The transfer team at Chelsea have not stopped work simply because the January window has slammed shut. A busy summer is expected, and the Blues continue to be linked with player after player.
Chelsea failed to make any senior additions in January, though they did recall the African Cup of Nations winner Mamadou Sarr from Strasbourg. Teenage left-back Yisa Alao joined from Sheffield Wednesday.
But Chelsea failed to bring in a defender, with Jeremy Jacquet joining Liverpool and Nantes wonderkid Tylel Tati choosing to remain in France. In midfield, Douglas Luiz opted to rejoin former side Aston Villa.
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Come the summer window, Liam Rosenior is likely to want a more-experienced centre-back with Marcos Senesi still a target, while midfield depth is required. One option is Club Brugge ace Aleksandar Stankovic.
Dejan Stankovic raves about his phenomenal son, Aleksandar
Those of an Inter Milan persuasion will remember Dejan Stankovic as a club legend. For fans on these shores, Stankovic will be remembered for his stunning Champions League volley from the halfway line.
Now, the limelight is on his son Aleksandar. Chelsea and Arsenal are both in talks with Brugge over a move for 20-year-old Stankovic, who has had a hand in 11 goals for Brugge since leaving Inter in 2025.
Speaking to FC Inter News, Stankovic discussed his son’s start to professional football, his future, and compared him to himself, describing Aleksandar as “phenomenal” and better than he was at 20.
Aleksandar Stankovic.
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“What should I advise him, considering that at his age he might already be a better player than me.
“The most important thing is consistency. His performances have been phenomenal,” he said.
“The transformation is incredible: physically, psychologically, mentally, tactically. He keeps improving match after match. The pressure on him is high; we’ll see how he reacts. He will become a serious player.
“Where he will play, I don’t know, but he will be a serious player. It’s no surprise that only his head and his feet are on the ground. Now the hard part is coming – that’s when you see what you’re really made of.”
Chelsea face stern competition for Aleksandar Stankovic
On paper, he looks as if he is the perfect Todd Boehly and Clearlake signing. A player who has already impressed in the Champions League and boasts four caps for Serbia, yet he remains just 20 years of age.
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Stankovic has massive resale value, and that makes him the ideal midfield signing for Boehly come the summer. Even if he is brought in and a loan to Strasbourg is considered for Stankovic in his first season.
But he might already be above that; he might already have the quality necessary to improve Chelsea in the middle of the park. Arsenal, like Chelsea, are in talks with Brugge and Stankovic’s agents Roc Nation.
However, Inter Milan are leading the race to sign Stankovic and at the press of a button, they can activate the £20m buyback clause that has been included in Stankovic’s Club Brugge contract, as things stand.
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