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Published December 31, 2024 4:43pm Updated December 31, 2024 4:44pm
Aaron Anselmino is set to start Chelsea training next week after being recalled from his loan at Boca Juniors, according to reports.
The Blues signed Anselmino in a £15.6m deal during the last summer transfer window, before loaning him back to Boca Juniors for the season.
Chelsea have decided to cut his loan short, though, with the 19-year-old centre-back now set to travel from Argentina to west London on Friday.
Anselmino’s arrival is a January boost for Chelsea – and gives them a fresh option in defence – amid a recent wobble under head coach Enzo Maresca.
‘Aaron Anselmino returns to Chelsea as he will join Enzo Maresca’s squad with immediate effect from Boca Juniors,’ football transfers expert Fabrizio Romano posted on X.
‘Argentinian centre back travels to London at the end of this week, ready to join training at Cobham from next week.’
Many had tipped Chelsea as Premier League title challengers this term but their form has since fallen off a cliff, with the Blues suffering back-to-back defeats to west London rivals Fulham and promoted side Ipswich Town.
Maresca has always laughed off talk of Chelsea being title challengers, insisting their defence is not good enough to land the top-flight trophy.
Speaking after the 2-1 win over Brentford earlier this month, Maresca said: ‘No matter how many games we are going to win, I think we’re not ready to compete for the title.
‘One of the reasons is I think the team that knows how to compete to win titles will not concede a goal (Bryan Mbeumo’s late consolation) like we concede.
‘On 90 minutes, a throw-in for us and we concede a goal. A team that knows how to win titles, that goal they’re not to going to concede.’
Meanwhile, former Chelsea star Shaun Wright-Phillips has urged the Blues to sign an experienced defender in January, arguing that his old club never found an appropriate replacement for ex-defender Thiago Silva.
‘They let Thiago Silva go, but they didn’t replace him,’ Wright-Phillips told sportscasting.com. ‘I think they need more experience in the defence.’
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