Xabi Alonso will walk through the doors at Cobham training ground and officially begin Chelsea pre-season preparations next week.
Chelsea have less than a week to prepare for the arrival of Xabi Alonso. On Thursday, July 9, the new Blues manager will walk through the doors at Cobham training ground and officially begin pre-season preparations as he looks to ‘build the right culture and win trophies’.
Upon signing a four-year contract in May, Alonso expressed his pride in becoming the Chelsea gaffer and outlined his plan to deliver silverware to Stamford Bridge. Speaking to club media, the 44-year-old also noted the ‘great talent’ and ‘huge potential’ in the squad.
Determined to hit the ground running when players report for duty, football.london understands that he and his backroom staff have already familiarised themselves with the training base in Surrey. They paid a visit at the start of June for due diligence rather than to discuss transfer plans.
It’s understood, however, that Alonso has been in regular contact with the sporting leadership team, made up of Paul Winstanley, Laurence Stewart, Joe Shields, Sam Jewell and Dave Fallows, ahead of a busy summer.
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Although the transfer window doesn’t shut until the start of September, the Blues need to wrap up the bulk of business before the former Liverpool midfielder gets his feet under the table. By identifying those who are surplus to requirements and welcoming a couple of new faces, Alonso will have a clean slate to work from.
There’s plenty of work to be done, but it’s the sporting leadership team’s job to provide the Spaniard with a stable environment where he can lay solid foundations for his project.
So, with that being said, football.london has looked at what the higher-ups at Stamford Bridge need to do before Alonso walks through the doors at Cobham training ground on Thursday, July 9.
Sporting leadership team axe nine players
Alonso needs to build a solid foundation, on and off the pitch, from a pool of reliable players, so the sporting leadership team should offload as many as nine players, beginning with Filip Jorgensen, whom they signed from Villarreal for £20.7m during the summer of 2024.
With Mike Penders back from loan at Strasbourg and set to rival Robert Sanchez for minutes between the sticks, there’s no room for the 24-year-old goalkeeper in the squad. Benoit Badiashile and Tosin Adarabioyo, as well as Axel Disasi, who spent the second half of last term on loan at West Ham, need to be offloaded too.
Not only do they lack the quality to help Chelsea get back into the Champions League, but, with only one game a week, they would rarely be named in the matchday squad. The same could be said for Liam Delap and Marc Guiu, as well as Tyrique George and David Datro Fofana, who were both on loan last term.
If the sporting leadership team are to raise the floor at Stamford Bridge, they need to streamline the squad and bring in players of value, whether a veteran at the highest level, who can help the younger players, or an academy prospect, who’s hungry to develop their game.
To be sold: Filip Jorgensen, Benoit Badiashile, Tosin Adarabioyo, Alejandro Garnacho, Liam Delap, and Marc Guiu from the first team, as well as Axel Disasi, Tyrqiue George, and David Datro Fofana, who are set to return from loan.
Chelsea wrap up three deals
In an ideal world, Chelsea need to secure the signatures of Maxence Lacroix, Granit Xhaka, and Pep Chavarria before Alonso walks through the doors at Cobham next week. In doing so, the Blues will have bolstered three key positions on the pitch, allowing the former Real Madrid boss to fine-tune his tactics accordingly.
To be signed: Maxence Lacroix, Granit Xhaka, and Pep Chavarria.
Alonso given the keys
Once Chelsea have secured the signatures of Lacroix and Xhaka, the sporting leadership team should begin preparations to sign a world-class, or at least close to world-class, left-sided forward. Given BlueCo’s lack of success in this department since taking the helm in May 2022, it’ll be imperative that Alonso has a say in recruitment.
Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens may well catch the eye in pre-season, but since arriving from Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund last year, respectively, they’re yet to prove themselves capable of firing Chelsea back into the Champions League. The new manager needs to be able to cherry-pick his dream winger.
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