Chelsea are pushing ahead with their bid to recruit the young talent they believe will be the stars of tomorrow by 'opening talks' with Boca Juniors over young defender Aaron Anselmino.
Witnessing Real Madrid acquiring the likes of Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Endrick in recent years, the Blues have hit the South American market hard since Todd Boehly's ownership team arrived in 2022.
Andrey Santos, Angelo Gabriel and David Washington have all swapped Brazil for west London. Willian Estevao will also do so when he turns 18 in 2025, as will Ecuador's Kendry Paez.
Next on the list is Anselmino, with Athletic reports that Chelsea have started preliminary talks with Boca. The Blues are thought to be negotiating a fee, although reports from the Argentinian of a £17.2m package offer have not been confirmed.
A full-back, Anselmino turned 19 in April and has only made ten first-team appearances in his career so far. It could have been more but an injury ruled him out in May after starting back-to-back Copa Sudamericana games last month.
Chelsea's focus on emerging talent is not limited to South America. Most of the new recruits in the last few years have been under 23 years of age. For some, like Cole Palmer, it's been a home run, although others need more time to improve.
In terms of outgoing transfers, the Blues look set to receive a big payday by cashing in on Ian Maatsen following his failure to settle at Stamford Bridge but an impressive loan move to Borussia Dortmund that has reached the 2024 Champions League final.
A report this week claimed that an agreement had been reached with Aston Villa for the Dutchman to join them for a fee slightly higher than the £35m clause on his Dortmund loan. That would mean Maatsen will stay in the Champions League next season after Villa finish fourth in 2023/24.
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