Chelsea have raised a mountain of cash through transfers alone this window, and Fabrizio Romano has now confirmed they've just agreed another sale.
After their settlement with UEFA last month and fine for breaching FFP rules, to avoid further punishment, Chelsea must balance out their incoming signings with key player outgoings.
Failure to do so could result in Enzo Maresca being unable to register new signings in his A-list Champions League squad next season, and with barely over a week to go before deadline day, Chelsea need to get moving on some high-profile departures.
Enzo-Maresca
Thus far, Chelsea have raised around £220 million by selling Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli, Mathis Amougou, Djordje Petrovic, João Félix, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Armando Broja and Lesley Ugochukwu on permanent deals.
Many more are expected to follow them out the door, including Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, Axel Disasi, Carney Chukwuemeka, Ben Chilwell, Raheem Sterling, Alfie Gilchrist and even Tyrique George.
Esperance Sportive de Tunis' Onuche Ogbelu in action with Chelsea's Christopher Nkunku
Esperance Sportive de Tunis' Onuche Ogbelu in action with Chelsea's Christopher Nkunku
Nkunku has been in talks to join Bayern Munich, but no agreement has been found yet, so Premier League rivals like Newcastle United, or even fellow Bundesliga heavyweights RB Leipzig could still win the race for him.
Meanwhile, striker Nicolas Jackson is a target for both Newcastle and Aston Villa, and Chelsea are now considering the possibility of a loan plus obligation to buy deal.
"Understand clubs interested in Nicolas Jackson are being told a loan with obligation may be possible under the right conditions," said journalist Ben Jacobs, via X.
"£10m loan fee. Aston Villa are exploring a deal and a Newcastle or Milan move can't be discounted. Jackson is expected to have several options if Chelsea's £80m valuation drops south of £70m."
While Jackson and Nkunku's futures remain up in the air, Chelsea have now fully agreed their latest exit.
Chelsea agree to sell Renato Veiga to Villarreal
According to Fabrizio Romano, who broke the news on Wednesday, defender Renato Veiga is on his way to Villarreal in a move worth around £26 million.
renato-veiga-chelsea
Renato Veiga for Chelsea.
The agreement includes a hefty sell-on clause, up to 40 per cent, according to some sources, with the La Liga side also breaking their transfer record to sign the Portuguese centre-back.
PA News has also said that the Blues have accpeted a £26m offer for Veiga's services.
Interestingly, BBC journalist Nizaar Kinsella estimates that, with this sale completed, Chelsea have now raised a total of around £250 million in transfer income. This means that Chelsea are also on a net-spend of just over £25 million for this window, having invested nearly £280 million on new signings.
Veiga's exit could potentially make room for an emergency centre-back option in light of Levi Colwill's long-term injury, and that is something which Maresca is personally very keen to do, as he's made clear in press conferences lately.