Borussia Dortmund has initiated discussions to sign Chelsea defender Renato Veiga on an initial loan deal.
Chelsea, however, would prefer a permanent transfer if the Portugal international, 21, departs, although a loan deal with an obligation to buy at the end of the season could meet their requirements.
Despite Dortmund’s interest, Chelsea has not actively encouraged the approach and recently rejected a loan bid from Wolves for Veiga.
The defender has played a key role in Enzo Maresca’s squad, starting most cup matches, including Chelsea’s 5-0 victory over Morecambe in the FA Cup third round.
However, Veiga is reportedly open to exploring his options, as he prefers to play in a central role rather than left-back, where he has often been deployed as cover for Marc Cucurella.
Veiga joined Chelsea from FC Basel in the summer for £12 million, and Maresca has publicly expressed his trust in the player. However, the manager notably dropped him for a match against Fulham in late December, citing a “technical decision.”
In January, Chelsea is looking to offload Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka, and Cesare Casadei. Meanwhile, Maresca has dismissed claims that the club is actively pushing Veiga, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Axel Disasi out despite external interest.