{"id":22078,"date":"2026-07-27T19:20:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T19:20:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=22078"},"modified":"2026-07-27T19:20:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T19:20:10","slug":"chelsea-lead-race-for-30m-wonderkid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=22078","title":{"rendered":"Chelsea lead race for \u00a330m wonderkid"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"content-main\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!--post-header--><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"post-excerpt left\"><\/p>\n<p>Chelsea lead race to sign highly rated winger Kerim Alajbegovic from Bayer Leverkusen this summer.<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"post-feat-img\" class=\"left relative\" itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" class=\"attachment- size- wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-114.webp 1200w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-114-600x338.webp 600w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-114-768x432.webp 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-114.webp\"\/><img width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-114.webp\" class=\"attachment- size- wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-114.webp 1200w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-114-600x338.webp 600w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-114-768x432.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-114.webp\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"1200\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"675\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><!--post-feat-img--><\/p>\n<section class=\"social-sharing-top\">\n<p><span class=\"fb-but1\"><i class=\"fa-brands fa-facebook-f\"\/><\/span><span class=\"social-text\">Share<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\" onclick=\"window.open('http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=Kerim Alajbegovic: Chelsea lead race for \u00a330m wonderkid -&amp;url=https:\/\/sixsports.in\/kerim-alajbegovic-chelsea-lead-race-for-30m-wonderkid\/', 'twitterShare', 'width=626,height=436'); return false;\" title=\"Share This Post\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"twitter-but1\"><i class=\"fa-brands fa-x-twitter\"\/><\/span><span class=\"social-text\">Share<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"whatsapp-but1\"><i class=\"fa fa-whatsapp fa-2\"\/><\/span><span class=\"social-text\">Share<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"pinterest-but1\"><i class=\"fa-brands fa-pinterest-p\"\/><\/span><span class=\"social-text\">Share<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"email-but\"><i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-2\"\/><\/span><span class=\"social-text\">Email<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p><!--social-sharing-top--><\/p>\n<div class=\"sx-entity-card\">\n<div class=\"sx-entity-top\">\n<div class=\"sx-entity-logo\">\n                <img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"350\" height=\"350\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"CHELSEA\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/chelsea_fc_logo-1.avif\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"350\" height=\"350\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/chelsea_fc_logo-1.avif\" alt=\"CHELSEA\"\/>\n            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"sx-entity-description\">\n<p>            Full name: Chelsea Football Club Nickname: The Blues Founded: 10 March 1905 Ground: Stamford Bridge Owner: BlueCo Chairman: Todd Boehly Manager: Xabi Alonso League: Premier League Season 2025-26: 10th position Website: chelseafc.com Chelsea Football Club is one of the most\u2026            <a class=\"sx-entity-readmore\" href=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/team\/chelsea\/\"><br \/>\n                Read More about CHELSEA\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kerim Alajbegovic transfer news is growing fast as Chelsea move closer to signing one of Europe\u2019s top young talents. The young winger has caught the eye of many clubs. But right now, the Blues look to be leading the race as talks continue.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-chelsea-lead-the-race-for-young-winger\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chelsea lead the race for young winger<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kerim Alajbegovic is now one of the most exciting young players in Europe. The 18-year-old has impressed with his speed, dribbling, and confidence. Even though he is still very young, he has already shown great promise. <strong>As reported by Metro,<\/strong> Chelsea are leading the race after new head coach Xabi Alonso picked the Bosnian winger as one of his top targets. Alonso believes the youngster fits his plans for the future. The player is valued at around \u00a330M, and the Chelsea boss has followed his progress since his time in Germany.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>As reported by OneFootball<\/strong>Alajbegovic came through Bayer Leverkusen\u2019s academy before enjoying an excellent season with Red Bull Salzburg. His strong displays convinced the German side to activate their buy-back clause earlier this year. He also signed a new five-year contract. Leverkusen believe he can become an important player in the future. Even so, Chelsea now appear to be in the strongest position. Alonso\u2019s knowledge of the winger has helped the London side move ahead of other clubs that are also interested.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Kerim Alajbegovic\u2019s stats this season, as per FOTMOB:<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\">\n<table class=\"has-fixed-layout\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Competitions<\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Matches<\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Goals<\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Assists<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>FIFA World Cup<\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">4<\/td>\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">1<\/td>\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Bundesliga<\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">28<\/td>\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">9<\/td>\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\"><strong>Europa League<\/strong><\/td>\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">7<\/td>\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">2<\/td>\n<td class=\"has-text-align-center\" data-align=\"center\">1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"h-chelsea-continue-talks-as-other-clubs-stay-interested\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chelsea continue talks as other clubs stay interested<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chelsea\u2019s interest is now much more serious than simple scouting. <strong>As reported by CaughtOffside<\/strong>transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Chelsea are in direct contact with Bayer Leverkusen. However, reports claiming the Premier League side have already made a \u00a334M bid are not true. The two clubs are still discussing a lower transfer fee.