Villarreal Make Formal Bid for Chelsea Defender Renato Veiga

Villarreal have made an official bid to sign Renato Veiga from Chelsea. The defender wants to join them, but the offer does not meet Chelsea’s price, making negotiations tough.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Villarreal need a new central defender for the 2025/26 season. They sent a transfer bid to Chelsea and a contract offer to Renato Veiga, their top target. However, Chelsea rejected the bid because it was too low, as they want at least €25 million for Renato Veiga. Veiga wants to play more and is eager to move to La Liga, but the clubs cannot agree on a price, complicating the deal.

CHELSEA’S AND VEIGA’S SITUATION THIS SEASON

Veiga joined Chelsea in 2024 from FC Basel for around £12.1 million, but struggled for chances under manager Enzo Maresca. He mainly played in domestic cups and spent time on loan at Juventus, where he did well. Despite his loan success, Veiga was not part of Chelsea’s Club World Cup-winning squad in July. Injuries to other defenders, including a serious injury to Levi Colwill, have made Chelsea consider keeping Veiga for cover this season, as they are on the lookout for a replacement for Colwill due to his injury. Chelsea, who finished fourth last season, want to improve, and Maresca is focused on signing or keeping centre-backs after Colwill’s injury.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR VILLARREAL AND CHELSEA?

Villarreal finished fifth in La Liga last season and want to improve and increase their squad size as they will also be playing in the Champions League. They start their 2025/26 campaign against newly promoted Real Oviedo, with both teams looking for a strong start to the season. Villarreal aim for a top-five finish and view Veiga as a key addition. Chelsea’s first Premier League match is against Crystal Palace. Whether they keep Veiga or sell him may depend on transfer talks and early results. If Villarreal increase their offer, a deal could still happen before the transfer deadline.