Chelsea and Arsenal are battling over a deal to sign highly rated Argentine attacking midfielder Tomas Aranda from Boca Juniors, according to El Intransigente.
Aranda is the latest prospect to emerge from Boca Juniors’ renowned academy, which has also developed several established names in Argentine football, including Leandro Paredes, Valentín Barco and Cristian Medina, Éver Banega, Carlos Tevez and Nicolás Burdisso.
His academy performances earned the 19-year-old a chance in the senior side under former coach Claudio Úbeda, who handed him his professional debut on 28 January 2026, featuring in Boca’s 2–1 Primera División defeat to Estudiantes de La Plata.
Initially used as a substitute, the youngster eventually earned his first start against San Lorenzo and made the most of the opportunity. He has since become a regular presence, recording 32 appearances for Boca Juniors and being dubbed the ‘new Lionel Messi’.
His impressive displays for Boca earned him a senior call-up to Argentina’s national team in June, before he made his international debut in a 2-0 friendly victory over Honduras.
It appears Aranda’s displays have not gone unnoticed in Europe, with El Intransigente reporting that Chelsea have expressed interest in signing the attacking midfielder.
For Chelsea, the report adds that the West London side are already assessing his development plan, which could potentially include a loan move to Blueco’s sister club, Strasbourg.
Prospect
Despite the Blues’ interest, Boca are poised to retain Aranda at the Estadio Alberto J. Armando and have inserted a £15m release clause in his contract, which could potentially rise to £18m.
However, Chelsea are not alone in the race, with the Argentine outlet adding that Premier League rivals Arsenal are also closely monitoring the youngster, alongside Serie A side Napoli.
Aranda’s statistics this campaign make it clear why top clubs like Chelsea and Arsenal are battling to sign him.
He averages 3.07 successful dribbles per game at an impressive 60.3% success rate, and his 21 chances created show the danger he poses in the final third.
Off the ball, the Argentine international is relentless in winning the ball back, and his commitment to defensive duties is clearly seen in his stats, where he averages a sky-high 7.12 duels won and 7.87 recoveries per game.
Having been likened to Lionel Messi, it’s no surprise the 19-year-old is Messi’s only countryman on his recently publicised list of ten best next-generation stars.
