Chelsea Closing In on £35m Deal for Bayer Leverkusen Wonderkid Kerim Alajbegovic
The 18-year-old Bosnian winger agrees personal terms on a seven-year deal as talks with Leverkusen near a £35 million agreement.
Chelsea are finalizing a deal to sign 18-year-old Bayer Leverkusen winger Kerim Alajbegovic as negotiations between the two clubs enter their final stages.
According to transfer reporter Nicolo Schira, the Bosnian international has already agreed personal terms on a seven-year contract with the London club. Talks between Chelsea and Leverkusen are now nearing completion on a transfer fee valued at approximately £35 million plus performance-related add-ons. While initial discussions explored securing the attacker below £34 million, as indicated by Fabrizio Romano, the German champions held firm on their valuation following the teenager’s extraordinary international display.
Seven-year contracts have become a central element of Chelsea’s squad-building strategy under the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital ownership group. Long-term commitments allow clubs in the Premier League to amortize transfer fees over an extended operational window, managing financial fair play obligations while securing high-potential talent.
Alajbegovic’s stock rose significantly during the recent FIFA World Cup with Bosnia and Herzegovina. During a 3-1 group stage victory over Qatar, he scored a spectacular long-range goal at the age of 18 years and 276 days. The strike made him the youngest player to score from outside the box at a World Cup since Kylian Mbappé did so in the 2018 final against Croatia.
The goal also established Alajbegovic as the eighth-youngest goalscorer in World Cup history, placing his debut tournament mark ahead of early World Cup scoring ages recorded by Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal. His international breakthrough follows a breakout club campaign under Xabi Alonso at Leverkusen, where he scored 13 goals and delivered four assists across all competitions.
The prospective arrival of Alajbegovic introduces new competition within Chelsea’s wide attacking options, directly affecting the dynamic around fellow 18-year-old left winger Jesse Derry. Derry made his senior debut under manager Liam Rosenior in February during a 4-0 FA Cup victory against Hull City before making his first Premier League start against Nottingham Forest in May.
Derry is currently spending the season on loan at Sporting CP, where he recently scored in pre-season against Monaco. As clubs navigate summer strategy alongside the latest football transfer updates, the addition of Alajbegovic will require Chelsea to manage playing pathways carefully for their young developmental talent.
