Renato Veiga completes Chelsea loan exit
- Versatile Portugal defender joins Juventus on loan for rest of 2024/25
- Deal for 21-year-old does not include option to buy
- Veiga had played 18 times for Chelsea across all competitions
Chelsea defender Renato Veiga has joined Juventus on loan for the remainder of the 2024/25 season.
The 21-year-old moved to Stamford Bridge in July last year, signing a seven-year contract after spending just one season with Swiss giants Basel.
Veiga has made 18 appearances for Chelsea across all competitions, with the majority of his minutes coming in the Conference League, but has struggled for regular game time in the Premier League due to the form of Marc Cucurella.
Though the Portugal international was Enzo Maresca's left-back understudy, he has been allowed to move to Turin in order to join Juventus on loan. The deal does not contain an option to buy and will see Veiga return to west London in the summer.
Juventus manager Thiago Motta is dealing with a number of injury problems, opening the door for Veiga, who can also play at centre-back and in defensive midfield and will wear the number 12 shirt, to increase his exposure to top-level first-team football.
Chelsea may now look to dip into the transfer market themselves, particularly as Maresca has ostracised vice-captain Ben Chilwell to this point. The 21-cap England international has featured just once for the club this season - in the Carabao Cup win over League Two side Barrow - and is one of a number of players who has been told he can leave.
Levi Colwill, Chelsea's first-choice centre-back, would appear on paper to be the only viable to cover Cucurella, should the Spaniard pick up an injury or need to be rested.
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