Who is Aaron Anselmino? Returning Young Defender Kicks up Almighty Fuss

Who is Aaron Anselmino? Returning Young Defender Kicks up Almighty Fuss

At the start of the January transfer window, it was reported that Chelsea would be looking for a new defender to help their defence that has been weak at some points this season. The main focus was bringing someone in who could cover for the injured Levi Colwill, and Chelsea were linked with a few defenders. The main name was Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes. However, after Rennes demanded a club-record fee, it looks like Chelsea has started to look elsewhere.

As many wanted, rather than spending money, Chelsea have looked at one of their own young defenders on loan. It would have been between Mamadou Sarr, who is at Strasbourg and just helped Senegal win AFCON. The other name and the name they went with was Aaron Anselmino.

Who is Aaron Anselmino?

Anselmino was born on the 29th of April 2005 in Argentina and would start his football career playing for Boca Juniors where he played 5 matches in his first season.

However, he impressed enough to then get more integrated into the first team in his next season at just 18. He would play 18 matches and even contribute to 5 goals in these matches. He was quickly seen as one of the best talents in Argentina, a defender who would be very strong in defence and show intelligence past his age.

Then in 2024, Chelsea would come knocking, offering £15 million for him and Boca Juniors would accept this offer. He spent last season at the club without featuring much in the first team, with his only time on the pitch wearing blue being a very short cameo in the FIFA Club World Cup. Finally, this season he would get a look in playing, as Chelsea would look to send him out on loan like they have done with several of their top talents. After a bit of looking, Anselmino would find himself putting on the famous yellow and black of German giants Borussia Dortmund where he would spend half a season.

Anselmino in tears as he says goodbye to Dortmund. (@BlackYellow) pic.twitter.com/2R090ppD06

— Pys (@CFCPys) January 26, 2026

In those months he would only play 10 matches, suffering from injuries; however, in those 10 matches he would have an impact. With 1 goal and 1 assist, he showed he could be a danger going forward, as well as a fearsome presence at the heart of defence. When combining this with 2.2 tackles per 90 in the Bundesliga and 5.6 recoveries per 90, he has certainly staked his claim. However, the Champions League was where he truly shone. With 2.6 tackles per 90, 5.2 duels won per 90 and 5.7 recoveries per 90, we saw his defensive ability.

What Are Anselmino’s Strengths and Weaknesses

Well, as we saw in Germany, he is a very defensively sure player, good in duels and able to recover passes played in behind him. However, when we look into Europe,, these metrics only get more impressive.

In the Champions League, all his defensive abilities are just as strong; however, he was able to show the other side of his game. His passing ability. With 67 accurate passes per 90, he shows he is a ball-playing defender, and to add to this, he has 4.2 accurate long balls per 90. He looks to be a truly great defender when passing out from the back. This was then proven even more when looking at his scout report.

As expected, his name joining Chelsea bought a lot of attention to him, so the scout reports were looked at, and they showed just how good he was. Even at 18 in Argentina, it was noticed how calm he was on the ball. He doesn’t get fazed by players pressing him and is able to pass out even while under that pressure. This is vital for Chelsea and the Premier League, with the high press many teams play, you need to be able to keep your cool in those areas of the pitch. He also fits what Liam Rosenior wants in a defender: someone who is comfortable and confident on the ball and playing out from the back.

His ability to know when to be aggressive in the tackle and intelligence to read the game to stop balls behind the defence was also highlighted. All around, he seems to have all the strengths to succeed in the Premier League, however, with his age and lack of experience, as well as the physicality of the league, it might be a while before we see the best of him.

Dortmund have only conceded two goals in the 5 games Anselmino has started.😳

Barcelona should sign him and help Mr.Flick.😷 pic.twitter.com/2DDXsWWy0a

— Barça Worldwide (@BarcaWorldwide) November 30, 2025

There was one weakness highlighted when looking at him. This was his reluctance to use his left foot. He is naturally a right-footed player, and while he is comfortable using his left foot, he was noticed to decide against using it. When controlling the ball or driving with it, he will often limit the use of his weak foot. This will definitely be an area he has to work on to succeed in the top flight of English football.

So Why Aaron Anselmino over Mamadou Sarr or Jeremy Jacquet?

Part of the reason why Chelsea looked at Anselmino over Sarr to bring back was a clause put in his contract when leaving for Dortmund. While Dortmund higher-ups are believed to be annoyed by Chelsea’s choice, it should have been seen with a recall clause put in his contract. This clause allowed Chelsea to bring him back without paying a fine for terminating the loan.

Sarr, Chelsea's other legitimate option to call back, lacks that option, so they would’ve had to pay the remaining amount left on his contract. The other reason behind Sarr not coming back is the fact that Chelsea have already damaged relationships with sister club Strasbourg after taking their manager, Liam Rosenior; they don’t want to risk damaging them anymore.

As for the Rennes defender Jacquet, the price that Rennes has placed on him might have pushed Chelsea away. While Chelsea were looking to spend around £40 million on him, Rennes were demanding around £60 million, as they wanted to bring in more for him than what they received from Manchester City for winger Jeremy Doku. This price tag appears to have pushed Chelsea away from a January move for the defender.

So in summary, Anselmino, while not a household name yet, has shown the ability and potential to be one in the near future. His ability on the ball, passing and driving with it, along with his defensive attributes, show he is ready for that step up. He will likely be used as a rotation option as Chelsea look to reduce pressure on players like Wesley Fofana and Trevoh Chalobah, especially with other defensive injuries. He should be a good fit for the Blues and manager Liam Rosenior.