Chelsea defender Renato Veiga has reportedly agreed to a loan deal with Juventus for the remainder of the season, just six months after joining Chelsea from Swiss side Basel.
Veiga joined Chelsea in a £12 million deal last summer but has struggled to secure a regular role under coach Enzo Maresca. The 21-year-old Portuguese international has played only 177 minutes in the Premier League this season, with most of his playing time coming in the Conference League.
Despite playing a full game at left-back during Chelsea’s recent 5-0 win over Morecambe in the FA Cup third round, reports suggest that Veiga may be on his way out. Earlier speculations had linked him with German side Borussia Dortmund, but that deal fell through.
Juventus secures loan deal
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano reports that Veiga will join Serie A side Juventus on loan for the rest of this campaign. The loan agreement is said to cost Juventus €5m (£4.2m) and does not include an option for permanency come summer.
While Veiga served mostly as backup for Marc Cucurella at full-back during his stint at Stamford Bridge, he is expected to play as centre-back under Thiago Motta's management at Juventus.
Juventus currently ranks fifth in Serie A table and trails league leaders Napoli by 13 points. Their most recent match was a goalless draw against Club Brugge in Tuesday's Champions League fixture.
Praise amidst transfer speculations
Maresca seemed unaware of transfer rumours surrounding Veiga last week but commended him on his development since joining Chelsea. However, it appears that Veiga could be one among several players offloaded by Chelsea during this January window.
Midfielder Cesare Casadei is also reportedly attracting interest from Italy. Casadei, who previously enjoyed a loan spell at Leicester City under Maresca, has also struggled for regular play this season. Reports suggest that Lazio has already made an £11.5m bid to sign the 22-year-old.
Ben Chilwell is another player who seems to have fallen out of favour with Maresca at Stamford Bridge. However, his hefty £190,000-per-week wages have reportedly been a hurdle in securing him an exit so far. While Veiga's move may be seen as a loss for Chelsea, it could provide the young defender with more opportunities to showcase his skills and develop further in Serie A.
