Updated: 25 Jul 2026 14:10 BST |
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Chelsea are stepping up their pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen winger Kerim Alajbegovic, and a deal could be agreed within the next 24 hours.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina starlet is coming off a real breakout season. Leverkusen initially sold him to RB Salzburg last summer because there was no clear first-team pathway for him, but his explosion in Austria prompted them to swiftly exercise their buy-back clause.
The 18-year-old scored 13 goals in 44 appearances across all competitions last season and became a crucial player for his country. Alajbegovic only made his senior debut for Bosnia and Herzegovina in September, but by the spring, he was helping them qualify for the World Cup.
The teenager set up Edin Dzeko’s crucial equalising goal against Wales in the playoff semi-final and then converted a penalty in the ensuing shootout. He also kept his cool in the decisive shootout against Italy that saw the Balkan country qualify for just their second World Cup.
Alajbegovic started three of his country’s four games at the tournament this summer, scoring once in a 3-1 win over Qatar. Now on his way back to Germany, the Cologne-born winger could be on his way to England imminently.
Chelsea accelerate on Alajbegovic deal
According to BILD, Chelsea are really stepping on the gas in their pursuit of the 18-year-old. The Blues have been linked, on and off, with Alajbegovic for a few months, and they are now getting serious.
Leverkusen are believed to be open to making a quick profit on the winger for the right price. The German outlet claims that the final fee could rise to €40 million, although Fabrizio Romano insists that Chelsea are looking to get a cheaper deal.
Earlier reports had suggested that €30m could be enough to secure the signing of Alajbegovic. Xabi Alonso, who still knows the youngster from his time at Leverkusen, has been crucial to this potential deal. The Basque personally called his former club to formally register Chelsea’s interest.
The German tabloid reports that an agreement could be imminent, even positing that it could arrive before the end of the weekend. It is possible, the outlet writes, that Alajbegovic won’t even report for pre-season on Monday.
He is due to start training with Leverkusen next week following his three-week post-World Cup holiday, but if a deal is struck within the next 24 hours, he probably won’t be present on Monday.
Meanwhile, Romano reports that Alajbegovic has yet to make a final decision on whether or not to join Chelsea. That’s because he is also being courted by various Serie A clubs, most notably Atalanta and Napoli.
It is possible that the Italian sides could give him guarantees of game time, more so than Chelsea. On the other hand, however, the Blues will likely be able to offer him a better financial package.
A decision could be imminent.
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