Villarreal have completed the signing of Renato Veiga this morning, acquiring the young defender on a seven-year contract in a deal worth around €25-30m. According to reports, the La Liga side are paying €24.5m up front, with another €5m due in potential add-ons. Chelsea also retain a “significant” sell-on clause, though it’s not specified how significant this “significant” may be. If the add-ons are hit, Veiga would become Villarreal’s record signing (he’s currently second, just behind Paco Alcácer).
Veiga joined Chelsea barely a year ago from FC Basel as a rather unknown quantity (in a deal worth less than half of this one), but he would carve out a pretty decent role for himself, making 18 appearances in the first half of the season, including seven in the Premier League. He was a steady part of the midweek rotation, playing a lot in the various cups and the UEFA Conference League, mostly as a left back. But what he really really really wanted to do was to play center back, so in January he went on loan to Juventus, where he could do just that. However, Juve would opt against keeping him beyond the loan.
And so, the 22-year-old is off for good to Spain instead, a little closer to home and with a good chance to keep maintaining his spot on the Portugal national team in a World Cup year. Villarreal will play Champions League football this season, so perhaps we’ll see him in there.
Good luck, Renato!
