Chelsea and Arsenal have both opened contacts over Boca Juniors teenager Tomás Aranda, according to Argentine outlet El Intransigente. Napoli is tracking him on the same list.
For now the interest from the three clubs sits at the scouting-and-observation stage, with no formal offer tabled.
Aranda is 19, left-footed and comfortable from midfield to the left flank. He made his senior Boca debut on 28 January 2026 and his Argentina debut on 6 June 2026. His first-team record stands at 32 appearances, one goal and two assists.
The $20m clause and a loan to Strasbourg
Boca’s leverage sits in a buyout clause worth $20 million, rising to $25 million in the final stretch of the market. The club’s board has no intention of selling the player; the clause is the only route for a European buyer.
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Chelsea’s plan, according to El Intransigente, is to buy him and loan him out immediately. The French club Strasbourg, part of the BlueCo ownership structure, is the mapped destination. The operation would come in around $15 million, a figure below the current clause.
The window for a move is being pointed at January or the start of 2027, not now.
Where Messi fits in
The “Messi is a fan” framing attached to the story has a concrete source. Earlier this month Messi named ten young footballers to watch as part of an Adidas campaign, and Aranda was on the list alongside names such as Eintracht Frankfurt’s Can Uzun, Tijuana’s Gilberto Mora and Arsenal academy forward Max Dowman.
Messi did not publicly quote any transfer advice. The endorsement is the mention itself.
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Aranda has already shared a dressing room with him: Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni gave the teenager a senior call-up during preparation for the 2026 World Cup.
Injured until December
Any pursuit has to account for a fibula fracture Aranda picked up in August. El Intransigente reports he will be unavailable until December, meaning he is not expected back on the pitch before the final weeks of 2026. European clubs have not been put off.
Chelsea and Arsenal have made no public comment on the reporting. Boca has not confirmed any approach. A formal bid would be the first firm step; until then this stays a tracking exercise with a clause attached.
Aranda’s contract with Boca runs until December 2029.
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