Chelsea enter race for next Liverpool target after Mac Allister; Blues demand £75m for wantaway forward

admin 12 November 2024, 04:15 yayınlandı

Chelsea have joined the race to sign Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga with Liverpool also keen on the Spaniard, according to reports.

The 21-year-old has contributed 11 goals and four assists in 6 La Liga appearances this campaign with his form making .

Veiga came through the youth ranks at Los Celestes and 2022/23 was his breakthrough season in the first team with the Spain under-21 international dividing his time between Celta and Celta B in the previous two campaigns.

And Mauricio Pochettino has been impressed by the young Spaniard and wants to make him a key part of his rebuild at Chelsea after being appointed the club’s new manager last week.

The Guardian claim that Pochettino has ‘switched his focus’ to Veiga after missing out on Sporting Lisbon midfielder Manuel Ugarte but will ‘face competition from Barcelona and Liverpool’ for the Spaniard.

Chelsea are ‘prepared to push hard’ for Veiga – who has a €40m (£34.4m) buyout clause – but Premier League rivals Liverpool ‘will consider once they complete the signing of the Brighton midfielder Alexis Mac Allister’.

The Argentina international is set for a £55m move to Anfield after Brighton gave him permission to have his medical at Liverpool ahead of a move.

Pochettino can expect a huge number of players to leave Chelsea in the summer with Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and N’Golo Kante among the players likely to exit Stamford Bridge.

That comes after Todd Boehly and his ownership team spent around £600m on new signings over their first two transfer windows at the helm.

Kai Havertz is another one who could be on their way this summer with The Guardian adding that the Germany international ‘has told Chelsea he wants a fresh challenge’.

Havertz has two years left on his current contract with the 23-year-old ‘unlikely to sign an extension’ and Boehly will sell before he allows any player to leave on a free transfer.

The Guardian claims that Chelsea will ask for as much as £75m from interested parties with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich set to do battle over Havertz.

Former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf is shocked that Real Madrid are taking an interest in Havertz as he’s “not the player he used to be”.

“He’s not the player he used to be. His influence on the field is not there anymore, like it used to be when he was playing for Leverkusen.

“If he’s ready to be a substitute, he can go to Real Madrid because that’s what he’s going to get… If it suits him, fine by me, he can go there and he will have a little part to play.”