Xabi Alonso will have a big say in Chelsea’s recruitment in the upcoming summer transfer window with the Blues looking to add a starting-level centre-back to their ranks
There were a couple of memorable outbursts during Enzo Maresca’s one-and-a-half seasons at Stamford Bridge. The now-infamous ‘worst 48 hours’ rant, of course – goes without saying, but who could forget his one a few months before?
In the aftermath of Levi Colwill suffering a serious anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, one that required surgery, Chelsea knew they would be without their star central defender for the majority of the season. If not, all of the season. Thankfully, Colwill returned with a few matches of the campaign left to play.
At the time, Maresca was – understandably – fearing the worst for his Chelsea side, especially when the club’s sporting leadership team told the Italian, who left his role as head coach on New Year’s Day, he would need to source an internal solution. Maresca made no secret in a press conference of his desire to sign a centre-back but the club did not want to, as they would describe, ‘buy for the sake of buying’.
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Chelsea scoured the transfer market for the perfect profile in terms of a centre-back, but the Blues were left unimpressed by what was available. Sources close to the west London club have since told football.london that the narrative of Maresca being ‘denied’ a central defender is nonsense. Sources claim there just wasn’t the right profile available on the market.
The man who was at one stage available was Dean Huijsen. Chelsea tried for the Spain international but were fruitless in their attempts, with the boyhood Real Madrid supporter completing a lifelong dream and moving to the Santiago Bernabeu for £50million. Xabi Alonso pushed for the move, reports at the time claimed.
Speaking on the move last summer, Huijsen said: “Real Madrid is a dream. For me and for everyone, they are the best team and the best club in the world. I fit well with Xabi’s ideas and the club’s plans, and I’m very happy to be here.”
On fitting in with Alonso’s way of thinking, the Spaniard added: “I’m good at playing the ball out from the back and I try to help the team wherever I can. Xabi asks that of me, and more.”
Just over 12 months from when Los Blancos brought Huijsen to the Spanish capital, a lot has changed. Alonso, of course, begins his role as Chelsea manager on July 1 and, curiously, the Blues are still looking for a starting-level centre-back ahead of the Spaniard’s debut season at Stamford Bridge.
football.london understands the west Londoners are prioritising a new central defender this summer, one to partner Colwill, who they see as a crucial figure in the club’s long-term project. It is unclear yet whether Alonso will adopt the three-back system he was so successful with during his Bayer Leverkusen tenure or whether he will deploy a more conventional four-back shape.
Huijsen has spent the majority of his time at the Bernabeu – thus far, anyway – as the left-sided central defender; often partnering one of Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao and Raul Asencio. Of course, Colwill is naturally a left-sided defender when it comes to playing in a back four, though him and Huijsen, if the latter is signed, could play alongside one another if Alonso was to go with a back three.
There is nothing to suggest Chelsea will revisit the Huijsen situation but we know how limited the centre-back market is for the Blues given the fact they ended up sticking rather than twisting last summer. Sometimes sticking is the wise thing to do in football but not for a second successive season, especially after last campaign’s showing.
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