Chelsea sign FC Basel centre-back after losing out on Riccardo Calafiori

Chelsea has reached an agreement to sign Basel rookie Renato Veiga in an attempt to kick off the Enzo Maresca reign with a bang. Chelsea has made it a priority to attract young players in recent years, and they are about to add another sensational youngster in the form of the Basel, Switzerland, 20-year-old defender. According to Fabrizio Romano, Veiga is expected to be signed for an estimated price of €14–15 million.

Veiga is rumored to have a medical in London, and after an excellent campaign with Basel, despite the Swiss team's domestic troubles as they placed eighth, the 20-year-old Portugal youngster international is anticipated to sign a deal with the Stamford Bridge team until 2032.

Despite having participated for Basel whether as a left-sided center-back, left-back, as well as a number six, Veiga is expected to be used in the role of inverted full-back and has been seen as a perfect match for Enzo Maresca's system. He played 26 games for the Swiss squad the previous season, tallying two goals and dishing out one assist. The Portugal international is expected to become the first signing of the Maresca era, along with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, and Omari Kellyman. 

Who will Chelsea face during their pre-season starting later this month?

Following Mauricio Pochettino's resignation, the Blues have appointed a new manager. After only a single year in command, Mauricio Pochettino decided to depart Stamford Bridge through mutual consent, therefore Chelsea will start life under another head coach.

Having made several trips to North America for friendlies in the last two years, Chelsea will return to the country for their pre-season tour in 2024–25. The Blues have officially announced five games thus far. The first is scheduled for July 24 versus Hollywood's Wrexham in California. The other three games are scheduled for July 27 and July 31 against the Celtic team, led by former Blues coach Brendan Rodgers, and Club America of Liga MX.

August 3rd sees Chelsea take on Premier League winners Manchester City, and August 6th, Real Madrid, the 14-time Champions League winners, will mark the end of the journey. On August 11, Italian powerhouse Inter Milan will visit Stamford Bridge in the last preseason friendly.