Aaron Anselmino

Aaron Anselmino (born 29 April 2005) is an Argentine footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League side Chelsea.

Early life

Anselmino joined the youth academy of Argentine side Boca Juniors at the age of twelve.

Career

In 2022, Anselmino was crowned champion of the 2022 Evo Cup with Boca Juniors after beating River Plate 2-0 in the final. He was a participant in the first edition of the Evo Cup, a youth competition that was played in Bolivia. This tournament was created in tribute to the former Bolivia president, Evo Morales. The team that was led by Matías Donett won 2-0 with goals from Diego Santander and Iker Zufiaurre.

On 10 June 2023, Anselmino signed his first professional contract with Boca Juniors and hours later made his debut with the club as a second-half substitute for Bruno Valdez, in a match that ended in a 1–1 draw against Lanús. Almost six months later, on 9 January 2024, Anselmino signed a contract extension which runs until December 2028.

On 8 August 2024, Anselmino signed for Premier League club Chelsea on a seven-year contract for a reported fee of £15.6 million, remaining with Boca Juniors on a twelve-month loan deal. In December 2024 it was announced that Anselmino would return to Chelsea in January 2025. He was recalled from loan on 3 January 2025.

Style of play

Anselmino mainly operates as a defender and has been described as a "tower that clears everything head-on and almost always prevails in one-on-one situations".