Atletico Madrid join race to sign €35 million-rated Chelsea star: Reports

Atletico Madrid have reportedly joined the race to sign Chelsea defender Renato Veiga. As reported by German journalist Florian Plettenberg on X, Diego Simeone's side are monitoring the 21-year-old's situation at Stamford Bridge.

Enzo Maresca's side are reportedly ready to let Veiga depart for a fee of around €30–35 million. As per Plettenberg, the Portugal international has no shortage of suitors for his services.

Veiga joined Chelsea only last summer in a deal worth reported €14 million and served as a quality squad player. He played 18 times under Maresca in different positions, including centre-back, left-back and defensive midfield.

However, the Portuguese defender was surprisingly loaned out to Juventus in January. He played 15 times for the Old Lady and had an impressive stint at the club.

Juventus were reportedly interested in signing Veiga in a permanent deal, but the rumors have died down. Veiga has also earned five caps for Portugal and was a part of their UEFA Nations League-winning side in the summer.

It remains to be seen whether Chelsea decide to cash in on Veiga for a quick profit in just a year. If he is retained, he could prove to be a solid squad player thanks to his exceptional versatility.

Chelsea set asking price for Raheem Sterling: Reports

Chelsea have reportedly slapped an asking price of just £20 million on Raheem Sterling. As reported by Metro, the Blues are desperate to part ways with the 30-year-old who has no place in Enzo Maresca's plans.

Sterling spent the last season on loan at Arsenal and endured the worst season of his professional career. He failed to force himself into Mikel Arteta's plans and just managed to score once in 28 games across competitions.

Chelsea signed Sterling from Manchester City in 2022 in a deal worth reported £47.5 million. The 82-cap England international has made 81 appearances for the Blues so far, scoring just 19 times and providing 15 assists.

Offloading Sterling would be a challenge for Chelsea as he reportedly wants to remain in London as his family is well-settled in the English capital. Also, his eight-year-old son Thiago recently joined Arsenal’s youth academy.

On top of that, the former Liverpool star reportedly earns a whopping £325,000-a-week salary at Stamford Bridge right now. Therefore, the Blues might also have to offer him a big compensation package.

Edited by Snehanjan Banerjee