Xabi Alonso begins his role as Chelsea manager in July with the Spaniard set to get straight to work to help improve his squad alongside the club’s sporting directors
Way back in August, the first signs of a divide between the head coach and the Chelsea hierarchy were made public. Just 24 hours before Enzo Maresca’s extraordinary press conference, sources told football.london that the club planned to find internal solutions to Levi Colwill’s anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury rather than sign a new centre-back.
After seeing the reports online, Maresca fumed: “We are trying to find a solution internally but the club know exactly what I think,” said the Italian. “I think we need a central defender. We are looking for an internal solution but as I said, the club know exactly what I think.”
The truth is: Chelsea were trying to sign a starting-level centre-back last summer, even before Colwill’s injury. The Blues tried to bring in Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth but failed after the Spain international chose Real Madrid instead.
FOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE! Latest Blues news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
After missing out on Huijsen, the west Londoners continued to scour the transfer market but would not buy for the sake of buying. They wanted a centre-back they believed was perfect for Maresca’s system. If that wasn’t available, Chelsea would bide their time and wait it out.
So they did. And then came January. Jeremy Jacquet was identified as the ideal option to come in and help Liam Rosenior after Maresca departed earlier in the month. However, Jacquet chose Liverpool, with the French defender moving to Anfield in the upcoming summer window.
The whole Maresca wanting-a-centre-back debacle was not a good look for anyone. The reality was clear: the Italian, who is set to join Manchester City to replace the departing Pep Guardiola this summer, did not have much power when it came to the club’s transfer business. Under Xabi Alonso, it will be vastly different.
Chelsea have appointed Alonso, who will begin his job on July 1, as the club’s first-team manager, rather than head coach, to ensure the Spaniard has power within operations at Stamford Bridge – including, of course, transfers. We know the club’s sporting leadership team – made up of five directors – will prioritise bringing in a central defender this summer and Alonso is understood to be aligned with the club’s vision when it comes to signings this summer.
Maresca has already outlined Chelsea’s need for a starting-level centre-back with his rant last summer. Colwill was outstanding in the few games he played towards the end of the season after recovering from his ACL injury. On that front, the Blues look set for years to come but the club need to find the right partner for the Cobham graduate.
A few centre-backs could leave this summer as the club look to complement Colwill’s talents in the middle of defence. football.london understands the England international remains central to the west Londoners’ long-term vision and he is fully backed to lead the defence for the foreseeable future.
However, Chelsea will not wanting Colwill playing every game throughout Alonso’s debut season at Stamford Bridge. Even though months would have passed by the time the new campaign starts, the club will need to be careful and cautious with the defender given the nature of the injury he suffered in August 2025.
