Renato Veiga is close to joining Villarreal from Chelsea for around £25m.
The Portuguese defender, 22, moved to west London from Swiss club Basel for £12m only last summer and has six years remaining on his Chelsea contract.
But he is not in head coach Enzo Maresca’s first-team plans and spent the second half of last season on loan at Juventus.
The Blues are now ready to sell him, with an agreement seemingly in place for him to move to Spain.
Veiga made 18 appearances for Chelsea last season, mostly in cup competitions, an impressed, resulting in a call-up to the Portugal squad.
However, he was deployed at left-back and indicated that he wanted to play as a central defender.
Maresca, though, refused to back down, and there appears to be no way back for Veiga at Stamford Bridge
“I had a chat with Renato,” Marescarevealed prior to the player’s loan move to Juventus in January.
“I said playing in the position he is playing for us gave him a chance to join the national team and to get speculation around him. Clubs are looking for players that are doing well.
“If there is a player that wants to play in one position, they have to adapt. They have to play in different positions.
“Playing in that position (left-back) allowed him to join the team for the first time and also the national team. It means that in that position he is doing well.”
Meanwhile, Christopher Nkunku could be on his way back to his former club RB Leipzig, who arekeen to re-sign him.
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