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Chelsea<\/a> have set their sights on FC Twente\u2019s exciting centre-back Ruud Nijstad over a possible move to Stamford Bridge, according to TEAMtalk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n The 18-year-old is the latest success story of Twente\u2019s academy, which has produced the likes of FC Porto\u2019s Luuk de Jong, Beighton\u2019s Mats Wieffer, Ajax\u2019s Steven Berghuis, and Manchester City<\/a>\u2019s Tijjani Reijnders.<\/p>\n He made his professional debut for Twente in the Eredivisie on 5 October 2025 at just 17 years old, coming on in the eighth minute as a substitute for Robin Pr\u00f6pper against Heracles Almelo to help his side secure a 2\u20131 victory.<\/p>\n Nijstad then earned his first start on 18 October 2025 in an away league match against NEC Nijmegen, playing the full 90 minutes in the 3-3 draw at the Goffertstadion.<\/p>\n In the ongoing campaign, he has featured in 13 games across all competitions for\u00a0John van den Brom\u2019s side, with his commanding displays catching the eye of several clubs.<\/p>\n One of the clubs looking to sign Nijstad is Chelsea, according to TEAMtalk<\/em>, which claims that the Blues have entered the race to sign the highly rated Dutch talent.<\/p>\n The report adds that the London giants are \u2018actively working\u2019 on a deal for the 18-year-old, alongside Manchester City, with their multiclub model pathways considered vital in getting the deal done.<\/p>\n With his deal running out in 2027, Twente are looking to extend Nijstad\u2019s contract but face a fight in their hands as several European top clubs, including Barcelona<\/a>, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Tottenham<\/a>, Aston Villa<\/a>, Newcastle United<\/a>, Brighton, and Brentford, according to the report.<\/p>\n TEAMtalk<\/em> adds that Barcelona, who have been pushing to sign the 6ft 3in centre-back but were unwilling to meet his \u00a38m valuation, are now behind the pecking order as Chelsea have made \u2018significant movement\u2019 alongside City to land the defensive ace.<\/p>\n Standing at 6ft 3in, Nijstad is an ideal modern-day physical centre-back profile, with qualities such as tackles, aerial duels, and composure on the ball standing out in the Eredivisie since his breakout last year.<\/p>\n Chelsea are already well-stocked with promising centre-back talent across both their academy and senior setup, as well as in their sister club, Strasbourg.<\/p>\n Hence, targeting a more proven, established centre-back would be more beneficial to Liam Rosenior in solving the club\u2019s immediate need, as Nijstad will still need ample time to develop into the demands of the Premier League<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"Rememore](\"https:\/\/football-talk.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/FootballTalk_New_Chapter-rememore.png\")
<\/a><\/div>\nProspect<\/h2>\n
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