Updated: 29 Apr 2026 16:05 BST |
4 min read
Union Santa Fe left-back Mateo del Blanco could be on his way to Strasbourg after reports initially claimed that he was set to join Chelsea.
The 22-year-old is on the radar of numerous European clubs. Despite his relatively young age, Del Blanco already has more than a century of senior appearances for Santa Fe to his name.
Primarily a left-back but also capable of playing further forward, Del Blanco has two goals and an assist to his name in 15 appearances in the current Apertura in Argentina. Whether he will see out the full season is doubtful, though.
That is because the Argentine, who also holds a Spanish passport, is being strongly associated with a move to Europe. In January, Boca Juniors and River Plate reportedly failed to strike a deal for the full-back, so his next destination is believed to be on the other side of the Atlantic.
In March, reports emerged from Argentina that Chelsea were closing in on a deal to sign Del Blanco. The plan for the Union star was to immediately be loaned to sister club Strasbourg, but it seems that there has been a twist.
Strasbourg to sign Del Blanco
L’Equipe has now confirmed that Strasbourg are interested in signing Del Blanco, but the French outlet makes no mention of Chelsea whatsoever. This suggests that any deal is likely to be completed by Racing, rather than the Blues.
This shouldn’t be entirely surprising. Given the limited number of international loan spots available to clubs, it makes more sense for Strasbourg to sign players who would not immediately get into the Chelsea team. Moreover, this wouldn’t be the first such move.
Senegal midfielder Pape Diong was initially scheduled to join Chelsea in 2024, but a change of plans ultimately saw him move to Strasbourg. Julio Enciso signed for the Ligue 1 side in 2025 with the intent to move to West London a year or two later.
Another aspect is the uncertainty surrounding European qualification. Should Chelsea and Strasbourg qualify for the same UEFA competition, they will not be able to do any business with each other. BlueCo has already made provisions for this scenario and set up a blind trust for Racing.
Del Blanco is expected to cost around €3 million, but Strasbourg are not the only French club in the race to sign him. Lyon and Toulouse are also said to be monitoring the Argentine.
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