Chelsea Secures Basel Midfielder Veiga for £12m as Part of Youth Project, Despite Changes in Academy Leadership

Chelsea is reportedly close to signing Basel midfielder Renato Veiga for £12m, as part of their ongoing pursuit of top young talent. The Blues have already secured the signatures of Estevao Willian and Marc Guiu this summer, with Veiga, a 20-year-old defensive midfielder who can also play at centre-back and left-back, set to join Stamford Bridge.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Veiga has agreed to move to the Premier League after previously expressing interest from AC Milan. Meanwhile, Chelsea is also in talks with Boca Juniors center-back Aaron Anselmino for $18m (£14m), with the 19-year-old expected to remain on loan at Boca for another year before making the move to Chelsea.

Chelsea’s youth project, known as ‘Project 2030’, has seen them invest in promising young talent such as Veiga, Anselmino, Estevao and Paez. However, the future of the project was cast into doubt with the news that Neil Bath and Jim Fraser, key figures in Chelsea’s academy success, will be leaving the club this summer. Despite these changes, Chelsea’s commitment to developing young players remains strong.