Chelsea medical ‘booked’ as £42m transfer bid made for next Diego Costa

Chelsea are continuing their recruitment drive this summer and could have announced as many as half a dozen new signings before the midpoint of July.

Tosin Adarabioyo agreeing a free transfer from Fulham got the business underway in early June, and Omari Kellyman also arrived from Aston Villa before the month was out. Marc Guiu has since had the green light to sign, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has now followed Enzo Maresca from Leicester City.

Chelsea are also understood to be closing in on signing Aaron Anselmino from Boca Juniors. Now, another player could soon be coming to west London…

Renato Veiga deal agreed

Chelsea have reportedly agreed a £12million transfer to sign Renato Veiga. The Basel player is set to have a medical and is said to have agreed personal terms with the club.

No sell-on clause is included in the deal – as initially reported by Fabrizio Romano and then by The Athletic. The latter claims that the expectation is Maresca will use Veiga as an inverted full-back.

For the Swiss club, he has primarily played as a defensive midfielder. But the Portugal under-21 international plays as a centre-back for his country so is a versatile player for the new coach.

football.london says: “Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this potential signing seems to be that Maresca’s system will incorporate inverted full-backs, as it did in Leicester. Veiga is left-footed and has previously played at left-back on occasion, but is more comfortable centrally, which is where the role would have him while the team are in possession.

“Marc Cucurella also showed himself capable of inverting under Mauricio Pochettino, but signing players to suit Maresca’s style, such as Dewsbury-Hall, should help Chelsea start strongly under the new head coach. For a relatively modest fee, Veiga seems another sensible summer signing.”

Omorodion offer

Chelsea have reportedly made a £42m bid to sign Samu Omorodion. However, Atletico Madrid are said to have rejected the offer, with the Spanish club allegedly wanting a minimum of £70m, according to The Sun.

The news comes three-and-a-half weeks after the BBC reported a £34m offer was turned down after talks between the two clubs. Chelsea were reportedly discouraged from making further approaches back then, but have seemingly not heeded that advice.

The 20-year-old striker has been compared to former Atletico and Chelsea centre-forward Diego Costa, comparisons Omorodion has previously acknowledged and made known he appreciates when asked.

football.london says: “Omorodion appears to be a striker Chelsea are keen on after an impressive season on loan at Alaves. But the Spain under-21 international is far from the only centre-forward on the market and should not necessarily be towards the top of the club’s shortlist.

“Jonathan David, for one, is vastly more experienced than Omorodion and could reportedly be available for half the bid Chelsea are said to have seen rejected. Similarly to Dominic Solanke, with alternatives available on the market for a cut-price fee, the club should consider moving on, as with the Bournemouth centre-forward, rather than spending for spending’s sake.”