Stuttgart have joined the race for Chelsea defender Renato Veiga.
The versatile Portuguese international, who can play as a left-back, centre-back and as a defensive midfielder, has struggled for minutes in the Premier League following his £12million summer move from FC Basel. He has made just seven appearances in the top flight this season and played just 176 minutes in the league, despite being a frequent starter in the UEFA Conference League. Now Bundesliga team Stuttgart are showing interest in a possible loan, while Italian top flight Napoli are also keen for Chelsea to make Veiga available this month.
However, at this stage it seems unlikely that Maresca will sanction his departure as Veiga could play a big role in Chelsea's Conference League campaign as the Blues prepare for the knockout stages and minutes will also be available in the FA Cup. . Juventus are also thought to be monitoring the 21-year-old's situation as Thiago Motta looks to strengthen his defensive options after a difficult start to life at the helm in Turin. The Blues have high expectations for the player and still believe he has the potential to become a regular starter at Stamford Bridge in the future. Meanwhile, Chelsea are also in talks with Torino over the signing of midfielder Cesare Casadei, who was signed from Inter Milan in August 2022 for a £12.6 million contract. Casadei attracted a lot of interest last summer, but chose to stay in West London. He is now thought to be moving closer to the exit door as he looks to secure regular playing time. Torino's latest proposal is worth around £10 million and they are also willing to negotiate a sell-on clause.
Chelsea are pushing for a buy-back clause and have hinted that Torino's current offer is not enough to complete a deal as talks between the parties continue. There is also interest in the Italian midfielder from a host of Serie A clubs, most notably Monza, while Dutch giants Feyenoord are also admirers of the former Leicester loanee. Elsewhere, Carney Chukwuemeka and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall could also leave Chelsea this month, with West Ham believed to be admirers of the duo. Chukwuemeka has a £40m release clause written into his current contract and the Blues have previously insisted this figure must be met to complete a deal.
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