Mason Mount continues to be linked with a move away from Chelsea, but it appears the Blues are being proactive in their search for a possible replacement.
Manchester United are expected to table an improved £50m bid for Mount this week, giving Chelsea a huge decision to make – cash in now or let the England international leave for free in 12 months' time.
Losing Mount will undoubtedly be a blow for new head coach Mauricio Pochettino, even if the midfielder has his fair share of critics, but there are plenty of options out there to fill the void.
According to football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, one of those being targeted is Celta Vigo's in-demand midfielder Gabri Veiga.
Who is Chelsea target Gabri Veiga?
Romano suggests that Chelsea have asked to be informed of Veiga's release clause conditions, before weighing up whether to make a move for a player who is also on the radar of Real Madrid and Premier League rivals Liverpool.
Celta president Carlos Mourino revealed in April that the LaLiga side will not negotiate a fee for Veiga. Instead, it is down to any interested suitors to pay his €40m (£34m) release clause.
On the basis of his performances over the past year, that can be considered a reasonable fee. Veiga ranks in the top 1% of his positional peers across Europe's top five leagues in terms of non-penalty goals per 90 minutes (0.43), as per FBref, having scored 11 times in 36 LaLiga games last season.
That figure compares to 0.13 non-penalty goals per 90 for Mount, placing him among the lowest 21% among his positional peers. It is not just in that area Veiga shines, either, as he also assists more regularly than Mount (0.16 per 90 minutes last season compared to 0.11).
There are similarities in Veiga and Mount's playing styles, as highlighted by their progressive carries per 90 figures of 2.67 and 2.62 respectively, which records how often they carry the ball forward more than ten yards.
But Veiga, who was described as a "special" player by Spanish football expert Guillem Balague last season, gets far more of his shots on target than Mount (46.8% v 27.3%), averages more take-ons per 90 (2.94 v 1.69) and is also better in the air (0.75 aerial duels won per 90, compared to Mount's 0.49).
With Enzo Fernandez keeping things ticking along in the engine room, it makes sense for Chelsea to sacrifice another ball-playing midfielder for someone who can get past an opponent and find the net.
When factoring in the fees on the line and that Veiga is three years younger than Mount, the Blues could pull off a rare masterstroke.
