Gabri Veiga has insisted that his move to the Saudi Pro League this summer was not entirely motivated by money.
The Spaniard, in quotes relayed on X by Fabrizio Romano, told El Larguero that he was excited by the opportunity to develop his talents in a growing league.
🇸🇦🇪🇸 Gabri Veiga: "I did not join Saudi just for money. It was the best option to develop as a player, grow under a young coach, team full of stars and league improving as Saudi PL".
"I'm 100% proud of my choice", told @ellarguero. pic.twitter.com/kD8jolgalI
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 12, 2023
It’s worth pointing out, of course, that Premier League options would have been limited anyway for the former Celta Vigo man (formerly linked with Liverpool, according to reports from Spain, via the Echo) following the decisions of major clubs to veer towards alternative targets.
“Liverpool decided to go for different kind of midfielders, Chelsea did the same with Romeo Lavia,” Romano previously told CaughtOffside’s Daily Briefing.
“So it’s all about skills, they all rated Veiga as top talent but didn’t bid due to different vision.
“Manchester City considered him after Rice saga but then decided to invest big money on different kind of players.”
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A growing league?
That said, it’s difficult to imagine that this is where Premier League interest will have ended for Veiga, and it’s already been well-established that Italian champions Napoli had been prepared to land the player prior to his surprise decision.
With the greatest of respect to the Saudi top-flight, the parallels to the Chinese Super League and the sudden bubble of financing can’t be ignored.
Assuming it moves in a similar direction, not even a further incoming raft of the globe’s most high-profile, experienced players in January can guarantee that the division becomes vaguely influential enough to attract the kind of eyeballs required to make it vaguely self-sustainable.
Taking into account the general standard of the competition too, it’s just difficult to see how Veiga’s potential will be best realised in the Middle East as opposed to with a top European club.