Chelsea defender Aaron Anselmino has reportedly emerged as a surprise transfer target for a French club.
Having signed for the Blues in a £15.6m deal last summer, Anselmino was expected to remain at Boca Juniors until at least the middle part of 2025.
However, Chelsea announced at the turn of the year that they had recalled the 19-year-old from his loan stint at a club that he had represented on 23 occasions.
Anselmino has since been acclimatising to life in England, head coach Enzo Maresca insisting that the youngster will require time before being considered for first-team selection.
Nevertheless, it appears that the centre-back has been provided with an opportunity to continue his development in France.
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Surprise France switch on cards?
According to L'Equipe, Marseille have presented Chelsea with a loan proposal for the starlet ahead of the closure of the winter transfer window.
Roberto De Zerbi's side currently sit in second position in the Ligue 1 table, 10 points adrift of leaders Paris Saint-Germain.
Marseille also possess the joint-sixth best defensive record in the division, casting doubt as to how much game time Anselmino would receive if he makes the switch to the Stade Velodrome.
Nevertheless, a bid has seemingly been made with Chelsea officials now left to decide where they see the next phase of the Argentine's development.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Borussia Dortmund have also enquired about the potential availability of Anselmino.
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How may Chelsea act?
With Anselmino yet to make an appearance in Premier League 2 and having been recovering from previous fitness issues, it is clear that a senior debut for Chelsea is not imminent.
Levi Colwill, Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo and Josh Acheampong are the fit players who are ahead of him in the pecking order, while Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile are currently out injured.
Chelsea may only be prepared to loan out Anselmino if regular first-team football is a possibility. That is highly doubtful due to the profile of Marseille and Dortmund.
As a result of Caleb Wiley being due to see his loan at Strasbourg cut short, a slot will soon open up at fellow BlueCo-owned club Strasbourg, and that could eventually prove to be a more realistic destination.
Darren Plant
