Chelsea Transfer News Today: Romano confirms wonderkid signing after double deal struck

23 Jul 2026 18:32 BST | 5 min read

Suraj Radia | Editor

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FootballTransfers runs through the latest Chelsea transfer news, rumours and gossip, including updates on Valentin Barco, Alejandro Garnacho and Kerim Alajbegovic.

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Barco signing confirmed

Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Chelsea have reached a full agreement to sign Argentina international midfielder Valentin Barco from Strasbourg.

Romano has said that the deal is “100% confirmed” and will be announced imminently and will be moving to Stamford Bridge this summer in the latest deal between the two BlueCo clubs.

While no transfer fee has been disclosed, Barco, who has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €27.8 million, will sign a long-term contract with Chelsea.

The deal comes as little surprise, with the former Brighton player having long been linked with a move to the London side and had already announced his departure from Strasbourg at the end of the Ligue 1 season.

US wonderkid signs

Chelsea have agreed a deal to buy 15-year-old United States youth international Benji Flowers from FC Dallas.

The Athletic have revealed that Flowers will join Chelsea when he turns 18 for a fee of $3 million (€2.6m), although this could rise as high as $10m (€8.8m) with performance-based add-ons.

Add-ons could be triggered by how many games Flowers plays for Dallas and the US youth national team before he joins Chelsea, while Dallas will also retain a sell-on clause.

Flowers has already travelled to London to complete Chelsea’s side of the deal before returning to Dallas where he will continue to feature for their second team before likely becoming a first team regular.

Garnacho exit official

Aston Villa have confirmed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Chelsea on a season-long loan.

Garnacho joins Villa after Chelsea completed the club-record signing of Morgan Rogers earlier this week for €138 million, although the Blues have insisted both deals are independent to each other.

The conditions of the loan have not been revealed but Chelsea have confirmed that the deal contains an obligation to buy if certain conditions are met, believed to be based on appearances ahead of a four-year contract being signed.

Chelsea only signed Garnacho from Manchester United less than a year ago for €46m and it is believed that the total fee received from Villa would be of a similar amount if the move becomes permanent, with the Red Devils set to receive a percentage of the profit from any deal.

Blues enter wonderkid talks

Chelsea are in pole position to land teenage sensation Kerim Alajbegovic from Bayer Leverkusen.

The Telegraph understands the Blues are poised to beat Juventus to the signing of the 18-year-old, who Leverkusen value at €35million (£30m).

It is claimed that Alajbegovic – who scored for Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2026 World Cup – has been earmarked as a replacement for Alejandro Garnacho after the winger joined Aston Villa.

Alajbegovic was in Leverkusen’s youth team under Xabi Alonso and joined Red Bull Salzburg in last year before he was brought back to his former club this summer with a view to selling him on once again.

Disasi in talks over Palace move

Chelsea are closing in on the signing of Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace in a move that could see Axel Disasi head the other way on loan.

Both clubs have been locked in negotiations for Lacroix and a transfer is expected to progress rapidly, with Palace holding out for around €70 million for their star defender.

The Telegraph report that a season-long loan for Axel Disasi has been discussed as part of the deal, with the 28-year-old having no future at Stamford Bridge and hoping to leave Chelsea this summer.

According to Romano, Palace have asked about Disasi’s situation but his inclusion has only been verbally discussed, with there being no guarantee that the Frenchman does become part of the move for Lacroix.