Chelsea looking to pre-agree deal for third US wonderkid

13 Oct 2026 18:32 BST 3 min read

Behdad Eghbali, Xabi Alonso, Chelsea, USA — © IMAGO

Tom Weber | Writer

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Chelsea are among the clubs chasing Philadelphia Union wonderkid Malik Jakupovic.

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The Blues may have slightly tweaked their transfer policy this summer when they brought in a few veterans to complement their young core, but the main tenet of BlueCo's approach to the market remains signing prospects who can be developed into first-teamers or sold at a profit.

With Clearlake Capital now in sole control of the club's day-to-day operations after buying out Todd Boehly and Mark Walter, this strategy likely won't change anytime soon. Chelsea will continue to buy players for the future.

Italian sensation Honest Ahanor is set to join from Atalanta next year, while a pair of American talents are heading to West London further down the line. In the summer, it was revealed that Chelsea had pre-agreed deals for 15-year-old Benji Flowers and 16-year-old Vicente Garcia.

The latter, currently on the books at the LA Galaxy, will join in 2028, while Flowers will arrive from FC Dallas the following year. Jakupovic could complete the trio, and he may join as early as next year.

Chelsea keeping tabs on Jakupovic

Sky Germany has revealed that the Blues are one of several European big-hitters keeping a close watch on the striker's development at the Philadelphia Union. The 17-year-old scored his first senior goal last month.

AS Monaco, RB Salzburg and VfB Stuttgart are also monitoring his performances, but Chelsea's biggest rivals seem to be Borussia Dortmund. They have been actively trying to sign Jakupovic for months.

The final kick of the game was Malik Jakupovic's first @MLS goal 💙 https://t.co/3xOXM6vxTN
— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) September 14, 2026

In the summer, the Bundesliga giants made two formal offers, worth €2 million and €3m, respectively, but the Union rebuffed these bids out of hand. It is understood that they want north of €10m for the US youth international.

Although Jakupovic is eligible for a Bosnian passport, he does not possess one yet. It is likely that he will only be able to move to Europe after turning 18 next June, and this is probably for the better, as he has yet to establish himself in the Union first team.

The youngster only made his senior debut in February and has only been a substitute so far. He has made 12 appearances in 2026, but has only racked up 178 minutes of action.

He is highly rated, but he has yet to have the same impact as Philadelphia's other young stars, like Cavan Sullivan, Neil Pierre and Frenkie Westfield. That is fine, though, because he is only 17 after all.

What is perhaps slightly concerning, at least on a personal level, is that the Union currently do not really need him. The team is purring under interim head coach Ryan Richter, and he has even managed to get much-maligned striker Bruno Damiani to score consistently.

The Uruguayan has netted six goals in his last five games, while his partner in crime, Milan Iloski, is on a whopping 17 goals for the season, putting him joint-third in the Golden Boot race.

Richter has overseen an incredible 11 wins in his 13 MLS games in charge, with the team currently on a seven-game winning streak. They have yet to lose under their new coach.

As a result of this strong run of form, Jakupovic has found game time hard to come by. However, this could change next year depending on what happens in the offseason. Iloski is sure to attract interest, and the Union are not afraid to trade away key players.

This could open up a spot for Jakupovic, but even if Iloski stays, the teenager is likely to get more minutes next year. After all, developing youngsters is the Union's mission statement.

The 2027 sprint season in the spring could be a good indicator of whether or not Jakupovic can live up to his potential.