Real Madrid News
La Liga club president confirms Real Madrid have not asked about 20-year-old midfielder
President of Celta Vigo, Carlos Mouriño, has admitted that retaining Real Madrid target Gabri Veiga in the summer is going to be an impossible task for the team.
Veiga, 20, has been one of the breakout stars in La Liga this season, with the attacking midfielder scoring nine goals and providing three assists in 25 league games.
Thanks to an impressive tally, the 20-year-old has attracted interest from several top teams and Real Madrid happen to be one of them.
It said that Veiga has a release clause of €40 million in his current Celta contract, which runs until 2026, and Madrid are more than happy to buy him out.
As it turns out, Mouriño has affirmed that while his player has attracted several bids from abroad, Madrid have made no such move as of today.
“There are several teams behind Gabri. Real Madrid? They haven’t asked us, we don’t know if they will have called the player,” said Mouriño as per Mundo Deportivo.
The Celta president also revealed that four of the top 10 teams from the English Premier League have made an enquiry about the youngster in recent times. “Of the top 10 in the Premier, four have asked about him,” he added.
Celta are standing firm in their decision; they do not want to part ways with the player. At the same time, though, they do understand that there is a release clause and if someone decides to activate it, it will be upto the player to decide.
“We do not want to sell Gabri Veiga, but they are going to buy him from us. And there is nothing we can do about it.
“We know some of the offers [he has received] and it is impossible to get there.
“For us, and to make it clear, he is not for sale. We have nothing to negotiate with anyone. We refer to the clause. The decision is Gabri’s, he will play wherever he wants,” added Mouriño.
It is believed that Celta are trying to persuade the player into signing a new deal which would increase his release clause. If that is done, Madrid will simply withdraw from the race as they do not want to enter into an auction.
For now, the player prefers to stay in Spain and for that, a move to Madrid is very much appreciated than travelling to the Premier League. For that, though, his release clause of €40 million must not increase.
Real Madrid News
Report: Mourinho’s preferred pivot combination for Real Madrid’s big games this season
The midfield pecking order at Real Madrid still remains unclear five games into the new season, especially given that Los Blancos could not make the signings they expected.
Federico Valverde has remained a constant in the double pivot under Jose Mourinho, but his partner has changed constantly.
Eduardo Camavinga and Bernardo Silva have been the manager’s primary options to partner Valverde in midfield so far this season, and Aurelien Tchouameni’s absence through injury has been one pioneering factors for the same. The Frenchman, however, is back now from injury and it remains to be seen how the dynamic changes.
The big game pair
As confirmed in a recent update on El Larguero, Jose Mourinho has decided his pivot his big games now and it will indeed be the Valverde-Tchouameni combination.
The Uruguayan star has made his presence felt this season with strong shifts in terms of pressing and an attacking output. He was even named the man of the match against Inter Milan and is seemingly undroppable.
What Tchouameni will bring to the table, however, is defensive solidity – something that is a non-negotiable given that the forwards barely provide any defensive work-rate.
Having Valverde and Tchouameni at the base of midfield will help cut short opposition buildups and disrupt the play.
Waters will be tested soon
Tchouameni made his much-awaited return to the field in Real Madrid’s game against Inter Milan and came on for Trent Alexander-Arnold in the 79th minute.
He briefly joined Valverde in the double pivot at the time and provided a glimpse of how the duo can work in tandem in the defensive midfield. However, the waters are yet to be tested adequately.
With the Frenchman now fit, Jose Mourinho could well look to start the duo together in Real Madrid’s coming games. They have played together in the past, but doing so in a double pivot in Mourinho’s system is demanding.
Moreover, there are concerns over the team’s drop in creativity and distribution with Valverde and Tchouameni at the heart of midfield, and it remains to be seen if the manager can come up with a workable solution.
After all, the players had a bad falling out on a personal level just months ago.
