Chelsea Monitoring Bosnian Prodigy Kerim Alajbegovic Amid Bayer Leverkusen Transfer Pursuit
The 18-year-old winger has attracted interest from Stamford Bridge as German side moves to seal a £26 million deal.
Chelsea are keeping close tabs on Bosnia and Herzegovina international Kerim Alajbegovic as Bayer Leverkusen push to re-sign the 18-year-old attacker in a deal worth up to £26 million.
The Stamford Bridge hierarchy views the Red Bull Salzburg winger as a developmental option for the future rather than a player targeted for immediate insertion into the senior starting lineup. However, any potential move faces direct competition from Leverkusen, where manager Xabi Alonso is seeking to bring the academy product back to the BayArena just one year after his departure.
Alajbegovic spent last season developing in Austria with Red Bull Salzburg, a club widely recognized as one of European football’s premier talent incubators. During his maiden campaign in the Austrian Bundesliga, the 6ft 1in winger established himself as an effective attacking threat, generating 13 goals and four assists across all competitions while earning senior international caps for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Possessing a strong right foot while remaining capable on his left, Alajbegovic primarily operates on the left wing. His technical profile combines acceleration in tight spaces with long-range shooting capability—qualities that initially prompted Leverkusen to include a repurchase trajectory after he left their youth academy without making a senior appearance.
Chelsea’s interest comes during an extensive restructuring of their attacking department. The West London side recently agreed to send Alejandro Garnacho on loan to Aston Villa, a deal structured with a conditional obligation to buy following a difficult campaign for the Argentine. In a separate transaction between the two clubs, Chelsea secured the signing of Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa to bolster their frontline.
The reshuffle leaves Jamie Gittens and Rogers as the primary options on the left flank. Gittens, who arrived from Borussia Dortmund last year, was hampered by recurring fitness issues throughout his debut season but demonstrated encouragement with a sharp display against Western Sydney Wanderers in Chelsea’s opening pre-season fixture.
Under the ownership group led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, Chelsea have systematically targeted elite under-21 prospects across Europe and South America, leaning into a long-term squad planning framework designed to secure high-upside talent before market valuations peak. More details on squad updates are routinely published by Chelsea FC.
Without European football on their schedule for the upcoming season, Chelsea face a reduced fixture workload, limiting the immediate requirement for extensive squad depth and allowing the recruitment department to focus on future prospects like Alajbegovic as primary transfer negotiations play out in Germany.
