Atletico Madrid are closing in on a move for Chelsea defender Renato Veiga, with the two clubs discussing a deal, Football Espana reports.. The versatile Portuguese defender appears to be the Colchonero pick to strengthen their backline, after moving on from their pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur’s Cristian Romero.. The Argentina international was dubbed as the ‘dream’ signing this summer, but with Spurs unwilling to yield on a rumoured €70m asking price, it appears they have decided a deal would be too costly.. After their defence crumbled in the crucial stage of last season though, Atletico seem to be keen to add further reinforcements on top of Robin Le Normand.. News of a potential move for Veiga broke on Saturday, and Florian Plettenberg has reported that personal terms are on the verge of being done. Bayern Munich have previously been cited as one of the other teams interested in Veiga, should a move not transpire.. Meanwhile Matteo Moretto says that Veiga has already said yes to joining Atletico Madrid, even if terms are still to be ironed out between both player and club.. The finer terms still have to be hammered out between Atletico and Chelsea, but with the Club World Cup champions open to a sale, it appears Los Rojiblancos have a decent chance of getting a deal done.. L’Equipe say that a second €35m offer has been made for Veiga, but the consensus is that Chelsea want a minimum of €40m, even if that includes some variables.. Also Read: Chelsea Cancel Overseas Pre-Season Tour. Part of the idea of their pursuit of Romero was to bring in a leader who could raise the level of the Atletico backline immediately.. Veiga may well do so, but represents a nod to the future and an investment in potential, rather than prioritising immediate proven performances.
