Chelsea have made a habit of snapping up some of the world’s brightest young talents in recent years.
The likes of Estevão, Jorrel Hato and Roméo Lavia have all arrived as part of the club’s long-term recruitment strategy, while Morgan Rogers and Geovany Quenda have strengthened Xabi Alonso’s squad this summer.
Rather than focusing solely on established stars, the Blues continue to invest heavily in elite young prospects with huge potential.
Now, Chelsea appear to be leading the race for another rising talent who enhanced his reputation with an eye-catching World Cup campaign.
Chelsea Favourites to Sign Kerim Alajbegovic
According to The Telegraph, Chelsea are the frontrunners to sign Kerim Alajbegovic, the “wonderful” Bosnia and Herzegovina youngster, as described by national team boss Sergej Barbarez.
The 18-year-old, valued at around £30 million, impressed at the World Cup, scoring against Qatar in the group stage before starting three matches, including Bosnia’s round-of-32 defeat to the United States.
Chelsea face competition from Juventus, but are currently considered favourites to land the attacking midfielder. Alonso is believed to be a strong admirer, having overseen Alajbegovic’s development during his time at Bayer Leverkusen, despite the youngster not making a senior appearance under him.
Leverkusen recently activated a buy-back clause to re-sign Alajbegovic from Red Bull Salzburg after selling him for around €2 million last summer, and the Bundesliga club now stand to make a sizeable profit if Chelsea complete a deal.
