What Chelsea fans can expect from Aaron Anselmino

Tom Weber

• 28 Jan 2026 05:45 CST
• 3 min read

Nieuws

Chelsea have exercised their recall clause in Aaron Anselmino's loan deal with Borussia Dortmund.

The Argentine youngster has returned to Stamford Bridge after a short but intense spell in Germany. The decision to bring him back this late in the January window has sparked outrage at Dortmund and strained the previously good relationship between the two clubs.

Anselmino was loving life at BVB and became a fan favourite despite being restricted to just 10 appearances due to injury. His tearful goodbye to teammates and staff members showed that he wasn't really keen to return to Chelsea, where he previously struggled for minutes.

Ultimately, however, the decision was out of his control. He is now back at Chelsea, who have been desperately trying to bring in defensive reinforcements this month. Their attempts to sign Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes have so far proved unsuccessful.

Levi Colwill's ACL injury in pre-season was a huge blow. Additionally, Tosin Adarabioyo is currently out of action. Despite this, Chelsea still have four centre-back options in Trevoh Chalobah, Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana and Jorrel Hato. So where does Anselmino fit into all this?

What Anselmino brings to Chelsea

Although Anselmino only made 10 appearances at Dortmund, he was so impressive in his limited minutes that director Sebastian Kehl unsuccessfully approached Chelsea over a permanent summer move in December.

Dortmund conceded just one goal in the four full games Anselmino played. Across all of his 10 appearances, Dortmund conceded five times with him on the pitch.

Because of his love for getting stuck into challenges, the 20-year-old was nicknamed "El Grätsche" (Grätsche being the German word for slide tackle) by Dortmund supporters.

Indeed, his ability to win the ball off opponents is his biggest asset. Anselmino possesses great anticipation and timing, while also being reasonably quick for his size. He is a very traditional centre-back.

In possession, the Argentine likes to keep things simple. Taking risks with the ball and playing line-breaking passes was the task of defensive partner Nico Schlotterbeck. That part of the game is not Anselmino's strong suit.

He simply loves to defend, and this is why Dortmund boss Niko Kovac has been left fuming over Chelsea's decision to recall him. The coach values defensive solidity above all else.

Despite his impressive form at Dortmund, it is difficult to assess whether he will get minutes at Chelsea. It has been posited that he has been recalled not to plug defensive holes but to put pressure on Rennes to sell Jacquet.

As a result, Dortmund retain some faint hope that they will be able to re-sign Anselmino before the deadline. Time will tell if this hope is misplaced. What is clear, though, is that Chelsea have a hugely talented defender on their hands.

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