January 12th 2025.
According to reports in Germany, it seems that Chelsea defender Renato Veiga is on the verge of making a move to Borussia Dortmund. The 21-year-old joined Chelsea last summer in a £12 million deal from Swiss side Basel, but has struggled to secure a regular spot in the team under manager Enzo Maresca.
So far this season, Veiga has only played for 177 minutes in the Premier League, with the majority of his playing time coming in the Conference League. Although he played a full game at left-back in Chelsea's 5-0 win over Morecambe in the FA Cup third round on Saturday, it seems that the young Portuguese player may now be looking for a new challenge.
Sky Germany has reported that Veiga has reached an agreement with Dortmund, but the Bundesliga club is still in negotiations with Chelsea over a potential deal this month. It is believed that Dortmund is looking to secure a loan deal with an option to buy Veiga in the future.
Despite these reports, Maresca has expressed his happiness at having Veiga in his squad and has given no indication that the defender will be leaving Stamford Bridge this January. In fact, earlier this season, Maresca praised Veiga for his versatility on the field since joining Chelsea.
"He has played already as a centre-back, a full-back, holding midfielder, attacking midfielder," Maresca said in October. "He has already played four or five positions. One of my first press conferences, I said that the reason why I really like and love Chelsea is because many players can be versatile."
Maresca went on to explain that in his opinion, it is beneficial for players to be able to play in different positions, not just one. He believes that this not only benefits the team, but also the players themselves as they continue to grow and develop their skills.
"Today, if you just play one position, I don't think it's enough. You need to learn more positions," Maresca added. "Renato, Malo [Gusto], they are playing in different positions and they are doing well."
With Veiga's potential move to Dortmund still in the works, it remains to be seen if he will continue to showcase his versatility at Chelsea or if he will have the opportunity to do so in a new club. Regardless, it is clear that Maresca values Veiga's ability to adapt on the field and sees it as an important asset for the team.
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