Chelsea 'open talks' with Boca Juniors over teenage defender

Chelsea are pushing ahead with their drive to recruit young talent they believe will become future superstars by 'opening talks' with Boca Juniors over teenage defender Aaron Anselmino.

Witnessing Real Madrid unearth 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 group arrived in 2022.

Andrey Santos, Angelo Gabriel and Deivid Washington have all swapped Brazil for west London. Willian Estevao will also do so when he turns 18 in 2025, as will Kendry Paez from Ecuador.

Next on the list is Anselmino, with The Athletic reporting that Chelsea have kicked off initial discussions with Boca. The Blues are thought to be negotiating a fee, although Argentine reports of a £17.2m package being offered are unconfirmed.

A centre-back, Anselmino turned 19 in April and has only played ten first-team games in his career to date. It might have been more but for injury ruling him out in May after starting successive Copa Sudamericana matches the previous month.

Chelsea's focus on emerging talent hasn’t only focused on South America. The majority of new signings in the last couple of years have been younger than 23. For some, like Cole Palmer, it has been a home-run swing, although others require more time to develop.

In terms of outgoing transfers, the Blues look set to receive a sizeable pay day by cashing in on Ian Maatsen following his failure to establish himself at Stamford Bridge but an impressive loan spell at Borussia Dortmund that culminated in the 2024 Champions League final.

A report this week explained that an agreement has been reached with Aston Villa for the Dutchman to join them for a fee slightly higher than the £35m clause in his Dortmund loan. That will mean Maatsen stays in the Champions League next season after Villa finished fourth in 2023/24.

READ THE LATEST TRANSFER NEWS & GOSSIP FROM AROUND THE WORLD