Cole Palmer stays, Joao Pedro decision – Xabi Alonso can help £270m Chelsea transfer problem

Xabi Alonso has been announced as the new Chelsea manager on a four-year contract with the Spaniard beginning his role at the start of July

It’s the news Chelsea supporters have been waiting for. Xabi Alonso is the new Blues manager, signing a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge and beginning his role officially on July 1.

football.london brought you the news on Saturday evening that Chelsea and Alonso reached an agreement for the Spaniard to become the club’s new manager. Not head coach, crucially, but the manager; with Chelsea giving Alonso more power and say over operations within the club.

Chelsea believe Alonso’s seniority and track record within the game has earned him the ‘manager’ title, sources say, with BlueCo putting all of their faith and trust in the former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder. BlueCo have given Alonso the keys to spearhead the ownership group’s ambitious long-term project.

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Alonso will work collaboratively with the club’s five-strong team of sporting directors in the upcoming summer transfer window. Sources say the newly-appointed Chelsea boss is aligned with the likes of Laurence Stewart, Paul Winstanley, Dave Fallows, Sam Jewell and Joe Shields over where the squad can be improved.

Chelsea are looking to sign numerous ready-made players this summer to help bring more of a balance to what is a young squad at the time of writing. While several players are set to join BlueCo’s project over the coming months, there are expected to be a few departing as well.

However, Chelsea will be hoping a few do not leave over the course of the summer. There’s £270million worth of talent (combined transfer fees) who have all been linked, one way or another, with a departure at the end of the season.

Cole Palmer is chief among those whose future has been spoken about. The 24-year-old has been linked with a move to Manchester United this summer, with some reports claiming the Chelsea attacker is unsettled down south and wants to return to the north-west.

Palmer, though, came out and stated his intentions to remain at Stamford Bridge in an interview with The Guardian last month: “I’ve got no plans to move from Chelsea. We spoke to the owners and they’re sure of the players that are going to do it (help Chelsea compete again).”

It sounded like Palmer was already settled in west London, and adding Alonso, a figure who will command respect, as his new gaffer will surely only increase his excitement.

Chelsea will be hoping the same can be said about Joao Pedro, who in recent days has been linked with a summer switch to Barcelona. The Brazil international has scored 20 goals in all competitions in his debut season at Stamford Bridge and the Blues view him as ‘untouchable’ in the upcoming summer transfer window after signing for £60m less than 12 months ago.

There are no plans – at the time of writing – to sell Joao Pedro. The 24-year-old striker is set to play under his third permanent manager/head coach at Stamford Bridge in the space of a year when Alonso officially begins his role.

Marc Cucurella came out at the end of March and expressed his frustration with how his employers were operating. In an explosive interview with The Athletic, the Spain international said Chelsea have “paid the price” for the inexperience within their squad, while also stating his regret that Enzo Maresca departed back in January.

Cucurella will surely be buoyed with the imminent arrival of his Spanish compatriot Alonso, as well as BlueCo’s intention to tweak their recruitment model this summer.

Similar can be said for Enzo Fernandez. The Argentine flirted with a move to Real Madrid around the same time as Cucurella’s aforementioned comments, while also venting his frustration in the public eye – leading Liam Rosenior to ban Fernandez for a couple of matches.

Chelsea and Fernandez were in talks over extending the midfielder’s contract at Stamford Bridge towards the back end of last year, though negotiations stalled. Fernandez’s agent Javier Pastore hinted that talks could resume after this summer’s World Cup. Chelsea is infinitely a more attractive proposition to players now with Alonso at the helm.

Alonso’s presence will not only help the Blues when it comes to attracting players in the transfer market, but it should also convince others to stick around at Stamford Bridge. The four mentioned above are viewed as crucial in BlueCo’s long-term project, with the ownership group hoping the coup of Alonso will help in the process of keeping them around.