The news that came out last night from Argentina gives us a very good impression of Chelsea’s transfer policy this summer.
Argentine writer Iriel Iugt claimed that the Blues had made a £13.6m “formal offer” for Boca Juniors centre back Aaron Anselmino.
It’s an interesting concept, and we’ve heard positive whispers about the 19 year old. You can’t go too far wrong signing players from the Boca Juniors academy. But he would join a very long queue in Chelsea’s first team. A European loan could suit him, and if he blossoms somewhere like Serie A as a young player it could be a huge coup. We’ve not heard Strasbourg mentioned yet, but that’s got to be on the cards.
But Chelsea’s first team are deep in this position, after the signing of Tosin Adarabioyo to replace Thiago Silva. It’s certainly not a signing for them, it’s more of an investment move for now.
An unchanged objective
What this news tells us is that Chelsea’s policy of signing young South American players was not a fleeting trend to restock the squad with youth. It’s going to be an ongoing pattern, with Pedro Lima another player targeted recently.
Now it’s clear there are no tight restrictions on spending this summer, and that there doesn’t look likely to be any megastar additions, that means space for a few pickups in this price range. Andrey Santos, Deivid Washington, Angelo Gabriel, the list goes on. These mid-range players offer a good chance at a quick buck if they succeed, and then can be signed to long, cheap contracts while young.
Anselmino himself is a talent for sure – but might end the summer as just one in a cluster of assets acquired. He’s only just starting his senior career and this would be a huge jump for him.