Chelsea are accelerating their pursuit of Bosnian winger Kerim Alajbegovic, with talks now underway between the club and Bayer Leverkusen over a summer transfer.
Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano reports that the two clubs are in active negotiations, with Chelsea keen to land the 18-year-old attacker this window.
Alajbegovic was one of the most impressive players at the recently concluded FIFA World Cup, starring for Bosnia and Herzegovina throughout the tournament.
He netted in a 3-1 win over Qatar at the age of 18 years and 276 days, becoming the youngest player in the competition to score from outside the box since Kylian Mbappé did so in the 2018 final at 19 years and 207 days.
The teenager also overtook the likes of Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal to become the eighth youngest goalscorer in World Cup history.
His international exploits followed an outstanding club campaign with Leverkusen, where he registered 13 goals and four assists across all competitions.
Chelsea had already been linked with interest in Alajbegovic via Football Talk, but the club are now pushing hard to get a deal done.
The Blues are reportedly hoping to agree a fee below the widely proposed £34m figure, though journalist Nicolo Schira reveals that personal terms have already been settled on a seven-year contract.
Schira also adds that Xabi Alonso’s side are close to finalising the transfer for a £35m fee plus add-ons, suggesting a resolution could arrive soon.
The arrival of Alajbegovic would add significant depth to Chelsea’s attacking options on the left wing, where young prospect Jesse Derry is also on the books.
Derry earned his first-team debut in February under Liam Rosenior in a 4-0 FA Cup win against Hull City, before making his first Premier League start in May against Nottingham Forest.
The youngster has since been sent out on loan to Sporting, where he scored a notable goal in pre-season against Monaco and appears to be developing well.
With Alajbegovic potentially arriving at Stamford Bridge this summer, Chelsea’s hierarchy will need to consider how regular playing time factors into Derry’s long-term development pathway.