Chelsea Close In on €30m Deal for Bosnian World Cup Star Kerim Alajbegovic

Chelsea are accelerating their pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen winger Kerim Alajbegovic and a deal could be wrapped up within the next 24 hours, according to reports from Germany. The 18-year-old Bosnia and Herzegovina international enjoyed a breakout season last year. Initially sold by Leverkusen to RB Salzburg because there was no clear path into the first team, he exploded in Austria. That prompted the German club to trigger their buy-back clause and bring him back to the BayArena. Alajbegovic scored 13 goals in 44 appearances across all competitions and became a key figure for his country. He only made his senior debut for Bosnia in September, but by the spring he was helping them qualify for the World Cup. He set up Edin Dzeko's crucial equaliser in a playoff semifinal against Wales and then converted a penalty in the shootout. He also kept his nerve in the subsequent shootout against Italy that secured Bosnia's second-ever World Cup berth. At the tournament this summer, he started three of Bosnia's four matches and scored in a 3-1 win over Qatar. Now back in Germany, the Cologne-born wide man could be heading to England imminently. According to sources, Chelsea have stepped up their interest considerably in recent days. Leverkusen are open to cashing in for the right offer. While earlier reports suggested €30m might be enough, a German tabloid claims the final package could reach €40m. insider, however, maintains Chelsea are pushing for a lower fee. Xabi Alonso, who still knows Alajbegovic from his time at Leverkusen, has been instrumental in the move. The Basque coach personally called his former club to register Chelsea's interest formally. The German outlet reports that an agreement could come before the weekend is over and that Alajbegovic might not even report for preseason training on Monday. The teenager is due to start training with Leverkusen next week after a three-week post-World Cup break, but if a deal is struck within 24 hours, he is unlikely to show up. Romano also reports that Alajbegovic has not yet made a final decision on his next club. Serie A sides Atalanta and Napoli remain interested, and they could offer more guaranteed minutes. Chelsea, though, can provide a significantly better financial package. A resolution is expected very soon.