Chelsea are reportedly keeping tabs on Belgian midfield starlet Aster Vranckx, who is turning heads with his performances with VfL Wolfsburg.
According to a report from Italian outlet Calciomercato, Chelsea are closely monitoring the development of VfL Wolfsburg’s teenage midfielder Aster Vranckx.
A product of the KV Mechelen youth academy, Vranckx came through the ranks at the club and made 47 senior appearances, in which he scored five goals and set up four more. This past summer, the 19-year-old made the switch to VfL Wolfsburg, and while he had a slow start to life in Germany, the youngster has slowly established himself as a regular in the middle of the park for the Bundesliga club.
Vranckx has made ten appearances for the Wolves but has yet to score or assist a goal. The teenager has represented the Belgian national team at the Under-15 to Under-21 levels. And, it seems like his performances have led to attention from some of the biggest clubs in Europe. AC Milan have been monitoring him for a while now, with Chelsea also currently taking an interest in the young midfielder.
The west London giants have a loaded midfield department with N’Golo Kante, Jorginho, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ross Barkley, on-loan star Saul Niguez. Along with that, loanees such as Conor Gallagher, Billy Gilmour will be hoping to become regulars in the first-team next season.
However, Saul’s underwhelming displays so far could see Chelsea decide not to sign him permanently, while Barkley’s future at Stamford Bridge is also bleak. Furthermore, Kante has had fitness issues, and Jorginho continues to be linked with a return to Italy. So, Thomas Tuchel & co. could use another midfield addition to the ranks, a younger player, who can be groomed into a regular starter in a year or two.
This has seen Chelsea get linked with a move for Barcelona prodigy Gavi while Vranckx has also now emerged as a possible option for the reigning champions of Europe, potentially with an eye on the future.
A versatile operator, the 19-year-old can play as a No. 8, a defensive midfielder or in an attacking midfield role, while he has, at times, been utilised on the right midfield slot as well. This kind of versatility and the potential he has shown would certainly appeal to Tuchel & co. For now, though, Chelsea are just monitoring Vranckx. Whether it leads to a formal approach down the line remains to be seen.
