Chelsea have agreed a deal to sell one of the players that Enzo Maresca has been looking to offload as the Blues continue to carry out their transfer business efficiently before the end of the window.
The west London side have brought in a raft of new players this summer, including attackers such as Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, Joao Pedro from Brighton, and former Borussia Dortmund star Jamie Gittens.
Maresca has also burnished additional positions, signing Dario Essugo from Sporting Lisbon, and Jorrel Hato from Ajax.
Additionally, Chelsea have finally got their hands on prodigal Brazilian starlet Estevao Willian, after signing the 18-year-old from Palmeiras last summer.
But to facilitate the move, the Blues are in need of a slew of outgoings, and while the club have already managed to wave farewell to players including Joao Felix, Armando Broja, Lesley Ugochukwu, Djordje Petrovic, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Noni Madueke, the club are hopeful of more departures before September 1.
Daily Mail Sport reported on Monday that there could be up to nine stars who book loan or permanent moves before the end of the window.
Chelsea have sold one of the players they bought just one season ago to LaLiga side Villarreal
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Now, Renato Veiga will move to Villarreal after an earlier tipped move to Atletico Madrid collapsed earlier this month.
The player will exit the club to join the LaLiga side in a deal worth £26million – with a substantial sell-on clause.
The move comes just one year after the Blues bought the Portugal international from Basel for £12m, with the 22-year-old signing a bumper seven-year deal upon his move to west London.
Veiga started brightly under Enzo Maresca, making 18 appearances in the first-half of the season, and scoring two goals with a further assist during Chelsea’s travails in the UEFA Conference League.
But the young talent looked to move in January in a bid to find increased playing time ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Veiga took a loan move to Juventus, where he was able to make a further 15 appearances.
In January, Maresca revealed that he had spoken to Veiga about his Chelsea future, intimating that he was keen to play in his preferred position of centre back instead of the hybrid left back role that his manager had used him in at various points over the season so far.
Renato Veiga player just 18 times for Chelsea but scored twice during their Conference League campaign last term
Enzo Maresca revealed in January that Veiga was less keen on the hybrid role he played
‘Playing in the position he is playing with us gives him the chance to join international team and gives him the chance to get speculation around him which means clubs look for him,’ the manager insisted. ‘Clubs look for players that are doing well, not bad.
‘For me, if there is a player that wants to play in one position, they are going to struggle. They have to adapt, play in different positions. It’s a good thing for the team and the club.’
As well as Veiga, other players earmarked for a move include Axel Disasi, Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Christopher Nkunku, and Nicolas Jackson.
