Chelsea join the race to sign £16m-rated Argentine teenage starlet - but Blues must gear up for a battle with Man United for his signature

Manchester United face a battle to secure the signing of an Argentine superstar youngster as Chelsea have joined the race to sign the defender.

The Red Devils have encountered a number of problems at the back this season due to a high number of injuries, alongside poor defensive displays.

With Raphael Varane already confirming his departure from the club, United are in the market for a new centre-back and have reportedly set their eyes on Boca Juniors star, Aaron Anselmino.

The Red Devils have been scouting the 19-year-old for several months, while the centre-back has also accrued interest from Italian giants AC Milan.

However, Chelsea are seemingly ready to fight United in an effort to secure the teenager's signature.

Since Todd Boehly's takeover in 2022, the Blues have raided the South American market, bringing in the likes of Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez and his partner in the middles, Moises Caicedo, who is from Ecuador.

Brazilian duo Deivid Washington and Andrey Santos are just another example of Chelsea's love of bringing in young talent from South America.

Now their eyes are set on Anselmino who only made his senior debut for Boca just 12 months ago.

If Chelsea and United want to pry the youngster away from his home country then it could take more than £16million to do so.

Anselmino originally had a $20m (£15.72m) release clause when he renewed his Boca contract in January, however, just a month later his terms changed once again and the clause was removed.

It seems the Argentine club believe the young defender is worth more than their previous valuation, and journalist Fafi Perez has stated that Chelsea are the most recent club to state their interest in the Argentine centre-back.

With both the Blues and United showing strong interest in the youngster, their battle to secure his signature means Boca's asking price should not inhibit any deal.