Xabi Alonso doesn’t start officially working at Chelsea until July 1, but the Spaniard has already lost one of his players ahead of a busy summer at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso is expected to delve into the transfer market to find a replacement for Marc Cucurella after the defender completed his £51.7 million switch to Real Madrid.
The 27-year-old was widely expected to leave Stamford Bridge after four years with the Blues, although the expedited nature of his departure came as a surprise. Cucurella revealed only last week that he had been “filled with confidence” after speaking with Alonso while on international duty with Spain.
However, interest from Barcelona and Atletico Madrid turned his head, with the lure of playing Champions League football proved to be too good to turn down. Cucurella’s departure was officially announced on Monday morning, with the Spaniard signing a six-year contract with the LaLiga giants Real Madrid.
Cucurella proved to be one of the most important players in the squad under both Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior last season. His exit leaves Alonso with a gaping hole to fill on the left side of his defence, with only Jorrel Hato perhaps considered a natural choice to replace him from their current squad.
The Athletic report Hato’s recent rise was a major factor in allowing the Spain international to leave. But Chelsea are reportedly examining their options in the transfer market and may opt to sign a replacement to ensure Alonso is not left short-handed. Here, Football.london looks at five potential options for the west London club to sign this summer.
Valentin Barco
If reports in France are accurate, Barco is already a Chelsea player in every sense – only an official announcement is missing. The Argentina international posted a farewell message on his Instagram page in May without revealing his next club, but all signs point to a short trip across the Channel Tunnel from the French Riviera to London.
The 23-year-old is part of the Albicelesti’s World Cup squad and his involvement may be holding up the deal. However, speculation persists that Chelsea have been unable to reach an agreement over the fee – despite the fact their owners, BlueCo, also control the Ligue 1 club. If Barco does arrive, he is well-versed in playing the wing-back role favoured by Alonso, but more recently he has operated as a central midfielder.
Lewis Hall
Some two years after leaving the club in bizarre circumstances, Hall could be making a surprise return to Stamford Bridge. The left-back sealed a permanent £28 million transfer to Newcastle after a successful loan spell at St. James’ Park. That said, Hall is a Chelsea academy graduate after coming through the system at Cobham and is highly-regarded by the hierarchy and fanbase.
Hall is believed to be high on Manchester United’s shortlist as they search for a long-term replacement for Luke Shaw, and if Chelsea step up their interest, it could spark a bidding war for the 21-year-old. Newcastle may have no option but to sell after missing out on European football next season, with reports suggesting a fee around £50 million may be enough to get the deal over the line.
Fran Garcia
Garcia is likely to be the fall guy of Cucurella’s move to Real Madrid after falling out of favour last season. Madrid are stacked with options at left-back already before signing Cucurella, with Ferland Mendy and Alvaro Carreras also competing for a starting spot, and at least one is expected to be shown the door by new boss Jose Mourinho. Garcia played under Alonso at Real Madrid with mixed results, but he was ultimately preferred to Carreras, who spent large portions of the season on the bench.
The Spaniard thrived as a left wing-back under Alonso, a position he could return to should the manager bring his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation to the Blues. The 26-year-old could be available for loan in case Chelsea are keen to devote their transfer budget in other areas, and the clubs’ friendly relationship may be a factor if they show interest in Garcia.
Maxi Araujo
Chelsea scouts might have been watching their loanee Geovany Quenda in action against Arsenal in the Champions League last season. But few would be surprised if they came away with rave reports about Araujo, who was the star performer for the Portuguese side in their 1-0 aggregate defeat. Portuguese outlet Record recently claimed that Chelsea were monitoring his situation at the Estadio Jose Alvalade.
The Uruguayan has a £69.1 million release clause written into his contract, but the Lisbon club might be prepared to sell for a lower fee. They have been open to negotiating with the Premier League club in the past after selling Quenda and Dario Essugo in a double deal last summer. Araujo, 25, is playing at the World Cup for his country this summer and there may be some urgency from Chelsea’s side to get a deal agreed as soon as possible if the wing-back’s performances continue to stand out.
Alejandro Grimaldo
Experienced, creative and knowledge of the system. There won’t be any more obvious targets for Alonso to replace Cucurella than Grimaldo, who played under his tutelage at Bayer Leverkusen. Grimaldo’s finest years of his career came working under his compatriot. He played a crucial role in Leverkusen’s stunning title success in 2023/24, where they successfully went unbeaten in all 34 league games.
Despite playing as an advanced wing-back, the Spain international clocked up 10 goals and 15 assists in the Bundesliga. Even if his form dipped last term, he still registered 26 goal contributions in all competitions for the German side. However, recent reports suggest the 30-year-old is closing in on a move to Atletico and Alonso may miss out on reuniting with the experienced ex-Benfica man.
Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with the Sky Glass ‘designed for football’
from £4.50
Sky
Get the deal here
Sky is knocking 20% off its entire range of Glass TVs to mark the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to the Sky smart TV that’s ‘designed for football’ from £4.50 per month when taken alongside a Sky TV and Netflix package.
