Argentine defender Aaron Anselmino, who joined Borussia Dortmund following his transfer from Boca Juniors for approximately $18 million, could return early to Chelsea, the club that holds his rights. The primary reason would be the limited number of minutes played this semester, a consequence of various injuries, which have prevented the player from meeting the agreed-upon requirements of his loan.

Given this scenario, Chelsea is evaluating the option to terminate the loan, originally stipulated until mid-2026, to reintegrate Anselmino in January (as reported by Sky Sports Germany).

This move would replicate the strategy adopted by Manchester City with Claudio Echeverri, who was withdrawn from Bayer Leverkusen and subsequently incorporated into Girona due to a similar situation regarding a lack of opportunity on the field.

During his time at Borussia Dortmund, Anselmino drew attention for his performance in each appearance, standing out for solid defensive tackles and his good ball control, factors that initially excited the German club.

Nevertheless, his repeated absences due to injuries have notably limited his projection within the team. An additional detail is that the British club has filled its quota of six foreign players loaned to other teams, so the Argentine's return, besides giving them an alternative in the back line, would open up another slot to offload another squad member.

According to the print edition of the German outlet Sport Bild, Chelsea also explicitly communicated to the German team that the young Argentine defender, who had a notable rise in the Bundesliga, is not available on the transfer market.

This stance, reiterated several times by the English club, increases pressure on Dortmund's management, given the urgent need for reinforcements, especially ahead of the upcoming January transfer window, when the club expects to make key progress after several recent frustrations.

Dortmund's sporting director, Sebastian Kehl, publicly expressed his interest in acquiring Anselmino's services permanently, a declaration that clashes with the London club's firm refusal. Despite Chelsea's resistance, the expectation in Germany is that Dortmund will make another push for Anselmino in the next transfer window.

Kehl has demonstrated in the past his ability to bring in reinforcements during the European winter transfer window and even managed to circumvent firm rejections from the Blues during negotiations for the permanent purchase of Carney Chukwuemeka. The German outlet noted that Anselmino's situation "is far from resolved," leaving the door open for new efforts and potential twists in the coming months.

Throughout the season, the 20-year-old Anselmino overcame a period marked by physical problems, establishing himself as one of the main options in his team's starting lineup under manager Niko Kovac.

Before being sidelined by a new string of injuries, the defender started in two consecutive league matches and two Champions League games, in addition to scoring his first Bundesliga goal in Matchday 12, a key goal that served to defeat Bayer Leverkusen, a direct rival in the fight for top positions.

Dortmund's defensive fragility is aggravated by internal discontent. Center-back Nico Schlotterbeck recently expressed his frustration regarding his teammates' low performance, which, according to Sport Bild, further complicates the already difficult negotiations for his contract extension.

Emre Can, the team captain, and former German international Niklas Sule are sidelined due to injuries and poor form. Thus, Kovac only has Schlotterbeck and Waldemar Anton as truly reliable options for the defense, while Ramy Bensebaini, who has responded solidly in a substitute role, could be absent due to commitments with the Algerian national team in the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, in addition to being conditioned by his own physical ailments.

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