Chelsea could reconsider a move for Thomas Aranda as early as January. The 19-year-old Boca Juniors midfielder has recovered unexpectedly quickly from a serious injury and returned to training ahead of schedule.
Aranda suffered a fibula injury in August, and there were initially fears he would not play again until the start of 2027.
However, according to TyC Sports, his recovery has been much quicker than expected. He is already training with the team and could even be included in the squad for the upcoming match against Defensa y Justicia.
For Chelsea, that could significantly change the situation.
Chelsea were monitoring Aranda before his injury, while Arsenal had also previously been linked with him. A January transfer was considered virtually out of the question after the injury, but if the Argentine returns to action before the end of the year and quickly regains his form, interest from European clubs could become more concrete again.
Aranda is considered one of South America's brightest young players, despite modest first-team figures for Boca: one goal and three assists in 32 appearances.
He has already made his Argentina debut under Lionel Scaloni, while Lionel Messi recently included him among the world's top 10 young talents.
Aranda's contract currently contains an €18 million release clause, but that will rise to €22 million in January.
It was previously reported that, if Chelsea were to buy Aranda, they could initially send him to Strasbourg — another club in the BlueCo group.
However, that would require changes to the French club's squad, as their limit on loans of Chelsea players has already been reached. Another option would be a permanent transfer to Strasbourg, with a possible subsequent move to London.
For now, a January deal still looks more like a possibility than a realistic prospect. Much will depend on how Aranda performs in the coming weeks after his return.
