Chelsea are closing in on another major signing this summer, with the west London club understood to be the frontrunners to acquire Bayer Leverkusen teenager Kerim Alajbegovic in a deal worth around £30 million.

The Blues have already broken the British transfer record by signing Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa and confirmed the arrival of Geovany Quenda from Sporting CP. Yet manager Enzo Maresca appears determined to add further firepower to his attacking options.

A rapid rise on two fronts

Alajbegovic, who turns 19 in September, has enjoyed a meteoric rise through both club and international football. Born in Cologne, he progressed through the Bosnia and Herzegovina age-group system at pace — making his under-15 debut three years before stepping into senior international football, where he has fewer than 10 caps to his name.

At club level, the winger spent five years in Leverkusen's academy before joining Red Bull Salzburg last summer — notably without ever making a first-team appearance for Leverkusen. A low buyback clause allowed Leverkusen to bring him back at the end of the season, yet he now looks set to depart again without playing a single professional match for the club.

His 28 appearances in the Austrian Bundesliga last term produced nine league goals as Red Bull Salzburg narrowly missed the title by a single point — a campaign that drew attention from clubs across Europe, including Juventus, Atalanta, and Fiorentina.

World Cup spotlight

Alajbegovic cemented his reputation on the grandest stage when Bosnia and Herzegovina qualified for FIFA World Cup 2026. He came off the bench in their opening draw with Canada before starting every subsequent group-stage match.

His standout moment came in a 3-1 victory over Qatar in Seattle, where he scored his nation's first goal of the tournament — a result that sent Bosnia and Herzegovina into the round of 32, where they faced co-hosts the United States.

Alonso's backing seals Chelsea's advantage

According to The Telegraph's Sam Wallace, Chelsea's pursuit has overtaken interest from several Serie A clubs. With Alejandro Garnacho moving to Aston Villa, Xabi Alonso — who was at Leverkusen during Alajbegovic's development — is reported to be enthusiastic about facilitating the move to Stamford Bridge.