
“We know some of their offers and it is impossible to get there. Gabri is a Celta player, he has that feeling.
“There are several teams behind Gabri. Real Madrid? They haven’t asked us, we don’t know if they will have called the player.
“For us, and to make it clear, he is not for sale. We have nothing to negotiate with anyone. We refer to the clause. From the top 10 in the Premier League, four have asked about him. The decision is Gabri’s, he will play wherever he wants.”
Whether that is at Newcastle, though, remains to be seen. Only yesterday we covered a report from Spain that stated the player had told his agent he doesn’t want to move to the Premier League this summer.
That would suggest they would do well to convince the player on the move to St James’ Park, with his priorities seemingly elsewhere.
Either way Mouriño is certainly expecting the player to depart, with that release clause not offering much protection if suitors like Newcastle do come calling.
