Xabi Alonso Sanctions Chelsea Pursuit of Real Madrid Midfielder: Reports
Chelsea have stepped up their interest in Eduardo Camavinga after making official contact with Real Madrid. The French international is a top target for new manager Xabi Alonso. The Spaniard was officially appointed as manager at Stamford Bridge ahead of the upcoming season.
The 23-year-old utility midfielder had a very depressing 2025-26 season at the Santiago Bernabeu. Injuries and poor play kept him out of France’s World Cup team. His growth has been severely stunted since his €31m plus add-ons move from Rennes in 2021. That said, he has two La Liga titles and two Champions League titles before his 24th birthday.
The Blancos are ready to let the player go, with a fee of around €80m seen as the starting point for discussions. However, it is believed that Madrid lowered their asking price to €60m in June, when Jose Mourinho had agreed to let him leave. The left-footed player is reportedly a target for Manchester United, Liverpool, Juventus and Manchester City.
As for the Blues, there are still a tonne of problems. It is believed that Camavinga will only go to a club who will be playing in next season’s Champions League and with Chelsea set to miss out on any European competition, their chances of landing the job are incredibly slim.
Chelsea’s midfield rebuild needs a total reset
Xabi Alonso was approved for the job in May, replacing Liam Rosenior, who had had a tough three-and-a-half months before leaving in April. Enzo Maresca had been sacked in January, and the club now sits in 10th with no European football.
The Spaniard has already had plenty of chaos in his engine room. Andrey Santos was sold for €59m and Alejandro Garnacho is being offered for around €50m. Marco Palestra has arrived from Atalanta and Geovany Quenda has finally made the move from Sporting CP, but fitness issues for Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo are a concern.
The biggest subplot is around Enzo Fernandez, with agent Javier Pastore saying they are looking at other options before the window closes. Chelsea were previously reported to have placed a €140 million price tag on the 25-year-old, but Real Madrid then released a statement saying no talks were occurring.
The next fortnight will be crucial to Alonso’s summer plans, with the Premier League opener approaching and rebuilding only partly done. But then again, will Camavinga be tempted to part with Madrid without the carrot of top-level European football?
