Chelsea have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Kerim Alajbegovic, with Juventus agreeing a deal worth up to €40 million (£34.2m) for the Bayer Leverkusen winger, according to Sky Germany.
Juventus swoop for Leverkusen starlet
The Serie A side have agreed an initial €33m (£28.2m) fee with Leverkusen for Alajbegovic, which could rise to €40m (£34.2m) with add-ons. Chelsea had been in pole position to sign the 18-year-old, with manager Xabi Alonso personally involved in convincing the Bosnia and Herzegovina international to move to Stamford Bridge.
Alajbegovic is yet to make his senior debut for Leverkusen. He spent last season on loan at Red Bull Salzburg, where he scored 13 goals and registered four assists. Leverkusen activated an €8m (£6.8m) buyback clause in March to bring him back from Salzburg, who had signed him for €2m (£1.7m) the previous year.
World Cup experience
The winger started three games at the World Cup this summer, helping Bosnia and Herzegovina finish third in Group B before losing to the United States in the round of 32. Alajbegovic also scored a brilliant solo goal in a 3-1 group-stage win over Qatar.
Primarily a left-winger, Alajbegovic has drawn comparisons to top European talents. According to Sky Germany, Juventus acted quickly to secure the deal after Chelsea had hoped to reach an agreement over the weekend.
