Chelsea are closely monitoring highly rated Atalanta centre-back Honest Ahanor over his possible transfer to Stamford Bridge, according to TEAMtalk.
Ahanor, valued at £17m by Transfermarkt, came through the ranks at Genoa’s academy, playing in the Under-17, Under-18 and Primavera teams.
At 16 years, seven months and five days, he became Il Grifone’s seventh youngest debutant in history after starting on the left wing back in the 3-0 defeat to Juventus on Saturday, 28th September 2024, at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
Five more appearances were enough for Atalanta to fork out double figures to sign him, and that decision has proven to be a masterstroke, as his performances in Serie A and the Champions League have caught the attention of several clubs.
One of the clubs now eyeing Ahonor is Chelsea, according to TEAMtalk, which claims the club are closely monitoring the Italian-born centre-back ahead of a move to Stamford Bridge.
The report adds that the West London side first scouted the versatile Nigerian while he was on the books of Genoa’s academy, and they’re now looking to land him in 2026.
Prospect
However, the Blues face stern competition for his signature from Premier League rivals Manchester City, who are keen on signing him. At the same time, Manchester United, Tottenham, Newcastle United, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig have also expressed interest in the 17-year-old.
Last month, Chelsea agreed a deal in principle for the transfer of highly rated Colombian centre-back Deinner Ordóñez from Independiente del Valle, who will join when he turns 18 in 2028.
Among already established centre-backs in the squad, they also have Aaron Anselmino and Mamadou Sarr, who will both join the team next season after completing their loan spells at Borussia Dortmund and Strasbourg, respectively, meaning the club are well stocked with exciting prospects at centre-back.
However, Maresca could do with more experience in his squad, particularly at the backline, and the club should instead consider signing a well-established defender rather than signing another youngster who will likely need time to settle.
