Chelsea may soon get a taste of their own medicine after signing two players from under the noses of Liverpool earlier this month. Jurgen Klopp was left reeling last weekend when Moises Caicedo turned down a move to Anfield despite Brighton accepting a nine-figure bid for his services.
Caicedo reportedly informed Liverpool that he only wanted to join Chelsea, who have since finalised his capture for a British record transfer fee. The Reds were then stung by Chelsea again when Romeo Lavia opted to snub their advances in order to join the Stamford Bridge heavyweights.
However, the shoe could be on the other foot regarding Chelsea’s pursuit of Celta Vigo midfielder Gabri Veiga, according to Fabrizio Romano. Chelsea have been heavily linked with Veiga’s signature in recent months but it seems as though Napoli have emerged as the new favourites to sign him.
The Italian champions are said to have tabled a ‘new bid’ for Veiga, with a ‘deal getting closer’ to see the 21-year-old join them. Such a move would leave Chelsea facing the same frustration as Liverpool when Caicedo and Lavia were snatched away from them earlier this month.
Celta Vigo are reportedly keen to wrap up negotiations by the end of this week, which suggests that Chelsea will need to act quickly to stand any chance of getting a deal done. Veiga is said to have a release clause in the region of £34million and was thought to have been a key target for Mauricio Pochettino earlier this summer.
The Chelsea boss personally asked club chiefs to engineer a move for Veiga, according to The Guardian, but it seems as though he may no longer need the midfielder at Stamford Bridge. The Blues have since managed to land Caicedo and Lesley Ugochukwu, while Lavia is expected to be confirmed as their next signing in due course.
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen whether Napoli will be able to strike a deal to land Veiga before the end of this week. Celta Vigo boss Rafa Benitez has already confirmed that there is concrete interest in Veiga’s signature, while he also said that he would like the situation to be resolved as quickly as possible.
“The market is open and he has a release clause,” Benitez told Marca. “There is a lot of talk about if, and when, he might leave. As a footballer I like him and he’s a player that scores goals and helps the team win games, but the situation is what it is, and the interest is real.
“The ideal thing for us is that if a situation has to arise, it is resolved soon. If he stays, he’s an important player, but we can’t control the market.”
