This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.
Chelsea are keeping an eye on Boca Juniors midfielder Tomas Aranda, according to reports in the Argentinian media.
El Intransigente claims that the Blues are “closely following” the 19-year-old after a breakthrough year.
Aranda has made 31 appearances for Boca since making his debut against Estudiantes back in late January.
The teenager has also made his debut for Argentina’s national team, playing the last 10 minutes of the friendly against Honduras back in June.
There will be inevitable comparisons to Fernandez
Aranda is an attacking midfielder by trade who has caught the eye with his performances at a young age.
There are obvious similarities with Enzo Fernandez, who came through the ranks of Boca’s fierce rivals, River Plate.
Aranda is undoubtedly much earlier in his development than when the Blues snapped up Fernandez from Benfica at the start of 2023. He has yet to make the leap to Europe, and it remains to be seen if he can contribute goals and assists on a regular basis.
The youngster scored his first senior goal against Instituto ACC back in March, and he has also created 3 goals for teammates.
Get a brand new Chelsea 26/27 Aero-FIT away shirt from Fanatics here
Aranda has a whole host of suitors.
El Intransigente report that Chelsea are one of four Premier League clubs who are monitoring the player’s situation, along with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City. The likes of Inter Milan, Bayer Leverkusen, Parma, Como, Corinthians and Sao Paulo also have him on their radar.
Unsurprisingly, Boca are keen to keep hold of Aranda, but they will be powerless if a team triggers his release clause. The buyout fee is said to be just $20m or £14.7m, which is certainly not a figure that will deter suitors.