Chelsea lead race to sign Bayer Leverkusen talent Kerim Alajbegovic | OneFootball

Chelsea are interested in signing the Bayer Leverkusen attacker Kerim Alajbegovic.

The German club signed the player earlier this summer, but they would be willing to sanction his departure for the right price. According to a report from Kicker, Chelsea are in pole position to sign the 18 year old, but they are yet to agree on a deal with his club.

Apparently, the Bosnian attacker has already spoken with Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso, and the Blues are planning to send him out on loan after signing him so that he can continue his development with regular first team football.

He did exceptionally well for Red Bull Salzburg last season (17 goal contributions) and Leverkusen had an option to bring him back to the club. The German club have decided to exercise that option following his impressive performances and they are now looking to sell him for a profit.

Chelsea could use more quality and depth in the attacking unit, and the 18-year-old would be a solid long-term acquisition for them. He can operate on either flank as well as centrally. He could be the ideal utility man for them in the attack.

The 18-year-old could be attracted to the idea of joining a big club like Chelsea and it remains to be seen how the situation unfolds. Alonso knows the player from his time at the German club and even though the 18-year-old did not play under the Spanish manager in Germany, Alonso rates him highly and he believes that Alajbegovic could develop into a quality player for Chelsea.

Chelsea certainly have the financial muscle to get the deal done, and it remains to be seen whether they come forward with an acceptable offer.