Chelsea icon John Terry left the club eight years ago after 717 appearances (Image: Getty)
Chelsea waved goodbye to Thiago Silva this summer as the Brazilian took on the role as fans' favourite, a figure idolised by their loyal fanbase. Not long before Silva's arrival, it was their 'Captain. Leader. Legend' John Terry who captured the hearts of the supporters before his emotional exit in 2016 after 18 years at the club.
But there is some excitement around the club that their incoming new signing, Aaron Anselmino, could follow in their footsteps by becoming a Stamford Bridge icon.
The Argentinian defender has agreed to join Chelsea in a £15.6million deal ($20m) with add-ons, with the youngster signing a seven-year contract until 2031.
Aaron Anselmino is rated highly by his Boca Juniors coach (Image: Getty)
He won't be moving to Chelsea immediately, however, as the Blues have agreed to send him back on loan to Boca Juniors until at least January 2025, before reassessing whether he should move to Stamford Bridge midway through the season.
But the 19-year-old is regarded as an exciting prospect for the future by his club, who have plucked several gems from the South American market using their scouting network. Anselmino will arrive in the same year as Ecuadorian teenager Kendry Paez and Brazilian Estevao Willian, who cost £20m and £35m from Independiente del Valle and Palmeiras respectively.
That means he will have to wait for his debut for at least another seven months, but Anselmino will be using that time to help prepare for the physical and mental demands of Premier League football.
John Terry made his debut for the club in 1998 and became a regular under Claudio Ranieri (Image: Getty)
There are some similarities between Anselmino and Chelsea icon Terry in how their careers have come about.
Terry didn't have the typical youth career that many English talents did, making his first international appearance in 2000 for England Under-21s. Likewise, Anselmino is yet to make any appearance at youth level for Argentina but is respected amongst coaches by Boca.
When he made his debut for Boca Juniors against Lanus in June 2023, his manager Jorge Almiron was left pleased with the maturity shown by the centre-back. He has since gone on to make 10 senior appearances for his boyhood club in the Argentine Primera Division.
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“It was the debut of a little guy [Anselmino] who did really very well," the Boca boss said, as quoted by Goal. "It seems like he had [already played] 200 games, the truth is that entering the Boca field and playing like he played… it's not easy and I'm very happy for him."
Many Chelsea youth coaches said the same about Terry when he made the breakthrough from their Cobham facility to train with Gianluca Vialli's first team in 1998. At the age of 20, his successor Claudio Ranieri chose to bench World Cup winner Marcel Desailly and replace him with Terry.
Instead of getting angry, the Frenchman heaped praise on the young defender taking his place and insisted he would have a big say in the club's future - now Chelsea will be hoping Anselmino can make a similar impact when he arrives in England.
Aaron Anselmino (L) could prove to be Chelsea's next John Terry (Image: Getty)
Performances early in his career suggest he has an excellent judgement in executing sliding tackles and possesses a fair amount of pace for a centre-back. Standing at 6'2, he is armed with the aerial bravery that Terry became renowned for in his distinguished career.
Some comparisons have been made with Tottenham's Cristian Romero due to his tenacity and aggression. Given how Romero has taken to life in the Premier League since his £42m transfer from Juventus, that is quite the statement of approval for his talents.
Following in Terry's footsteps may prove difficult after he made 717 appearances in his 18-year career. But by breaking into the first team in 2025-26, he can look forward to forging a fine career for himself in west London.
