Chelsea are keen on signing Atalanta’s highly rated centre-back Honest Ahanor, according to CaughtOffside.
Aged 16 years, seven months, and five days, Ahonor became Il Grifone’s seventh-youngest debutant after starting at left wing-back in the 3–0 loss to Juventus on Saturday, 28 September 2024, at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
Just five further outings convinced Atalanta to pay a double-figure fee to secure his signing, a move that has since proved to be a masterstroke, with his displays in Serie A and the Champions League attracting interest from several clubs.
Among the clubs looking to sign Ahanor is Chelsea, according to CaughtOffside, which claims that the London giants are among the ‘most aggressive’ interested clubs in the race to sign the centre-back in 2026.
The report adds that Enzo Maresca’s side views the youngster as a perfect fit for their youth-driven recruitment strategy and are now preparing a formal £52m offer for the possible transfer of the versatile defender to Stamford Bridge.
However, the Blues face strong competition for his signature, as CaughtOffside claims that Premier League rivals Manchester United and Arsenal are closely monitoring Ahonor. Meanwhile, other European clubs, including Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Napoli, have expressed interest in the Italian-born Nigerian centre-back.
Chelsea need more experience than prospects
Chelsea are not short of centre-back prospects on the books of the club. In the first team, 19-year-old Josh Acheampong has featured 12 times this season, including five in the Premier League, where he most notably netted his first goal for the Blues in the 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest in October.
At the academy, Harrison Murray-Campbell, who made his senior debut at Stamford Bridge last season, featuring in the Blues’ emphatic 5-1 UEFA Conference League win over Shamrock Rovers, as well as Ishé Samuels-Smith, currently on loan at Swansea, are also highly regarded at the club.
Alongside the academy and first-team stars, the squad already includes Aaron Anselmino and Mamadou Sarr, both of whom are due to link up with the team next season after completing loan spells.
Last month, Chelsea reached an agreement in principle to sign highly rated Colombian centre-back Deinner Ordóñez from Independiente del Valle, with the defender set to officially arrive in 2028 when he turns 18, leaving the club well supplied with promising centre-back options.
That said, Chelsea are well supplied with promising centre-back options. Enzo Maresca may benefit from gaining more experience, particularly in defence, and the Blues could be better served by targeting an established defender rather than another young player who may need time to adapt.
