Renato Veiga is likely to leave Chelsea this month with a number of clubs looking to sign the Portugal international.
Veiga is already being targeted by Borussia Dortmund, but face competition for his signature from teams in the Premier League, Italy and France.
Chelsea have set an asking price of up to £29million and will also request a sell-on clause to be included. They are not interested in loaning the 21-year-old out and are only prepared to sanction a permanent departure.
Should Veiga be sold, Chelsea stand to make a significant profit on a player they bought from FC Basel for just £11.8million in July.
Chelsea had not planned to sell Veiga during the window, but he wants to play more regular first-team football and in his preferred position at centre-back.
Veiga has made 18 appearances for Chelsea, but only one of those has been a start in the Premier League. Head coach Enzo Maresca has tended to use him more at left-back or in midfield.
Chelsea have Levi Colwill and Benoit Badiashile ahead of him in the pecking order as a left-sided centre back so his chances of playing there are limited.
However, Veiga’s ability to play in a variety of positions has made him a very useful member of the squad this season. He won his first Portugal cap in October and has gone on to play for his country on another two occasions.
Dortmund are keen to add depth behind first-choice full-back Ramy Bensebaini and Veiga is one of several options being considered, with other positions of equal priority. Dortmund are also looking to sell players first in January.
Ahead of Chelsea’s FA Cup Third Round game against Morecambe on Saturday, where Veiga was named in the starting XI, Maresca did say he wanted to keep the player but admitted it was not just his decision.
Maresca said: “He’s a player that we’re happy to have here with us. It’s not just what I think, or what the club thinks, or what the player thinks. It’s something that all together we need to make the right decision for the club and the players and the manager.”
Veiga signed a seven-year contract with the option of a further 12 months when he joined Chelsea in the summer, with his deal running until at least 2031.
Additional reporting: Sebastian Stafford-Bloor
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