Chelsea Derail Atalanta’s Move for 18-Year-Old World Cup Sensation: Reports
Chelsea have thrown their hat in the ring for one of the most intriguing pursuits of the summer for a dynamic forward. Local Bosnian outlets have reported that the Blues’ interest in Kerim Alajbegović has led to the teenager cancelling his plans to head to Atalanta. It is said that Xabi Alonso is a fan of the 18-year-old.
The Bosnian-Herzegovinian international has returned to Bayer Leverkusen following what was a season-changing stint at Red Bull Salzburg. He scored 13 goals in 44 games in all competitions and nine goals in 28 Austrian Bundesliga games, which proved Werkself’s decision to let him stay in Austria.
After that, his reputation soared, with him being the youngest Bosnian player to score in World Cup history in 2026. A powerful long-range strike against Qatar on June 24 helped the country into the round of 32.
Atalanta looked to be closing in on a solution with reports suggesting La Dea were prepared to commence with bonuses of over €20 million. Alajbegovic and his entourage were reportedly open to the Bergamo project, but Leverkusen would have expected a lot more for their prized asset.
Chelsea’s late arrival has obviously rewritten that trajectory. The left-footed wide man, who turns 19 in September, has attracted interest from Manchester United, Real Madrid, Roma, Napoli, Inter, and Arsenal.
Chelsea’s Summer Rebuild Under Xabi Alonso Continues to Gather Momentum
Alonso officially arrived at Stamford Bridge on July 1, signing a four-year contract and taking charge of a team that had just endured a shockingly bad domestic season. He was appointed after a turbulent season that saw Enzo Maresca leave in January and Liam Rosenior in charge for just 106 days.
The Spanish manager has been given a lot of power in terms of signing players, and Chelsea have already done a lot of business for him. Geovany Quenda was signed from Sporting Lisbon at the start of July after a prolonged wait. Emmanuel Emegha, Dastan Satpaev and Denner will also be arriving west London.
Under Alonso, the Blues also added wing-back Marco Palestra from Atalanta for a fee that could rise to £51 million. The Italy international arrived to replace Marc Cucurella, who left for Real Madrid. Alonso is still determined to bring experience to the club, alongside their many young players with great potential.
If Alajbegović ends up at Stamford Bridge or Bergamo, it will depend on how much Leverkusen rate the player and how much he wants to play in the first team straight away.
