€8m signing proves his worth with latest dominant showing as Chelsea’s South American scouts come up trumps again | OneFootball

There were a few eyebrows raised when Chelsea swooped in the summer to make Aaron Anselmino the latest addition to their roster of South American talents. Not because he wasn’t highly rated, but because he hadn’t played much.

Signed for €8m and loaned straight back to Boca Juniors, it was seen as quite the risk given how few games the 19 year old had played at that point. Unlike someone like Estevao Willian, Anselmino was not yet a regular for his club, so Chelsea’s move was somewhat surprising.

However since then his progress has continued, and we’re delighted to see he’s now first choice for the Argentine giants. He’s played 10 of 20 possible games for Boca, and has only missed one start since the start of October.

Those minutes are serving him well – he’s making great progress, and despite a 1-0 defeat to Lanus on Sunday night, the centre back looked really solid.

You can see his highlights from the game in the clip embedded here. A full 5 minutes of action gives you some idea of how much of the ball he saw.

Aaron Anselmino kisses his tattoo.

What we love to see from developing talent

There are a few really pleasing things to note from the highlights here. Firstly what is obvious is his comfort on the ball. We’re spoiled given we’ve got Levi Colwill in the team right now, but Anselmino looks exceptionally comfortable and composed, especially given he’s pretty tall.

That height helps him in the air, but he’s got a decent turn of pace too, and given how open Boca’s formation often is, he needs to use it. The decision to leave him in South America on loan always seemed like a smart one, and we wouldn’t be at all against him having another 12 months if he keeps developing and keeps playing.