Celta Vigo head coach Rafael Benitez is still hopeful that his club will be able to keep hold of central midfielder Gabri Veiga beyond the end of this summer's transfer window.
The 21-year-old was in impressive form for the Sky Blues during the 2022-23 campaign, featuring on 39 occasions in all competitions, scoring 11 goals and registering four assists in the process.
Veiga found the back of the net on 11 occasions in 36 La Liga games, in addition to contributing four assists, and his form has led to a host of speculation surrounding his future.
Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain have all been linked with the Spaniard of late, but Benitez, who has just been appointed head coach of the La Liga club, has said that he is "counting" on the midfielder for the 2023-24 campaign.
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"We are talking about an important player, who comes from the academy, and I would be delighted to have him continue with us," Benitez told Sport.
"It would be exciting for everyone, and I will try to improve him as much as possible if he continues with us. I like him a lot, he's a great player and I'm counting on him."
Veiga, who came through the youth system at Celta, has a contract with his current side until the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
However, there is a relatively low release clause in his deal, with clubs able to sign him for €40m (£35m) during the current market.
Addressing the situation earlier this year, Celta president Carlos Mourino admitted that his club would be powerless to prevent the youngster from leaving if his release clause was activated.
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"The clauses are in place and it is one of the requirements of La Liga. We are not going to sell Gabri Veiga, but they are going to buy him from us," Mourino told Cadena SER at the time.
"Nobody has to negotiate with us. We know that there are clubs that have called, but we don't know who has spoken with Gabri Veiga. There were other teams that called us asking if we would give them a hand."
Veiga has now represented Celta on 55 occasions in all competitions, scoring 11 goals and registering four assists in the process, while he has shown his versatility by operating in a number of different positions.
The midfielder is currently representing Spain Under-21s at the 2023 European Under-21 Championship, with the national side preparing to face Ukraine Under-21s in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
Matt Law
