Portuguese starlet Miguel Veloso admits he would like to
follow compatriots Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani to
England.
The Sporting Lisbon star, who is at home in both central defence
and midfield, is one of the few Portugal players to show some form
in their current European Under-21 Championship.
Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger is said to be monitoring Veloso very
closely, with Manchester United also thought to be well aware of
the talented 21-year-old.
"I am happy with Sporting but I am young, ambitious and want to
progress in my career," Veloso said.
"The exit of Nani for Manchester United has confirmed to me that
there is a lot of quality in England and for any young player the
Premier League is an attractive proposition."
Veloso's agent Paulo Barbosa confirmed the interest in his young
charge, but he admitted Sporting have the total say-so on the
player's future.
"There are some big European clubs in for the kid, but not only
clubs from England but also Spain - but the subject is exclusively
for Sporting," Barbosa said.
"Veloso has a deal signed until June 2013 and club is not willing
to negotiate his exit."
Meanwhile, another player from the Under-21 Championship that is
attracting Wenger is Dutch starlet Ryan Babel.
The Ajax striker has been attracting the interest of a number of
English clubs, but Arsenal are now reportedly keen to pay £6
million - which is believed to be his release clause.
Newcastle are another Premiership team interested in Babel and the
two clubs are also competing for the signature of Auxerre full-back
Bakari Sagna.
Sam Allardyce is understood to be a big fan of the 24-year-old, but
reports claim that Sagna would rather switch to North London.
