Xabi Alonso is expected to have plenty of say in Chelsea’s transfer dealings this summer with the Blues boss working alongside the club’s sporting directors
If Xabi Alonso could have cherry picked a summer to become the manager of a new club, Chelsea in this case, he might have picked a year with no international tournament. Not only does it impact Alonso getting to know his new squad, but it also affects the club’s transfer business.
Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella, for instance, are set for summers full of speculation and uncertainty over their futures. Chelsea insiders have refused to rule out the sale of either player, who have both informed the club of their desire to depart Stamford Bridge before the start of the 2026/27 season.
Fernandez has strong interest from Real Madrid, sources say, and while Chelsea are not actively looking to sell the Argentine midfielder, the Blues will not stand in his way should they receive a £120million offer for his services. The 25-year-old has made no secret of his desire to one day live in Madrid, with his comments during the March international break forcing Liam Rosenior to hand the midfielder a two-match suspension.
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Chelsea held talks with Fernandez over signing a contract extension over the winter period but negotiations stalled. There were initial plans to revisit the talks after the conclusion of the 2025/26 campaign but that has not been the case.
Instead, Fernandez has informed Chelsea he wishes to depart this summer. Likewise, Fernandez’s teammate Cucurella has done the same amid interest in his signature from Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.
The Spain international has flirted in the past with one day returning to his homeland and he has now let Chelsea know of his desires to end his four-year stay at Stamford Bridge, according to numerous sources. The Blues hold a similar stance when it comes to Cucurella: they will be happy with the left-back in Alonso’s squad next season but will sell for the right price – especially given he has three years remaining on his contract in west London.
Chelsea sources will not specify Cucurella’s price tag despite doing so with Fernandez; the reason being because the latter’s entourage floated a fee considered far too low to the media, so they believed there was a record to be set straight.
While Chelsea are asking for £120m for Fernandez, recent times may well have impacted the club’s valuation of the player. Manchester City have seen two offers north of £100m turned down by Nottingham Forest for Elliot Anderson, while Mateus Fernandes, part of the relegated West Ham United squad, is set to be available for £80m and Bournemouth are said to value Alex Scott at the same price.
If Fernandez is to have a good World Cup, helping Argentina defend their 2022 crown, that £120m could look very different come next month. Chelsea will be hoping that is the case and surely their valuation of the Argentine would therefore skyrocket.
Cucurella, meanwhile, will represent Spain in the World Cup this summer and Chelsea will be hoping the left-back shows his true quality. His contract situation makes it a bit more difficult for the Blues to ask for too extortionate a price, given he is now entering a crucial period where a decision over his future at Stamford Bridge simply has to be made soon.
Alonso will be happy if both are wearing Chelsea blue by the time he kicks off his tenure at the club in August. If that is not realistic, though, then Alonso will want the club’s five-strong sporting leadership team to get the business done with plenty of time for replacements to be sourced and signed.
