Chelsea have set their sights on FC Twente’s exciting centre-back Ruud Nijstad over a possible move to Stamford Bridge, according to TEAMtalk.
The 18-year-old is the latest success story of Twente’s academy, which has produced the likes of FC Porto’s Luuk de Jong, Beighton’s Mats Wieffer, Ajax’s Steven Berghuis, and Manchester City’s Tijjani Reijnders.
He made his professional debut for Twente in the Eredivisie on 5 October 2025 at just 17 years old, coming on in the eighth minute as a substitute for Robin Pröpper against Heracles Almelo to help his side secure a 2–1 victory.
Nijstad then earned his first start on 18 October 2025 in an away league match against NEC Nijmegen, playing the full 90 minutes in the 3-3 draw at the Goffertstadion.
In the ongoing campaign, he has featured in 13 games across all competitions for John van den Brom’s side, with his commanding displays catching the eye of several clubs.
One of the clubs looking to sign Nijstad is Chelsea, according to TEAMtalk, which claims that the Blues have entered the race to sign the highly rated Dutch talent.
The report adds that the London giants are ‘actively working’ on a deal for the 18-year-old, alongside Manchester City, with their multiclub model pathways considered vital in getting the deal done.
Prospect
With his deal running out in 2027, Twente are looking to extend Nijstad’s contract but face a fight in their hands as several European top clubs, including Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Brighton, and Brentford, according to the report.
TEAMtalk adds that Barcelona, who have been pushing to sign the 6ft 3in centre-back but were unwilling to meet his £8m valuation, are now behind the pecking order as Chelsea have made ‘significant movement’ alongside City to land the defensive ace.
Standing at 6ft 3in, Nijstad is an ideal modern-day physical centre-back profile, with qualities such as tackles, aerial duels, and composure on the ball standing out in the Eredivisie since his breakout last year.
Chelsea are already well-stocked with promising centre-back talent across both their academy and senior setup, as well as in their sister club, Strasbourg.
Hence, targeting a more proven, established centre-back would be more beneficial to Liam Rosenior in solving the club’s immediate need, as Nijstad will still need ample time to develop into the demands of the Premier League.
