Betrayal, heartbreak and cunning: How Chelsea completed January's weirdest move

Tom Weber

• 27 Jan 2026 15:15 GMT
• 6 min read

Analysis

Recalling a loanee in the January transfer window is a routine procedure in football, but Chelsea's decision to cut Aaron Anselmino's time at Borussia Dortmund short has sparked considerable outrage.

The Argentine is officially back at Stamford Bridge after Chelsea exercised their recall clause on Sunday. A tearful Anselmino said goodbye to his teammates on Monday and jetted off back to West London after just a few months in Germany.

The video of the young defender bidding farewell to Dortmund's players and staff members went viral on social media. It has become symbolic of a routine operation gone awry.

Current ETV

Aarón Anselmino

D (C)

Chelsea

Aarón Anselmino

D (C)

Chelsea

€9.9M

ETV Range

€8.4M - €11.4M

View full profile

On the face of it, there is nothing odd about Chelsea exercising their right to bring the player back. The Blues have tried in vain to sign Stade Rennais youngster Jeremy Jacquet to bolster their defence, so they decided to recall Anselmino to provide defensive depth.

However, the manner in which the Blues have gone about it has left a sour taste. Dortmund, who had an excellent relationship with Chelsea, feel betrayed, to put it mildly.

Chelsea decision sparks outrage

Although reports in Germany had suggested for weeks that Chelsea were seriously weighing up recalling Anselmino, Dortmund were blindsided when the call from Stamford Bridge actually came.

According to Sky Germany reporter Patrick Berger, up until the weekend, the Black and Yellow were fully convinced that the Argentine would be allowed to stay. Director Sebastian Kehl previously described it as the "most sensible" course of action for all parties.

However, Chelsea evidently felt differently about the situation. Dortmund are furious that the Blues left it this late to exercise the clause. They believe that there is not enough time to source an adequate replacement and are unlikely to dip into the market.

Reporter Florian Plettenberg shares Dortmund's frustration. Recalling Anselmino just a few hours before the clause would have expired was an "outrageous" decision, especially given the positive relations between the two clubs.

A common theme in the German press has been to accuse Chelsea of not acting in good faith. The aforementioned Berger has heard whispers from industry insiders that the Blues did not recall Anselmino purely to plug defensive holes.

He posits that Chelsea also brought him back to exert pressure on Stade Rennais in the Jacquet saga by showing the French club that they are not as desperate to sign the 20-year-old as has been made out in the media. Dortmund share this belief.

It is claimed that the Bundesliga side retain hope that Anselmino will be allowed to rejoin before the deadline. This, however, hinges entirely on Chelsea signing Jacquet or another defender.

It is important to note, though, that Chelsea are not the only ones to have been heavily criticised on this issue. BVB director Kehl has also come under fire, particularly from Dortmund fans. They have been left baffled by Kehl agreeing to let the clause run this deep into January.

However, this criticism is unfair. For one, Dortmund essentially had the terms of the deal dictated to them by Chelsea. It was the Blues who insisted on including Anselmino in BVB's agreement to sign Carney Chukwuemeka in the summer.

This was quite convenient for Dortmund at the time because three of their senior centre-backs were out injured. Anselmino had barely played at Chelsea and was an unknown commodity, so the expectation was that he would only be a squad player.

With this in mind, inserting a recall clause in the deal was not an issue as Dortmund expected to have their other centre-backs available again by January. In the end, Anselmino was a victim of his own success as he ended up becoming quite important and a fan favourite.

The most unfortunate aspect of this whole story is that the recall clause would have expired had Anselmino played a certain number of minutes. However, fitness issues restricted him to just 10 appearances.

The player had no intention of returning to Chelsea, certainly not mid-season, as illustrated by his tearful goodbye. Because Anselmino was loving life at Dortmund, Kehl actually held talks with the Blues in December over a potential permanent move in the summer.

Chelsea made it clear that the Argentine was a part of their long-term plans. At present, though, it seems quite likely that Anselmino will once again struggle for minutes at Stamford Bridge.

The last point worth mentioning regarding this drama is that it has sparked a fresh debate about the direction of European football. Dortmund are one of the largest clubs on the continent, yet they, like most other European sides, can't compete with the Premier League.

Europe's biggest competitions have become feeder leagues for the English top flight. Clubs like Chelsea hoover up talent and distribute their unwanted players to sides across the continent on their terms, leaving them at the mercy of the whims of the Stamford Bridge chiefs.

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