Villarreal have reached an agreement with Chelsea to sign Renato Veiga in a transfer that could climb to £26m, bringing the London side’s summer outgoings beyond £250m.
The Portuguese defender, aged 22, is due to complete his medical on Thursday and pen a seven-year contract with the La Liga outfit. The fee is close to Villarreal’s highest ever paid for a player.
Veiga joined the Blues from Basel in 2024 for £12m and went on to feature in 18 matches. He also had a short loan spell at Juventus, while Atletico Madrid explored the possibility of signing him earlier in the window.
Manager Enzo Maresca no longer considered him part of his main squad, placing him in the separate training group. His request to be used in central defense instead of full-back last season also contributed to the decision to move him on.
Major exits boost income
Chelsea have now earned around £251.7m from the departures of 11 squad members. This has offset the £277m committed on nine signings during the same period.
Among the largest transactions, Noni Madueke’s switch to Arsenal brought in £48m, Joao Felix’s transfer to Al Nassr could total £43.7m, while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s move to Everton was worth £28m.
Further plans in the market
Despite the significant turnover, Chelsea remains active in recruitment. They are looking at Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho and RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons as potential late-window additions before the 1 September deadline.
The club are also attempting to move on other names, with Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku, Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell and Axel Disasi all available for transfer.
