Chelsea target Xabi Alonso’s first signing with £50m transfer to fix problem area
Chelsea have confirmed Xabi Alonso as their new manager and the Spaniard could find himself working with a new first-choice goalkeeper at Stamford Bridge next season
Robin Roefs has emerged as a Chelsea target(Image: James Gill/Danehouse)
Chelsea are ready to spend big on a goalkeeper this summer in preparation for Xabi Alonso’s maiden season at the helm with Robin Roefs understood to be a serious target.
The Blues confirmed on Sunday that Alonso will become their new manager from July 1. The 44-year-old will inherit a team who have failed to meet expectations this season, with the chances of Chelsea playing European football next term now slim following defeat in the FA Cup final to Manchester City on Saturday afternoon.
Landing Alonso is widely seen as a major coup for Chelsea give their struggles in the Premier League and the likelihood is that they will back their new manager this summer.
It would appear that signing a new goalkeeper will be a priority, with the £50million-rated Roefs said to be attracting interest from both Chelsea and Liverpool.
READ MORE: Chelsea confirm stunning Xabi Alonso appointment as ex-Real Madrid manager pens big deal
The Sun claim both clubs are keen on Roefs, who has been a colossal figure in his first ever Premier League campaign for Sunderland, amid the uncertainty over their own first-choice goalkeepers.
From a Liverpool perspective that relates to speculation over the future of Alisson, who continues to be linked with Juventus. But the scrutiny which has surrounded Chelsea’s goalkeeping options precede the 2025-26 campaign with Robert Sanchez failing to completely convince in his role as No 1 since joining from Brighton.
Roefs has kept 10 clean sheets for a Sunderland side who have defied their pre-season expectations by some distance. As such, the 23-year-old is now valued at more than five times the £9m he was signed for last summer.
Though Chelsea could miss out altogether on Europe next season, their move for Alonso has been largely well received. The Spaniard was courted by a whole host of Europe’s elite less than 12 months ago and his stock remains high despite being sacked just seven months into a three-year contract at Real Madrid amid dressing room turmoil.
Alonso laid out lofty ambitions in his first words following confirmation of his new role, insisting the goal is to build a team capable of competing for the game’s biggest prizes.
“From my conversations with the ownership group and sporting leadership, it is clear we share the same ambition,” he said. “We want to build a team capable of competing consistently at the highest level and fighting for trophies.”
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