Aaron Anselmino: Boca Juniors prodigy being chased by Manchester United and AC Milan

Ever since their victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, there has been a remarkable rise in the young prospects emerging from Argentina. Some of the names who emerged are Independiente star Santiago Hidalgo, who is compared to Antoine Griezmann, Maximo Perrone, Seri A star Matias Soule, and River Plate’s 16-year-star sensation Franco Mastantuono. A new name that has joined this list is Boca Juniors’ Aaron Anselmino. At just 18 years old, Anselmino has already garnered interest from clubs such as Manchester United, AC Milan, and Everton.

Every South American footballer dreams of moving to Europe. Anselmino is no different, and with the defender touted as one of the best young talents in his country that dream looks likely come to reality soon. However, does the teenager have what it takes to succeed in the top football leagues?

So, let’s look at who Aaron Anselmino is and how good he is.

Who is Aaron Anselmino 
Aaron Anselmino was born on April 29, 2005, in the municipality of Bernardo Larroude, La Pampas province, which lies in the Pampas grasslands. Not much was known about him until he reached the age of 12, when he joined the youth academy of Boca Juniors. The club has produced star players like Ever Banega, Carlos Tevez, Fernando Gago, Nicolas Gaitan, and Nicolas Burdisso.

So, Anselmino had the perfect environment to help blossom his talent. He played for various age groups for the next few years, slowly progressing through. He finally got his chance for the senior team on June 10, 2023, when he debuted against Club Atletico Lanus. This was incredible; he had signed his first contract only hours before the game. He would make one more appearance in the league against Sarmiento Junin.

He would also make three appearances in the Copa de la Liga Profesional. In the current season, he has only made two appearances (one each in the league and cup).

Aaron Anselmino style of play 
One recent trend in South American football is the emergence of defenders who are highly press-resistant and love to have the ball at their feet. Lucas Beraldo, who made his debut for Brazil recently against England, is a perfect example.

Anselmino is also ambipedal, which means he can use both of his feet, which allows him to increase his range of passing. Usually, He looks for cross-field passes to either of the wingers to help his team exploit the width of the pitch.

The teenager also only goes in for a tackle when he is sure the risk is worth the reward. He usually prefers to close down the player with the ball rather than making an unnecessary tackle.

Reported Manchester United target Aaron Anselmino 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/MDJfzTGL39

— 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐫 (@UtdEra_) March 24, 2024

Another impressive trait of Anselmino is that he is extremely fast for a defender. This allows him to easily play in a team with a high backline as he has the pace to recover lost ground, which is a must for a centre-back in modern football.

However, just because he has pace doesn’t mean that the youngster relies on it. Even in a high backline, he always positions himself in a position where not only can he implement an offside trap but also has the time and distance to recover should that fail.

Aaron Anselmino potential 
With only half a dozen appearances in the Boca Juniors team, Aaron Anselmino has garnered interest from some of the top European clubs. This follows a new pattern among the top clubs, which now want to sign young players from across the Atlantic and develop them under their tutelage. Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, and Alphonso Davies are just some of the examples.

However, Anselmino still has the barest of experience when it comes to top-league football, and any move to a top club right now could have as much of a chance of stalling his career as it has to develop it.

This will not deter the suitors, though, and come summer, we could see Anselmino don the jersey of a new club. Whether he can then become a star or not remains to be seen.