Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso reacts to failed pursuit of Granit Xhaka with 12-word message in his first press conference with the Blues

Xabi Alonso refused to be drawn into Chelsea’s failed pursuit of Granit Xhaka, saying he will only talk about players who are in his team.

Last month, reports emerged that Chelsea were working on a deal to sign Xhaka but had an £8m bid for the midfielder rejected by Sunderland. It was said that Alonso was keen on reuniting with the Switzerland international after managing him at Bayer Leverkusen.

Xhaka, at the time, was reportedly attracted by the prospect of reuniting with his former Leverkusen boss, but the Black Cats made it clear that he was not for sale.

In a statement that ruled out a potential switch to Chelsea, Xhaka confirmed his intention to stay with Sunderland, citing family as one of the factors that influenced his decision.

Alonso, who was appointed manager in May, declined to offer his opinions on the club’s collapsed deal for Xhaka during his first press conference as Blues boss.

“Granit Xhaka? No comment on players who are not here with us,” he said.

Since Alonso’s arrival, the Blues have made new signings and parted ways with a few players. Marco Palestra was the club’s first signing of the summer, joining on a permanent deal from Atalanta for a reported fee of £47m, including add-ons, at the start of July.

Geovany Quenda completed his move to the west London club from Sporting Lisbon a few days ago in a deal that was agreed upon as far back as March 2025.

Notable outgoings include Marc Cucurella, who joined to Real Madrid; Andrey Santos, who signed for Manchester United, while Tyrique George is now on the books of Everton.

Alonso confirms Reece James will remain Chelsea captain

Reece James will retain his position as Chelsea captain going into the 2026/27 season, Alonso has confirmed the development. James was appointed Blues captain in August 2023 but has been riddled with injuries since getting promoted to the senior team.

Alonso gave an affirmative response when asked in an interview with Sky Sports whether James would be captain under him. When asked what he likes about the right-back, Alonso said:

“He can do everything. He can attack from inside or outside. He can deliver, he’s good at set-pieces, he has blue DNA, which is very important, and we transmit that to the whole team and new players. He’s going to be the captain.”

Alonso will hope to hit the ground running in his first season at Stamford Bridge after the club finished 10th in the Premier League table last season.