Arsenal and Chelsea target Tomás Aranda has suffered a serious injury which could keep him out until 2027.
The Boca Juniors youngster has been repeatedly linked with Arsenal this year, while Chelsea were recently added to his growing list of admirers.
Any thoughts of a move will now have to take the 19-year-old’s recovery into account. TyC Sports report Aranda fractured his right fibula during Boca training on Wednesday morning.
He is due to undergo surgery on Thursday afternoon, with the Argentine club facing the prospect of being without one of their most important players for the rest of 2026.
Serious setback for Argentine gem
According to TyC Sports, the injury happened when Aranda changed direction during a routine move and his boot became stuck in the grass.
There was initially some optimism that he had only suffered a sprain. Tests then revealed the much more concerning diagnosis of a fractured fibula.
The fracture is in the area where the fibula meets the tibia and requires surgery. Aranda will have the operation at the Clínica Trinidad in San Isidro.
There is no definitive return date yet. The expectation in Argentina is that his recovery will take more than three months and potentially as long as five.
That would effectively rule him out for the remainder of Boca’s season. TyC Sports say a return during pre-season ahead of the 2027 campaign is now considered the most likely scenario.
Premier League interest had been building
The timing is very unfortunate given how quickly Aranda’s reputation has grown this year.
He became a regular towards the end of manager Claudio Úbeda’s spell and has taken another step forward since Rodolfo Arruabarrena arrived. The youngster even inherited Boca’s number 10 shirt from Edinson Cavani.
TyC Sports describe him as the team’s main attacking figure and an automatic starter under Arruabarrena. The Boca manager must now find a solution without a player whose qualities are difficult to replicate within his squad.
Aranda’s progress had also attracted plenty of attention from England. Aside from Arsenal and Chelsea, Aston Villa and Brighton were previously credited with interest too. More recently, even Liverpool and the City Group have also been named as admirers. That makes six English clubs linked with the youngster during 2026.
Aranda has a €17m (£15m) release clause and is contracted to Boca until December 2029. But the transfer talk will inevitably take a back seat for the moment.
Arsenal, Chelsea and his other admirers now have a significant injury and lengthy rehabilitation to factor into their assessments, while Boca’s immediate concern is getting one of their biggest young talents back on the pitch.
