While yet to officially join the club until July 1, the new Chelsea manager, Xabi Alonso, is already pulling the strings on what is set to be a busy summer transfer window of chopping and changing at Stamford Bridge.
The yet-to-be-unveiled manager is eager to return the club to its glory days following an abysmal season that saw the London club finish in 10th place in the league. The only highlight of their campaign was being crowned champions of the revamped pre-season Club World Cup.
New Chelsea Manger Already at Work
The new Chelsea manager has been given a license primarily to influence the team’s tactical play, but will also have a big say in the club’s transfer dealings.
And he hasn’t sat on his laurels; he was involved in the Chelsea transfers of Spanish defender Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid for £47.5m plus add-ons, with a replacement in Atalanta defender, Marco Palestra, on a six-year deal for a fee in excess of £45 million, plus add-ons.
The 21-year-old defender looked destined to join Italian champions Inter Milan after an impressive loan spell with Cagliari last season, only to have the English club hijack the deal at the final hour.
Palestra, named Serie A’s best defender last season, is viewed as an exciting, young, and versatile talent. He is capable of playing on either flank of the field, as a conventional fullback and wing back, as well as in midfield. He boasts athleticism and pace, and is two-footed, making him an attractive option to contribute at both ends of the field.
His arrival adds to a squad of burgeoning talent and could open the door to French defender Malo Gusto’s exit. While the club rates the 23-year-old defender highly, it is believed a transfer fee in the region of £75 million could convince them to part ways with the versatile player.
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Alonso Eyes Further Transfer Activities Ahead Of Season
Alonso has his work cut out for him, as he seeks to improve on the club’s abysmal performance last season.
There will be difficult decisions to be made for the new Chelsea manager, with incoming and outgoing transfers meant to refresh a young side, get rid of deadwood and add greater pedigree to the side.
It is also yet to be seen which formation the Spaniard manager adopts. While the 3-4-2-1 setup brought him great success at Bayer Leverkusen, the former midfielder’s ill-fated time as manager at Real Madrid saw him switch to 4-2-3-1, providing a mixed bag of results.
In their continued pursuit to solve a leaky defence that shipped in 52 goals across the league campaign, the Chelsea transfer wish-list has led to the club opening talks with Crystal Palace for French defender, Maxence Lacroix.
It has been reported that the 26-year-old is open to making the move across London. He would immediately add Premier League experience to their back line.
Alonso is also eying the possible transfer of Strasbourg midfielder Valentin Barco and Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic. Vlahovic has recently ranked high on the Chelsea transfer target list, with the club’s hierarchy eager to ease the goal burden on last season’s underwhelming forward line goal contribution.
Brazilian forward Joao Pedro enjoyed a respectable debut campaign, notching 20 goals across all competitions. However, Liam Delap – also playing his debut season for the club – and Marc Guiu managed just four goals between them in 54 appearances.
The club cannot rely on the services of Senegalese forward Nicolas Jackson, who moved to German champions Bayern Munich on a season-long loan, and is unlikely to remain at Chelsea.
That, along with the scheduled arrivals of Sporting Lisbon winger Geovany Quenda and Strasbourg striker Emmanuel Emegha in deals signed in 2025, puts the new Chelsea manager in a comfortable position to start preparations for the new season.
Other possible Chelsea transfers out of the Bridge include defender Trevor Chalobah and midfielder Enzo Fernandez. The latter has stroked the interest of Real Madrid, with new manager Jose Mourinho keen to further beef up his midfield.
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