Renato Veiga is only interested in leave It has been claimed that Chelsea have agreed a six-month loan deal, contrary to previous reports which suggested he would be interested in a permanent move to Borussia Dortmund.
The 21-year-old utility star, who can play as a central defender, left-back and in defensive midfield, only moved from Basel to Chelsea in July for a transfer fee of around 14 million euros and signed a seven-year contract with a further one-year option.
Veiga has played 18 times for Chelsea in all competitions, mostly as a starter for Enzo Maresca in the Conference League, and was considered a potential target for Borussia Dortmund earlier this month.
According to reports in Germany, Veiga had previously reached a “full verbal agreement” over a move to Dortmund, who are also trying to complete a deal for Chelsea teammate Carney Chukwuemeka, but the two clubs had yet to agree on a transfer fee.
Dortmund were reportedly pushing for a loan deal, while Chelsea wanted to approve a permanent sale in the hope of convincing the Bundesliga giants to part with almost €35m (£29m).
But Fabrizio Romano reports that Veiga was only ever interested in leaving Chelsea temporarily and remains committed to the club’s long-term project. The three-time Portugal international will therefore only consider a move on a six-month loan deal in order to return to Chelsea in the future and fight for a regular place in the starting eleven.
Chelsea’s starting left-back – Veiga’s preferred position – is Marc Cucurella and they also have Ben Chilwell in the squad, although he is yet to make a Premier League appearance this season and has been told he can look for a new player at the club .
It remains to be seen whether Chelsea can find a buyer for their vice-captain. Chilwell, who was signed from Leicester City for a fee of £45 million in August 2020, has struggled with a variety of injuries during his time at Stamford Bridge, with the 27 appearances he made in his first season at the club certainly the most he has ever achieved.
Chilwell, who signed a new four-year contract in April 2023, played just 13 Premier League games last season after being sidelined for three months with a hamstring injury. However, he captained Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final last February – a game Liverpool won 1-0 thanks to Virgil van Dijk’s 118th-minute header.