Bolton are reportedly leading the chase for Sporting Lisbon’s talented young midfielder Miguel Veloso in the January transfer window though Man City, Tottenham, Everton and Arsenal are also interested. The Gunners interest in the player is well documented though Spurs were also rumoured to be close to signing him prior to the end of the last transfer window. Rumours of a fall-out with his current coach Paulo Bento has led to increased speculation the player will be on his way to the Premier League. Gary Megson has admitted that Bolton are in negotiations with Sporting with a price tag of £12m being mentioned. The Bolton manager had this to say, “It is something we are trying to do but whether it comes to fruition is another thing.
“It is difficult talking about someone else’s player but he is a quality act and if we can do it we will try to bring him in.
“We are interested in the lad and I’m sure other people will be as well.
“We have spoken to them (Sporting) but that is all it is.”
“He certainly is [expensive] but that is not the issue,” he added.
“If we can take the right player to Eddie Davies (the club’s owner) there has never been an amount of money that he hasn’t given us.
“If it is a player we think will improve us and it is do-able we will try to do it.
“We would like to bring in quality players but if they are not quality players we won’t do it for the sake of it.”
This news could spark a bidding war for the player, especially if Man City reignite their interest. Mark Hughes aims to strengthen the spine of his team after already signing Dutch international Nigel De Jong from Hamburg. Everton have also been linked to the player though how they are expected to compete with City, Arsenal or even Bolton in the financial stakes is hard to comprehend.
The defensive midfielder can also play at centre-half and has been linked in the past with the likes of Manchester United, Newcastle, Juventus and AC Milan. With the player’s versatility it is no wonder there are a number of English clubs looking to sign the long-haired 22-year-old. This interest is all despite only playing 63 League games for his club though the Portuguese star has impressed in European competition for Sporting. This season Veloso has made 12 League appearances for his club (8 starts) who sit 3rd in the table behind their major rivals Porto and Benfica.
Veloso is a full international (7 caps) and impressed in the European U21 Championships held in Holland. He was also part of his Portugal’s Euro 2008 squad but only featured in the 2-0 group defeat to the co-hosts Switzerland.
Veloso had himself stated that he unsure of his future following a Portuguese Cup final win over Porto last season, though his club were determined not to sell. However, since his problems with his coach and his lack of playing time it would seem he may well be on the move. Whether his next destination is the Reebok, Emirates, Eastlands, Goodison Park or White Hart Lane is up for debate. His strength, versatility and talented left-foot have led to a queue of potential suitors attempting to attract him to the English top division as well as clubs from Serie A.
His price tag has been quoted as anywhere from £12m- £20m but that may not put off the Premier League clubs for long whilst the young Portuguese star is reportedly keen to make the transition. He would give balance to Spurs, Man City, Everton or Arsenal’s midfield and add some real class to that of Bolton’s. His signing would give the likes of Moyes, Hughes, Redknapp’s or Wenger’s’ sides the licence to use their attacking strengths with the safety net of Veloso operating behind them.
So would you like your club to sign the Portuguese star in January or is he vastly overrated in your eyes?
