Two winners and three losers from Chelsea defender Renato Veiga’s imminent loan move to Juventus

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Chelsea are about to wave goodbye to Renato Veiga on a temporary basis as he prepares to leave on loan.

Renato Veiga only joined Chelsea last summer on a permanent deal from Basel, but he’s now set to leave Stamford Bridge on loan in the January transfer window.

Juventus have agreed to sign Veiga from Chelsea on loan until the end of the season. Apparently, the Italian giants will pay a €5m (£4.2m) loan fee for the Blues youngster, but there’s no option or obligation to buy clause in the deal.

Fans are now just waiting for official confirmation from the clubs regarding this eye-catching January transfer.

We’ve taken a look at the potential winners and losers from Veiga’s imminent switch to Juventus…

Winners

Renato Veiga: A significant winner in this deal will obviously be Veiga himself.

Veiga wants to play in central defence, something which is very difficult in the current Chelsea side. Instead, the 21-year-old’s been covering for the Blues largely as a left-back or a defensive midfielder.

It looks like the Portugal international will get his wish to play at centre-back over in Italy with Juventus, so it could be an exciting second half of the season for the player.

Ishe Samuels-Smith: The Chelsea academy continues to produce big stars for the future, and perhaps Ishe Samuels-Smith may be the next off the production line.

Samuels-Smith, who’s still only aged 18, is yet to make his first-team debut. However, he should definitely spot an opening in the senior squad once Veiga’s move becomes official.

There’s going to be a gaping hole at left-back in the group because Veiga provides cover in that spot, so perhaps the Blues will consider promoting full-back Samuels-Smith from the Under-21s team.

Losers

Marc Cucurella: In terms of Chelsea’s best performers so far this season, Marc Cucurella belongs in the conversation for one of the most impressive and consistent. It could soon get a bit harder for the 26-year-old defender with Veiga leaving, though.

There’s a danger that Cucurella may be overworked in the coming months as he’s the only out-and-out senior left-back in the squad.

Danny Murphy is majorly impressed by Cucurella’s form at Chelsea, but we’re worried that he won’t be allowed much time to rest.

Enzo Maresca: It’s certainly not ideal for Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca that he’s about to lose one of the most versatile individuals on the club’s books.

Although Veiga hasn’t broken into the best Blues XI this season, he’s still played 18 games across all competitions. It’s his versatility to play as a centre-half, right-back or midfielder that’s made him so useful to have in the squad.

It may be a test of Maresca’s management to keep his players fit during a busy second half of the campaign.

Levi Colwill: If Chelsea need emergency cover at left-back, Levi Colwill is someone who’s played there many times before in his career.

It would be less than ideal for the 21-year-old centre-back to provide an option at full-back, but Maresca may be left with very little choice depending on how the rest of the January window plays out.

Colwill’s focus is on developing and growing as a commanding centre-half, which he’s doing very well this season. Surely the last thing he’ll want is to move across to left-back for the odd game to cover.