Chelsea have been presented with the chance to make a move for Boca Juniors wonderkid Tomas Aranda as early as January.

The Blues are long-standing admirers of the 19-year-old playmaker and were keeping close tabs on his development until August, when his progress was abruptly halted by a fibula injury.

There were fears that his season had been cut short as a result, with Aranda expected to potentially be out until the new year. This would have meant that he would not be back until the new 2027 Argentine campaign.

However, TyC Sports reports that the Argentina international has made a miraculous recovery. He has "defied all predictions" and returned to team training in "record" time.

Understandably, Boca want to be cautious with the youngster, but it is claimed that Aranda could already make his comeback to the first-team squad against Defensa y Justicia in the final regular-season match of the Clausura this weekend - despite only having surgery last week.

A shock twist for Chelsea?

This very early Christmas miracle could dramatically alter the situation not just for Boca as they enter the decisive stretch of the season - with a Copa Argentina semi-final and Copa Sudamericana final on the horizon - but also for Aranda himself as it pertains to his immediate future.

As mentioned, prior to his injury, he was being monitored by Chelsea and other suitors. There were also links with Arsenal earlier in the year, but a January transfer looked to be out of the question due to his lengthy lay-off.

No European club would have made a big-money mid-season move for a teenager who hadn't played since August. However, his return ahead of schedule could change the thinking of his suitors.

If Aranda can get on the pitch before the end of the year and show that he is still the same exciting player he was pre-injury, a January transfer may no longer be as unrealistic as previously assumed.

The fact that he is in demand shouldn't be surprising. The 19-year-old is incredibly versatile and regarded as one of the brightest talents in South America, even if his attacking numbers for Boca - a goal and three assists in 32 matches - don't immediately catch the eye.

His spectacular talent is widely recognised back home. The youngster was given his senior Argentina debut by Lionel Scaloni in the build-up to the World Cup, and he was recently named among the 10 best talents in the world by Lionel Messi.

Aranda currently has an €18 million release clause, but it will increase to €22m in January. It has been suggested that Chelsea, if they are to sign him, could initially look to park him at BlueCo sister club Strasbourg.

This would require a winter reshuffle in Alsace as they currently can't loan any more Chelsea players, but it is also possible that Strasbourg could sign him permanently and eventually sell him on to the Blues.

At present, a January move for Aranda still looks a longshot, but this may change if he hits the ground running in the next few weeks.