Newcastle United ‘Expressed Interest’ In Star Whose Saudi Move Raised Eyebrows | OneFootball

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Newcastle United have ‘expressed interest’ in signing a 22-year-old currently playing his football in the Saudi Pro League and could return to Europe.

Planning for the summer transfer window is well under way at St James’ Park and spending power could well be boosted by the return of Champions League football.

Eddie Howe is keen on a centre-back and a winger, but those are not the only areas he is looking at and now a midfielder has popped onto the radar.

The Magpies have joined Atletico Madrid and Celta Vigo in being keen on landing Al Ahli’s midfielder Gabri Veiga.

According to German outlet Fussball Transfers, Newcastle and the two Spanish sides have ‘expressed interest’ in signing the 22-year-old.

Veiga was hot property in the summer of 2023 as a number of big European clubs vied for his signature.

He stunned European clubs though by agreeing to leave Celta Vigo for Saudi Arabia, where he joined Al Ahli, and snubbing top sides who were chasing him, something which even drew criticism from Toni Kroos.

The midfielder has played on a regular basis in the Saudi Pro League, but could potentially be in line for a return to Europe this summer.

His deal with Al Ahli has just a year to run and it may make sense for the Saudi side to cash in.

Veiga has made a substantial 44 appearances for the Saudi side over the course of the season, scoring eight times and chipping in with six assists.

He has gone in the referee’s notebook on seven occasions, while moving to Saudi Arabia has not knocked him out of the Spain Under-21s squad.

Veiga played in Spain Under-21s’ meetings with England, Denmark, the Czech Republic and Germany this season, and he will want to push for a senior squad call-up soon.