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Chelsea are yet to sign a replacement for Marc Cucurella, who left the Blues to join Real Madrid at the start of the summer transfer window.<\/h2>\n <\/p>\n\n
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\nXabi Alonso still needs Chelsea to sign a new left-back(Image: Photo by Ayush Kumar\/Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/button><\/p>\n
Chelsea have enjoyed an excellent start to the transfer window, but there’s still plenty of work to be done as Xabi Alonso looks to further bolster his backline.<\/p>\n
The Blues began the summer by prising Marco Palestra from Atalanta. Chelsea forked out about \u00a347m to sign the 21-year-old right-back, who had recently been named the Serie A defender of the season following his impressive performances while on loan at Cagliari.<\/p>\n
A couple of weeks later, the Blues leapfrogged Arsenal in the race to sign Morgan Rogers. Chelsea signed the 24-year-old attacking midfielder from Aston Villa in a deal worth \u00a3117m, making him the most expensive British player of all time.<\/p>\n
The Blues then quickly turned their attention to Maxence Lacroix, who now looks set to become the third signing of the Alonso era and take the summer spend to just over \u00a3200m. Although the Chelsea sporting leadership team has significantly bolstered the squad, there’s still room for improvement.<\/p>\n
FOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE! <\/strong>Latest Blues news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page<\/strong><\/p>\nThe transfer window doesn’t shut until September, but the opening weekend of the Premier League is just a month away. Over the next four weeks or so, Alonso will look to finalise preparations for the new season.<\/p>\n
Whether he deploys a back-three, as he did when he won the Bundesliga unbeaten with Bayer Leverkusen, or a back-four, as he did at Real Madrid to accommodate the big names, the Blues need to continue strengthening his defensive options once they secure the signature of Lacroix.<\/p>\n
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\nXabi Alonso barking instructions(Image: Darren Walsh\/Chelsea FC)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/button><\/div>\n
So, with that being said, football.london<\/strong> has looked at how Chelsea could set up at the back under Alonso.<\/p>\nChelsea race to sign Cucurella replacement<\/strong><\/h3>\nChelsea still need to sign a replacement for Marc Cucurella, who swapped Stamford Bridge for the Santiago Bernabeu at the start of the transfer window. Although Jorrel Hato would be more than capable of taking the reins at left-back in a back-four, he’s a centre-half by trade, so the Blues could do with a more dynamic option in the event that Alonso plays a back-three and deploys a left wing-back.<\/p>\n
football.london<\/strong> understands that, at the end of last month, Chelsea opened club-to-club negotiations with Rayo Vallecano in an attempt to sign Pep Chavarria. The Blues are interested in signing the 28-year-old defender, who has four years remaining on his contract at Vallecas Stadium in Madrid.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n
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\nChelsea are still working on a deal to sign Pep Chavarria (Image: Aitor Alcalde Colomer)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/button><\/div>\n
As it stands, it’s unclear whether Chelsea will be able to wrap up a deal for Chavarria, but a cash injection might do the trick. If the Blues are unsuccessful in their pursuit of the Spaniard, Alonso could fall back on Landon Emenalo, who’s regularly featured at left-back in the early stages of pre-season.<\/p>\n
Lacroix and Colwill join forces<\/strong><\/h3>\nLevi Colwill and Lacroix are expected to be the pillars of the Chelsea backline under Alonso. In a back-three, they could be joined by either Jorrel Hato at left centre-half or Reece James, possibly even Josh Acheampong, at right centre-half.<\/p>\n
In a back-four, Colwill and Lacroix likely partner at centre-half. With only one game a week, maybe two during the festive period, the duo have the chance to regularly feature alongside each other and build a strong relationship that, Alonso will hope, helps the Blues win some silverware and qualify for the Champions League.<\/p>\n
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\nMaxence Lacroix looks set to join Chelsea(Image: Photo by Ewen Gavet\/Icon Sport via Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/button><\/div>\n
Alonso spoiled for choice on the right<\/strong><\/h3>\nAs it stands, Alonso will be spoiled for choice on the right-hand side of the Chelsea defence. Whether the Blues play a back-three or a back-four, the Spaniard will have a player for every possible scenario.<\/p>\n
Malo Gusto and Palestra currently look set to battle it out for a place at right wing-back, with Reece James and Josh Acheampong both better suited to full-back in a back-four or right centre-half in a back-three.<\/p>\n
If the Chelsea sporting leadership team can offload the likes of Benoi Badiashile and Tosin Adarabioyo, as well as Axel Disasi, who spent the second half of last season on loan at West Ham, Alonso would be in a much better position to manage the backline.<\/p>\n
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Chelsea have launched their new away kit for the 2026\/27 season, said to be a celebration of the club’s ‘Italian Renaissance’. It’s designed with a black base and gold trim in tribute to their transformative 1990s era.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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