Chelsea dealt transfer blow as Xabi Alonso misses out on £34m World Cup wonderkid

Xabi Alonso has been denied the opportunity to reunite with a former Bayer Leverkusen player, again, this summer after Chelsea first missed out on Granit Xhaka.

Juventus have beaten Chelsea to the signing of Kerim Alajbegović.

The 18-year-old winger, who, this summer, became the youngest player to score a goal from outside the box at a World Cup, breaking the record previously held by Kylian Mbappé, was linked with a move to Stamford Bridge as Xabi Alonso looked to bolster his frontline, but a deal never materialised.

football.london understands that the Blues were interested in signing Alajbegović before they prised Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa. Interestingly, the new Chelsea manager was in the dugout at the BayArena when the teenager came through Bayer Leverkusen's academy a few years ago.

It's understood that Alajbegović was also under consideration at the Emirates Stadium. The Italian giants have since signed the Bosnia and Herzegovina international, whose long-range strike against Qatar was nominated for the Goal of the Tournament award.

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Juventus have paid the Bundesliga outfit an initial €33million (£28.2m), plus €7m (£6m) in add-ons. Higher-ups at the Allianz Stadium have managed to tie Alajbegović down to a five-year contract, keeping him in Turin until at least June 2031.

Announcing the switch on social media, the World Cup breakout star said: "A new chapter begins. I’m very grateful for this opportunity and proud to wear the Juventus shirt.

"A big thank you to everyone who has supported me, especially my parents and my family. I wouldn’t be here without you. I can’t wait to give everything for this club and its fans. I’m here, and I’m ready. Forza Juve."

Alajbegović featured 44 times across all competitions while on loan at RB Salzburg last season, scoring 13 goals and providing four assists. Playing a key role in the side, he helped the Austrian outfit qualify for the Europa League and reach the semi-finals of the ÖFB Cup.

In an official statement announcing Alajbegović's move to Juventus, the Leverkusen sporting director reflected on the 'outstanding work' put into developing a player of his calibre. Simon Rolfes said: "Following his time with us in the youth ranks, Kerim has recently made great strides again whilst at Salzburg.

"At the same time, we had to be realistic about the fact that competition within our squad is very fierce, particularly in his preferred positions. Against this backdrop, and taking into account the overall terms of the transfer, we have agreed to his move to Italy.

"The fact that a player from our youth academy has moved to a club like Juventus once again highlights the outstanding work carried out by our academy. We wish Kerim all the best for the future."

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