Celta Vigo president Carlos Maurino has sent out a defiant message to prospective suitors of Gabri Veiga, who’s been linked with Liverpool in recent weeks.
El Nacional reported in the last month that Jurgen Klopp has already spoken to the 20-year-old about a potential move to Anfield and indicated a willingness to meet his €40m (£35m) release clause.
The LaLiga club’s chief has now come out and said that figure is non-negotiable, although the Galician outfit seem resigned to losing the youngster in the near future.
Maurino told Cadena SER [via Estadio Deportivo]: “We have always said from the beginning that no one has to negotiate with us because we are not going to sell.
“We know those who called at the beginning. They have already spoken with him, he is the one who has the decision… there we already get lost. Yes, I can assure you that teams from Italy, from England, from France [come] to us directly.
“We have to situate ourselves where we are at RC Celta and because we are having a lot of success with youth players… you have to achieve that with some kind of compensation for the boys. I can’t put a 100 million clause on you, I’m going to pay a smaller token. Can’t.
“But don’t go to another team. I put a clause that we both agree on and if you see that you have the possibility and you succeed, you have the facility to take a big leap without anyone messing with you.”
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Veiga has made a huge impact during his inaugural season as a regular in Celta’s first team, with nine goals and four assists in 27 league games from an attacking midfield berth (Transfermarkt).
That ratio of one goal in every three matches is better than Liverpool forwards Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota, while his LaLiga tally alone is more than the Reds’ two most prolific midfielders – Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho – combined (eight) across all competitions (Transfermarkt).
Those numbers would suggest that the young Spaniard could offer a potent presence behind the forward line at Anfield, should he replicate the form he’s showing at the Estadio Balaidos this term.
If £35m seems a lot to pay for someone who’s only had one season of regular top-flight football to his name, Andy Carroll was in a similar position when the Merseyside club paid that amount for him 12 years ago (BBC Sport), when transfer fees were generally lower than what they’d be today.
Liverpool shouldn’t baulk at the figure being demanded by Maurino and Celta, whose stance on the player is quite understandable, given the massive impression he’s made already.