Chelsea are set for a busy summer of transfers as Xabi Alonso looks to form his side and the Spaniard looks to be interested in bringing a familiar face in Granit Xhaka
Chelsea are moving to kickstart Xabi Alonso’s summer rebuild amid reports they have come to an agreement with Sunderland star Granit Xhaka. The Blues already have money burning a hole in their pocket after cashing in on Marc Cucurella.
Alonso has yet to lead a Chelsea training session and has been forced to wave goodbye to the west London side’s left-back. That Cucurella heads to the Bernabeu, where he saw his term cut short, may sting just a little for Alonso.
But that deal ensures Chelsea’s coffers are plenty full to take action of their own. The club raked in £51.8million for his services, and while a loss on the fee they paid to Brighton, it’s a substantial starter fund for a summer of business.
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Alonso’s business could start with a familiar face in Xhaka, who he partnered with to win the Bundesliga in 2024. The former Arsenal star was integral to Alonso’s side and helped Sunderland into European qualification last season.
The fee earned for Xhaka should comfortably pay for his services if Sunderland is willing to sell. It is understood they are not willing to listen to offers.
Alonso’s first signing is likely to arrive soon, however, with Marco Palestra already in the country. The Blues are set to beat Inter Milan to the wing-back after agreeing a £43m deal with Atalanta.
While Cucurella’s sale will cover that move, it won’t be enough for the club to land another defender. Chelsea are also working on a deal to sign Maxence Lacroix from Crystal Palace.
It is understood that the Blues opened club-to-club talks with the Eagles earlier this week regarding the defender. The Frenchman won’t come cheap.
Alonso will already have a raft of new players to assess, with pre-arranged deals for Geovany Quenda, Denner, Dastan Satpaev and Emmanuel Emegha set to come to fruition next month.
Chelsea’s business is unlikely to end there and could yet receive an additional boost. While signing Xhaka would not prove to be a long-term move given his advanced age, it would help Chelsea start to accommodate for an exit.
Enzo Fernandez has frequently discussed his interest in departing Stamford Bridge for Real Madrid. While the club do not want to part ways, they will not stand in his way if they get their £120m valuation.
That would certainly light a fire in any rebuild Alonso had planned. Not only financially, but given the importance of Fernandez, Chelsea would need to handily replace him and his output.
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