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The report also says that Alajbegovic has not made a final decision about his future. Several Serie A clubs are still in contact with him and his representatives. Because of that, <strong>Chelsea<\/strong> cannot relax yet. The Bosnian youngster can play on both wings and also as an attacking midfielder. The Blues believe he fits their plan of signing young players before their value becomes even higher.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" alt=\"Chelsea\" class=\"wp-image-197327\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-69.webp 1200w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-69-600x338.webp 600w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-69-768x432.webp 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-69.webp\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-69.webp\" alt=\"Chelsea\" class=\"wp-image-197327\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-69.webp 1200w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-69-600x338.webp 600w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-69-768x432.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"h-world-cup-performances-boost-his-reputation\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">World Cup performances boost his reputation<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The teenager earned even more attention during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. <strong>As reported by talkSPORT<\/strong>Alajbegovic delivered confident performances for Bosnia and Herzegovina. He looked calm on the biggest stage despite his age. Those displays attracted interest from even more clubs, but Chelsea remain the favourites. The West London side have focused on signing young talent in recent transfer windows. Alajbegovic matches that strategy perfectly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For now, no agreement has been reached. Bayer Leverkusen still rate the player highly, while Chelsea continue talks. Interest from Italy also remains strong, so the race is still open. Even so, the <strong>Premier League<\/strong> side currently look to be in the best position to complete the deal before the new season.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-author-s-opinion\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Author\u2019s Opinion<\/h2>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kerim Alajbegovic has the talent to become a top <strong>football<\/strong> player. If Chelsea complete the transfer, they should give him time to grow. Regular minutes and patience could help both the player and the club in the years ahead.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>READ MORE:<\/strong> <strong>Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea: \u00a360m deal agreed, medical next.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>ALSO READ:<\/strong> <strong>Xabi Alonso wants Chelsea to sign Real Madrid duo.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>READ NEXT:<\/strong> <strong>Maxence Lacroix to Chelsea gets major \u00a355m update.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"after-article-links\" style=\"margin-top:20px; font-size:14px;\">Follow the latest updates from <strong>Premier League<\/strong>, <strong>The League<\/strong> and<br \/>\n        <strong>Champions League<\/strong>or explore more<br \/>\n        <strong>Football<\/strong> stories, <strong>Football Teams<\/strong> &#038; <strong>All Football Competitions<\/strong> . Follow more updates on CHELSEA. You can also check <strong>Latest Sports News<\/strong> or visit <strong>Six Sports<\/strong> for more Football updates.<\/div>\n<div class=\"fe-author-box\">\n<div class=\"fe-author-avatar\">\n        <img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/85f3fe75dfd4830d2b5bad2f5e4558c1e496a685f352a97aa1e81ee53f59faf5?s=200&amp;d=mm&amp;r=g 2x\" class=\"avatar avatar-100 photo\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/85f3fe75dfd4830d2b5bad2f5e4558c1e496a685f352a97aa1e81ee53f59faf5?s=100&amp;d=mm&amp;r=g\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/85f3fe75dfd4830d2b5bad2f5e4558c1e496a685f352a97aa1e81ee53f59faf5?s=100&amp;d=mm&amp;r=g\" srcset=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/85f3fe75dfd4830d2b5bad2f5e4558c1e496a685f352a97aa1e81ee53f59faf5?s=200&amp;d=mm&amp;r=g 2x\" class=\"avatar avatar-100 photo\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" decoding=\"async\"\/>    <\/div>\n<div class=\"fe-author-content\">\n<h2 class=\"fe-author-name\">\n<p>                Aarya Sikder<br \/>\n        <\/h2>\n<p class=\"fe-author-bio\">\n<p>                Aarya Sikder is a Football Writer at Six Sports, contributing articles on football match developments, player performances, and news from across the football world. His work focuses on delivering engaging and informative coverage that keeps readers updated on key events and emerging storylines in the sport.&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\nThrough his contributions to Six Sports, Aarya provides match reports, tactical insights, and feature articles that highlight trends and narratives shaping football today. His writing combines clarity with accessible analysis, making it engaging for both casual fans and dedicated followers of the sport.            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mvp-org-wrap\" itemprop=\"publisher\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Organization\">\n<div class=\"mvp-org-logo\" itemprop=\"logo\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"690\" height=\"145\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Six-Sports.png\" src-webp=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Six-Sports.png.webp\" class=\"ewww_webp_lazy_load\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"690\" height=\"145\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Six-Sports.png\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Six-Sports.png\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><!--mvp-org-logo--><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Six Sports\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><!--mvp-org-wrap--><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!--posts-nav-link--><\/p>\n<div class=\"mentioned-article-block\">\n<h3 class=\"mentioned-title\">Mentioned in this Article<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!--comments-button--><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!--comments-->\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chelsea lead race to sign highly rated winger Kerim Alajbegovic from Bayer Leverkusen this summer&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4751,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chelsea"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22078","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22078"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22078\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4751"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22078"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22078"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}