Chelsea Have Made ‘Initial Contact’ To Sign Brazilian Wingback Who Could Be Brought In To Replace Veiga

Chelsea are interested in snapping up Rangers left-back Jefte, according to reports in the local media.

Rangers Review journalist Christopher Jack, who has sources at the Glasgow club, claims that the Blues have made “initial contact” about signing the Brazilian.

It is believed that a move is more likely to happen at the end of the season but it appears there is genuine interest in the player.

The report from Rangers Review follows up initial claims from Jefte’s native Brazil, which said that Chelsea were interested in the 21-year-old.

What do fans need to know about Jefte?

The former Brazil youth international came through the ranks of Fluminense but he didn’t make a first-team appearance for the club before being loaned out to APOEL Nicosia in the summer of 2023.

Jefte spent one season with the Cypriot club, having already agreed to join Rangers on a permanent basis midway through last campaign.

The defender made the switch to Ibrox in July last year, and he has made 34 appearances in all competitions this season. He has played as both a left-back and a wingback during the early stages of his senior career.

Why are Chelsea interested in the player?

Renato Veiga has been loaned out to Juventus. The Portuguese international will stay with the Bianconeri until the summer. The main reason for his departure is down to the fact that he wants to play in his preferred position at centre-half.

Head coach Enzo Maresca had mainly used him as a backup for Marc Cucurella at left-back. Jefte could, therefore, be recruited to provide cover for the Spaniard.

Of course, Ben Chilwell is also still at Stamford Bridge but he does not feature in Maresca’s plans and he is set to leave Chelsea before the transfer window closes.

Find out who is in Chelsea’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here

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David Tully

David Tully

David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for National World's Football News Network.