Manchester City could find their next version of David Silva by securing a transfer deal for Gabri Veiga this summer.
After 10 years of service, during which he made 436 appearances, scored 77 goals, provided 140 assists and won four Premier League titles, Silva left City in 2020 to make a return to Spain with Real Sociedad.
Three years gone without the midfielder, the Manchester club could now have the opportunity to bring in a new version of the 37-year-old to the Etihad Stadium.
Veiga could be City’s next Silva
Last week, it was reported that the Manchester club had joined Chelsea and Liverpool in the race to sign the midfielder from Celta Vigo, where he has a current contract until 2026.
It has also been reported that the 21-year-old has a release clause in his contract worth €40m (£34m).
Having emerged through the youth system at Celta, as Silva did at Valencia before he joined City in 2010 for a fee of £24m when he was 24, Veiga has since made 55 senior appearances for his current side.
Across those 55 appearances, the midfielder has scored 11 goals, all of which came across his previous La Liga campaign, and delivered four assists.
This suggests that he has shown early signs of being a useful attacking figure from midfield in terms of delivering goal contributions, as Silva did during his decade in Manchester.
In fact, one of his performances in La Liga last season where he scored two goals and provided one assist against Real Valladolid was described as “amazing” by talent scout, Jacek Kulig, on Twitter.
Having also lost Ilkay Gundogan this summer, Pep Guardiola could be in need of having a midfielder who can chip in with goals and assists throughout the season, which is why we feel triggering Veiga’s release clause and seeing him follow in Silva’s footsteps could be a smart piece of business from the club.
