Renato Veiga has completed a move to Villarreal in a deal worth €29.5 million, including add-ons and a sell-on clause, and his departure would take Chelsea’s total player sales this summer to over £250m.
Softfootball can confirm that Chelsea made a huge profit on the 22-year-old having paid £12m for him when he arrived Stamford Bridge from Basel in July 2024.
Veiga, who signed a seven-year contract with Chelsea, made 18 appearances for the Blues during the first half of last season, but spent the second half of the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Juventus, making 15 appearances in Serie A.
Some Chelsea fans hoped Maresca would reintegrate him into the squad, especially with Levi Colwill out with a long-term injury, and Benoit Badiashile also dealing with niggling issues. Despite this, there is no way back in for Veiga, who has now completed a move to Villarreal.
A statement from Chelsea’s official website confirmed that the Portuguese midfielder has made a permanent switch to Spanish club. The Blues wrote in their statement:
“We thank Renato for his efforts during his time at Chelsea and wish him well as he begins a new chapter in his career.”
Veiga had previously been monitored by several top European clubs but Villarreal moved quickly to secure his signature. It will be intriguing to see if his departure opens the door for Chelsea to sign another centre-back.
Maresca wants a new defender, but Chelsea hierarchy maintains that he has enough, with Josh Acheampong emerging and Mamadou Sarr set to return next summer.
