da poker： Arsenal, despite their heavy spending already this summer, continue to be linked with a host of options who would bolster Mikel Arteta’s squad further.
Is Gabri Veiga joining Arsenal?
da bwin： With Declan Rice, Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz having all put pen to paper on long-term deals at the Emirates, the youth-focused revolution continues to overwhelm the red half of north London.
Now boasting the outright youngest-average age in the Premier League following the relegation of Southampton, these summer additions have only boosted their quality without straying from that philosophy.
One such report from earlier this month suggests that this trend could continue, as Gabri Veiga is a name that would more than fit that mould.
His €40m (£34m) price tag might prove an obstacle for most but with the Gunners’ spending having already surpassed £200m for this window, perhaps one final addition could put the finishing touches on a squad ready to truly topple Manchester City’s monopoly.
What type of midfielder is Gabri Veiga?
Having featured mainly as a central midfielder, his emergence as one of Celta Vigo’s key men led to the system shifting around the 21-year-old.
Pushed into a more influential number ten role, last season in La Liga the young Spaniard boasted 11 goals and four assists, with his 6.96 average rating, as per Sofascore, making him comfortably his club’s second-best performer behind the experienced Iago Aspas.
Such a busy, tireless yet classy orchestrator hailing from the same country as a former fan favourite of Arsenal’s makes it hard not to immediately draw comparisons with Santi Cazorla.
The 38-year-old spent six fine years in north London, as a technically superior wizard capable of conjuring up truly special moments. He prevailed in a league famed for its physicality, despite standing at just 5 foot 6.
Moving to England from Villarreal, in securing a swoop for Veiga, Arteta would be emulating this former success that led to many years of phenomenal viewing. After all, the diminutive trickster did feature 180 times for the Gunners, scoring 29 times and assisting a further 45.
To further draw comparisons between Cazorla and this young midfielder, the words of Arsene Wenger help to emphasise their similarities.
Back in 2014, he would note: “When you play in your opponents’ half, in the final third, he [Cazorla] is one of the players who can create something special, either through his passing or through his finishing. He is two-footed, and that makes him very dangerous.”
Funnily enough, journalist Euan McTear also branded Veiga “dangerous” earlier this year, as if to mimic the words of the legendary French manager.
FBref pushes this notion one step further, as when compared to other midfielders across Europe, the Spain U21 star ranks in the top 2% for total shots per 90, the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90, and the top 11% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90.
He too can ghost in between the lines, picking up space and the ball to be the decisive operator in the final third.
The Celta Vigo star is a versatile workhorse willing to give his all for the cause, yet possesses that touch of class to set him apart.
In buying directly from the Spanish top-flight once again, and given the clear similarities in play style, this is a move certainly worth making no matter the risk. The potential reward of a new Cazorla is too great.