Chelsea are asking for more than £20m to sell Renato Veiga, who is wanted by Borussia Dortmund on loan with an option to buy.
Veiga, who can play at left-back, centre-back or in central midfield, is keen for a new challenge despite joining Chelsea for £12m from FC Basel last summer. The 21-year-old, who is said to have agreed terms with Dortmund, has made seven Premier League appearances and is keen to find regular football.
It is thought that Veiga’s desire to leave is partly down to his aim to secure a place in Portugal’s squad for the 2026 World Cup. However Chelsea do not want to let him out on loan and are adamant they will consider only a permanent deal. The club could make a profit if Veiga, who has also been linked with Napoli, is sold.
It could still be a risk, though, given that Veiga provides cover for Marc Cucurella at left-back. Ben Chilwell is out of favour and will be allowed to leave, although firm interest in the England left-back is yet to materialise. Chelsea could need a new back-up for Cucurella if Veiga goes.
Enzo Maresca, Chelsea’s head coach, acknowledged Veiga’s situation before Tuesday’s home game against Bournemouth. Maresca dropped the youngster from the squad for last month’s league game against Fulham for “technical reasons”.
Veiga has started only one league game and has mostly been used in cup competitions. He started at left-back when Chelsea beat Morecambe 5-0 in the FA Cup on Saturday and has been a regular in the Europa Conference League.
Chelsea are open to sales and could also allow the midfielders Kieran Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka to leave. Dewsbury-Hall joined from Leicester last summer and has interest from West Ham. Chukwuemeka has a £40m buyout clause.
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Money raised through sales could help Chelsea fund a move for a centre-back, with Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi in their sights. There are also doubts over the future of the France striker Christopher Nkunku.
