Chelsea and Liverpool join race for Boca Juniors gem Tomás Aranda

Chelsea and Liverpool have reportedly joined the growing race for Boca Juniors midfielder Tomás Aranda, with the 20-year-old attracting interest from several major European clubs during his breakthrough season in Argentina.

The City Group have also been credited with interest, potentially bringing Manchester City into the picture, while Arsenal had already been monitoring the youngster.

Boca Juniors want Aranda to continue his development in Argentina, but a $20m release clause, currently worth around €17m (£15m), gives his admirers a clear route to a deal.

Argentine outlets El Intransigente and El Crack Deportivo report that Chelsea are closely following Aranda after his emergence at Boca.

El Intransigente also names Liverpool and the City Group among the midfielder's admirers. The latter link does not necessarily establish Manchester City as the specific destination, given the group's multi-club structure, but it adds another significant organisation to the list monitoring him.

Arsenal had previously been linked with Aranda, meaning interest from England is becoming increasingly crowded.

For now, there has been no reported formal offer from any of those clubs.

Aranda's growing role at Boca during 2026 has helped drive the interest.

Earlier reports concerning Arsenal emerged when the midfielder had made 21 senior appearances, recording one goal and two assists.

His involvement has increased considerably since then.

The numbers only provide part of the picture. Aranda has established himself as a regular option under manager Rodolfo Arruabarrena and is regarded as one of Boca's leading emerging talents.

That development has also strengthened Boca's desire to keep him.

Club president Juan Román Riquelme considers Aranda one of the club's valuable young assets, with reports in Argentina stating that both Riquelme and Arruabarrena want the midfielder to remain and continue developing at Boca.

Boca are in a strong contractual position in one respect.

Aranda is under contract until December 2029, removing any immediate pressure to sell because of an approaching expiry date.

The complication is his release clause.

Aranda's agreement reportedly contains a $20m clause, equivalent to approximately €17m (£15m) at current exchange rates.

That creates a clear mechanism for interested clubs. Boca can reject conventional approaches and insist they have no intention of negotiating a sale, but triggering the contractual clause would fundamentally change the situation.

For Premier League clubs considering a move for an established 20-year-old first-team player from one of Argentina's biggest clubs, the figure is relatively accessible compared with many deals involving highly rated young talent.

There is no indication yet that Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal or a City Group club are prepared to activate it.

The Premier League clubs are far from alone in monitoring Aranda.

Inter Milan, Bayer Leverkusen, Parma and Como are all named among his European admirers, while Brazilian clubs Corinthians and São Paulo have also been linked.

Aston Villa and Brighton have previously been credited with interest from England, although neither club has reportedly submitted a formal proposal.

The breadth of that interest is potentially more significant for Boca than any individual link. A release clause can become increasingly difficult to manage when several clubs with substantial financial resources are simultaneously monitoring the same player.

At this stage, though, the situation remains one of interest rather than an active transfer battle. Boca want Aranda to stay, the midfielder has a long-term contract and no concrete move has yet been reported.

The major question is whether any of Aranda's growing list of admirers move beyond scouting and monitoring to activate his release clause.

Boca have little incentive to negotiate an ordinary sale given his contract runs until the end of 2029, and the club's preference is for him to continue developing in Argentina. The €17m clause nevertheless leaves that decision partly outside their control if an interested club is prepared to meet it.

With Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and the City Group now among those credited with interest alongside clubs from Italy, Germany and Brazil, Boca may face increasing pressure before the transfer window closes.

Which Premier League club would offer Tomás Aranda the best route to first-team football?