Chelsea have set their sights on exciting FC Twente centre-back Ruud Nijstad in connection with a potential move to Stamford Bridge. TEAMtalk.
The 18-year-old is the latest success story from the Twente youth academy, which has produced players such as FC Porto’s Luuk de Jong, Beighton’s Mats Wieffer, Ajax’s Steven Berghuis and Manchester City’s Tijjani Reijnders.
He made his professional debut for Twente in the Eredivisie on 5 October 2025 aged just 17, coming on as an eighth-minute substitute for Robin Pröpper against Heracles Almelo to help his side secure a 2–1 win.
Nijstad then earned his first start on 18 October 2025 in an away match against NEC Nijmegen, playing the full 90 minutes in the 3–3 draw at the Goffert Stadium.
In the current campaign he made thirteen appearances in all competitions for John van den Brom’s side, with his impressive performances attracting the attention of several clubs.
One of the clubs that Nijstad wants to sign is Chelsea, the club said TEAMtalkthat claims that The Blues have entered the race to sign the highly rated Dutch talent.
The report adds that the London giants are ‘actively working’ on a deal for the 18-year-old, alongside Manchester City, with their multi-club model pathway considered crucial to getting the deal done.
Expectation
With his contract set to expire in 2027, Twente are looking to extend Nijstad’s contract but face a battle on their hands with several top European clubs including Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Brighton and Brentford, the report said.
TEAMtalk adds that Barcelona, who have pushed to sign the 6ft 4in centre-back but were unwilling to meet his £8million valuation, are now behind the pecking order as Chelsea have made a ‘significant move’ alongside City to land the defensive ace.
At 1.80 meters tall, Nijstad is an ideal modern physical centre-back profile, with qualities such as tackling, aerial duels and composure on the ball that have stood out in the Eredivisie since his breakout last year.
Chelsea already have promising talent at center back, both in the youth ranks and in the senior ranks, as well as at their sister club Strasbourg.
Therefore, it would be more beneficial for Liam Rosenior to turn to a more proven, established centre-back in solving the club’s immediate needs, as Nijstad still needs plenty of time to develop to the demands of the Premier League.
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