Liverpool still view Celta Vigo's Gabri Veiga as an option this summer, but manager Jurgen Klopp will need to act swiftly if he is to secure the exciting talent's signature.
While defensive midfield is currently a priority for the Anfield side, there is a sense that a further midfield signing could be worthwhile as a return to Champions League football and silverware is the first port of call.
Veiga was sensational in Spain during his breakout year in top-flight football, and with Liverpool holding an interest for most of the summer, it's now approaching crunch time with another top outfit looking to seal a swoop.
What's the latest on Gabri Veiga to Liverpool?
That's following news from Spanish sources, who state that Liverpool remain admirers of the 22-year-old, with Manchester City, Real Madrid and Napoli also vying for his signature.
The latter, Serie A champions Napoli, have been reported by Fabrizio Romano to have submitted two proposals to the Sky Blues for the prodigious midfielder, though their second - roughly £28m - still falls well below his €40m (£35m) release clause, which Vigo are insisting upon.
How good is Gabri Veiga?
Time is ticking and Liverpool technical director Jorg Schmadtke will indeed need to act with haste if Napoli are to be prevented in their pursuit of Veiga.
If the Reds do boast the means to secure his services, it would prove to be a signing that could linger in memory for some time, given the promise that the box-crashing gem holds within his ability.
Veiga scored 11 goals and supplied four assists from just 28 starting displays in LaLiga last season, earning praise for his "dangerous" presence on the pitch by journalist Euan McTear.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 20% for assists, the top 12% for progressive carries, the top 11% for successful take-ons and the top 11% for touches in the attacking box per 90.
This illustrates his aptitude as a ferocious midfield vehicle, not only proficient in weaving his way through the lines and finding space in the final third, but clinical in the decisive moments and finding goals and assists with regularity.
His potential could be channelled under Klopp's wing and he could find his feet on English soil to blossom into a world-class maestro over the next few years, but in order to thrive and wreak havoc in his advanced central position, he would need a midfield peer to conduct the industrious work behind him.
Enter Stefan Bajcetic; the 19-year-old midfielder enjoyed a breakthrough campaign of his own last year and shone for Liverpool in the midfield at a testing time for the club, earning praise from teammate Mohamed Salah, who said:
"Since he has started playing for us he has been our best player".
Also dubbed an "incredible prospect" by journalist Tom Barnes, the Spaniard - who plied his formative years at Celta Vigo alongside Veiga - brought energy and youthful exuberance to the Liverpool ranks, and as he develops over the next few years, he could blend well with his compatriot at Anfield.
Bajcetic completed 79% of his passes in the Premier League last season and averaged 0.8 tackles and interceptions per game, also succeeding with 64% of his dribbles, as per Sofascore, and will be expected to continue his burgeoning rise next year, and with Veiga deployed into the first-team fold too, the genesis of a world-class partnership could be crafted.