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David Tully Jul 27th 2026
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Chelsea and Juventus are battling it out for the signature of Bayer Leverkusen winger Kerim Alajbegovic, according to reports in the German media.
Tabloid Bild claims that the Blues have tabled a bid which is worth up to €40m (£34m) including bonuses, and is described as the “more lucrative option”.
Juve, meanwhile, have already had a bid rejected by Leverkusen for Alajbegovic, but they have returned with an “improved offer”.
However, it is still below Chelsea’s proposal, with the Serie A giants willing to pay around €35m (£30m).
Alajbegovic would not play for the Blues straight away
It is believed that the Bosnian, who has been capped 14 times by his country, would be loaned out if he does choose to make the switch to Stamford Bridge.
In contrast, Juventus are keen on making him part of their first team straight away, and that may play a part in who Alajbegovic chooses to join, if Leverkusen end up accepting offers from both clubs.
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Chelsea have too many wingers
Alajbegovic would not get a lot of game time if he were to make the switch to London this summer. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, he is only 18 years of age with just one season of first-team football under his belt.
Secondly, competition for places on the wings is already fierce. Manager Xabi Alonsohas the likes of Morgan Rogers, Estevao, Pedro Neto, Jamie Gittens and Geovany Quenda at his disposal; all of whom have more experience than Alajbegovic.
It does raise questions as to why the Blues are willing to spend €40m, but he is clearly a very promising young talent. We shall have to wait and see how this transfer story develops.
David Tully
David Tully
David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for the Football News Network.