Managing Chelsea as Xavi finally signs £50m star and axes Enzo Fernandez in £150m clearout
Chelsea are in need of a reset after a challenging season which has seen them part ways with managers Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior
Xavi has been touted as the next permanent Chelsea manager(Image: Getty Images)
A new season can allow Chelsea a fresh start but they will need to commit to change. There is already set to be a new face in the dugout after Enzo Maresca left in January and Liam Rosenior lasted just three months as his successor, though no new permanent appointment has been made.
One man heavily linked with the post is Xavi. The former Spain midfielder has been out of work since leaving his post as Barcelona boss in 2024 but is being eyed for a return to the dugout.
According to The Independent, the 46-year-old is one of a number of potential targets and seen as a more realistic option than Como’s Cesc Fabregas. However, if he moves to Stamford Bridge, he will likely do so with no Champions League football.
The only way the Blues can return to European football’s top table is if they finish sixth, Aston Villa finish fifth and Unai Emery’s side also win the Europa League. There’s no guarantee of any European action next term, with the London club currently ninth in the table, albeit only four points off sixth and also in the FA Cup final.
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So, what might a Chelsea rebuild under Xavi look like? We’ve taken a look at some of the key areas.
Long-term target signs
Chelsea have already begun adding to their ranks in advance of the summer window opening, with deals agreed for Geovany Quenda and Emanuel Emegha – among others. However, the manager may also need a marquee addition.
AC Milan star Rafael Leao is one player who has consistently been linked with the Blues and those rumours have resurfaced this term. The Portugal star, who can play all across the front three, is about to enter the final two years of his contract and a fee of around £50million has been mooted.
There have also been calls for the club to add experience to a young squad and a reunion between Xavi and out-of-favour Barcelona keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen could be the answer there. The German was linked with a loan move earlier this season, though any deal may hinge on whether Chelsea would prefer to reintegrate young stopper Mike Penders after a year at Strasbourg.
Immediate Enzo statement
This season has been played against a backdrop of ‘will he, won’t he’ when it comes to Enzo Fernandez’s future. Former boss Rosenior handed the Argentina star an internal ban after comments about a potential Real Madrid move, only to later recall him to the team.
“I’d like to live in Spain. I really like Madrid; it reminds me of Buenos Aires,” Fernandez said. “Players live where they want. I’d live in Madrid. I get by in English, but I’d be more comfortable in Spanish.”
Madrid are in an uncertain situation themselves, with apparent squad divisions and a managerial change anticipated. However, by allowing the midfielder to leave, Xavi could raise a hefty sum for new signings while making a clear statement about how he plans to run things as manager.
Clear-out continues
A fee of £80m for Fernandez has been mooted but he isn’t the only player whose sale could boost the club’s coffers. Cole Palmer might seemingly be staying after Manchester United chiefs went cold on a move, but there are others whose future is far less secure.
Nicolas Jackson won’t be joining Bayern Munich permanently after a year on loan in Bavaria but could still find himself on the move. Fellow striker Liam Delap has been linked with a Newcastle switch after just one year at Stamford Bridge, while centre-back Wesley Fofana is another who could be on the move.
Those sales could comfortably bring in £150m. A failure to secure Champions League qualification may limit the Blues financially, but a sell-to-buy approach like this ought to allow Xavi to make at least a couple of important additions.
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