Chelsea have confirmed that Aaron Anselmino has returned to the club from Boca Juniors.

The defender completed a £15.6million move from Argentina in the summer before returning to Boca on loan. Reports had emerged towards the end of December that the 19-year-old would end his loan with the Buenos Aires giants.

On Friday, the Blues confirmed that Anselmino will return to Cobham after the conclusion of the 2023/24 season in Argentina. football.london understands the plan for his development will include being integrated into Enzo Maresca's first-team.

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However, at the age of 19 and in a new country, it's understood that there is little pressure on him to hit the ground running. Chelsea currently have five central defenders, though Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile are out injured.

Boca Juniors president, Juan Roman Riquelme, has tipped Anselmino to become one of the best defenders in football after emerging out of the academy. "He has developed a lot," he told ESPN.

"With the growth, the head that he has and the desire to learn that he shows, he is on his way to being a great footballer. He is going to be a player for the national team. He is going to compete with the centre-backs."

Anselmino unfortunately missed Boca's final six games of 2024 due to a hamstring injury. He is the latest in a long line of wonderkid signings by Chelsea under Todd Boehly's tenure.

After signing a seven-year contract in August, the central defender is expected to continue his development in England. With Fofana and Badiashile out for a "long period", there could be scope for him to feature at some point this season.