Chelsea
Chelsea missed out on an important transfer. Bosnia player Kerim Alajbegovic has agreed to join Juventus for the next football season, as per latest news.
Alajbegovic chooses Juventus over Chelsea
Alajbegovic will be joining Juventus instead of Chelsea next season, as reported by Football Italia. The Italian club signed the 18-year-old winger for a total deal of €40 million [€33 million plus €7 million as add-ons]. Clubs like Chelsea, Roma, AC Milan and Atalanta had expressed their interest in the Bosnian winger. However, Juventus eventually managed to convince Alajbegovic.
Alajbegovic was previously part of Red Bull Salzburg. He played for the team between 2025 and 2026. Before that, he was part of Bayer Leverkusen. He joined the team’s youth academy in 2021. In January 2025, he signed his first professional contract with Leverkusen’s senior team. He also played for FC Koln’s youth academy between 2013 and 2021.
Alajbegovic’s stats for the 2025-26 season, as per FOTMOB:
Competitions Matches Goals Assists
Bundesliga 28 9 3
UEFA Europa League 7 2 1
How did Chelsea miss out on Alajbegovic?
Chelsea weren’t completely uninterested in Alajbegovic. However, it was a tough choice between two brilliant players. The Blues had just signed Morgan Rogers for a huge amount of £117 million from Aston Villa. They couldn’t convince the Bosnian with a similar deal. That is why Alajbegovic decided not to wait further, and he agreed to the Juventus offer.
Chelsea had an average outing at the Premier League last year. Naturally, new manager Xabi Alonso wants a better side for the next season. Apart from Rogers, the Blues have also signed players like Maxence Lacroix and Danny Welbeck for the 2026-27 season. Pep Chavarria is expected to join the club as well. Even Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini is on the club’s wishlist.
Chelsea transfer news - Kerim Alajbegovic
Chelsea transfer news - Kerim Alajbegovic
What’s next for Kerim Alajbegovic?
Alajbegovic was part of the Bosnia & Herzegovina team that played at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Alajbegovic scored the opening goal in the group stage match against Qatar. The Bosnian team made it to the Round of 32 as one of the eight best third-placed teams. However, they lost to USA 2-0. USA was co-hosting this tournament alongside Canada and Mexico. All of them made it to the Round of 16 but failed to go beyond it.
Alajbegovic has a relatively clean record in terms of fitness as well as disciplinary concerns. He didn’t suffer any major injuries last year. However, the Bosnian winger needs to be consistent in his performance if he wants to make it big in European football.
Chelsea are undergoing a significant transformation. Team manager Xabi Alonso knows he cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes. He wants a team that is capable of leading from the front. That’s why the team is searching for versatile players for the 2026-27 season. If they had convinced Alajbegovic for the next season, it would have been a bonus. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as per their plans.
Juventus also had an average season last year. Their best performance was a sixth place finish in the 2025-26 Serie A league. Apart from that, players like Timothy Weah, Dusan Vlahovic, and Filip Kostic left the club for better options. That’s why Alajbegovic was chosen for the next season. The Bosnian winger may not immediately bring back Juventus to winning ways. However, he can definitely help them in gaining the lost momentum. It would be interesting to see how he works out for Juventus next year.
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