Porto reject Atlético bid for Veiga, summer move still likely | OneFootball

The winter transfer window has already closed and Francesco Farioli can “breathe a sigh of relief”: not only did FC Porto strengthen the squad available to the coach, but also managed to retain some of its key players, including Gabri Veiga.

In the last 48 hours of the transfer period, Atlético de Madrid tried to ‘snatch’ the 23-year-old midfielder, but was met with the unyielding stance of the board led by André Villas-Boas, who showed no willingness to negotiate a player considered indispensable – a fact proven by the 30 appearances in 33 matches that the Italian coach has given him since the start of the 2025/26 season.

The ‘interest’ didn’t stop there: according to Fabrizio Romano, the Italian journalist and transfer specialist, several clubs have already expressed interest in securing the creative midfielder this summer.

The Spaniard arrived at Dragão in June, coming from Al-Ahli Jeddah, in a deal worth around 15 million euros for 90% of his economic rights, a figure that could rise to 19 million depending on sporting objectives being met.

He signed a contract until 2030, ‘protected’ by a release clause set at 65 million euros, and was included in the list of players that then-coach, the Argentine Martín Anselmi, took to the United States of America to compete in the Club World Cup.

Since then, the Spanish U21 international has made 33 official appearances, scoring four goals and providing eight assists, relegating Rodrigo Mora – who seemed destined to secure a starting spot – to the bench for much of this season.

Eyes on the first national title of his career

Born in Porriño, Spain, Gabri Veiga began his development at Celta de Vigo and made his first-team debut on September 19, 2020, at the age of 18, when Óscar García brought him on to replace Renato Tapia in the closing moments of the win over Valencia.

Regarded as one of the great promises of Spanish football, he surprised many by transferring in 2023 to Al-Ahli Jeddah – a club with which he won an Asian title – for around 30 million euros. His experience in Saudi Arabia, however, lasted only two years.

Currently, the midfielder is preparing for a potentially decisive season: he is a key player for FC Porto, who lead the Primeira Liga and remain in the semi-finals of the Portuguese Cup (where they will face Sporting or AVS) and in the round of 16 of the Europa League (where they could face Ludogorets, Ferencváros, Celtic, or Stuttgart).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.