Tribal Football

Kerim Alajbegovic reveals why he rejected Chelsea in favour of Juventus move

Kerim Alajbegovic reveals why he rejected Chelsea in favour of Juventus move
Kerim Alajbegovic reveals why he rejected Chelsea in favour of Juventus moveJAMES WORSFOLD / EPA / Profimedia

Kerim Alajbegovic has opened up about his decision to join Juventus ahead of Chelsea.

The 18-year-old had a breakout 2025-26, scoring 13 goals and providing four assists while on loan at RB Salzburg from Bayer Leverkusen.

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He even earned a place in Bosnia’s 2026 World Cup squad, where he managed to score in their 3-1 group stage win over Qatar.

As a result, he had earned the interest of several top clubs across Europe, and at one point it looked like he was set to join Xabi Alonso at Chelsea.

Alajbegovic turned a move to Stamford Bridge down, however, instead deciding to join Serie A side Juventus.

Speaking to Tuttosport, he has opened up on why he made that decision. 

"When Juventus call, it is truly difficult to say no. It is one of the biggest clubs in the world and I am truly proud to wear this jersey,” he said.

“It’s true, knowing the club had faith in me was really, really important for me. Pjanic was also important in my choice, because he was a Juventus player, and had so much influence with this club."