{"id":9956,"date":"2026-05-18T07:22:55","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T07:22:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=9956"},"modified":"2026-05-18T07:22:55","modified_gmt":"2026-05-18T07:22:55","slug":"xabi-alonso-shares-three-players-he-wants-chelsea-to-sign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=9956","title":{"rendered":"Xabi Alonso shares three players he wants Chelsea to sign"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Xabi Alonso has been appointed the new manager of Chelsea. It is official now, no longer speculation.To be honest, BlueCo deserve more credit for well they have done with this move. Most fans had thought it was improbable for the Spaniard to want to join. The Blues do not have Champions League football to offer, budget constraints and a poor record when it comes to managers.<\/p>\n

After all, Alonso is the sixth one they have appointed in four years of BlueCo ownership. So, the fact that the Spaniard agreed to take the job is reason enough for the fans to be hopeful that change is on the way.<\/p>\n

Alonso has been brought in as manager, not head coach. That designation has been underlined. He is expected to have a much bigger say on football matters and than his predecessors. And if reports are accurate, he has already made it known which three profiles he wants this summer.<\/p>\n

The three profiles Xabi Alonso wants at Chelsea<\/h2>\n

Alonso has made his initial requests clear. He wants one ball-playing defender, one deep-lying midfielder, and one hybrid 10\/winger able to play on both flanks, a similar profile to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. All targets will be reviewed with the manager before deciding who to proceed with. Three to four signings are expected.<\/p>\n

Obviously, those are not direct names of players that Alonso wants. It looks like the initial search will revolve around the profiles before those who fit are targeted.<\/p>\n

The best thing is that Alonso is expected to have a say on matters. That should help with recruitment a lot. Do not forget, he took a Bayer Leverkusen side struggling to get out of the relegation zone and turned them into Germany\u2019s first Invincible champions. So, he does have an eye for talent and improving what is already available to him.<\/p>\n

Alonso recognises Chelsea\u2019s weaknesses already<\/h2>\n

Those are certainly areas where Chelsea need to improve. A defender is the need of the hour. Levi Colwill\u2019s return has eased a lot of the load and made them significantly better at the back already. But he needs some quality help.<\/p>\n

If Alonso wants to play with three at the back, two more centre-backs might be needed. Otherwise, one proven option would be enough. Names like Maxence Lacroix and Jan Paul van Hecke have been linked already.<\/p>\n

The deep-lying midfielder is interesting. Does that mean someone who would be a destroyer in the middle of the park or more of a playmaker, like Alonso himself was at Bayern Munich? <\/p>\n

The hybrid 10\/winger role is one Chelsea have been looking for a while themselves. Morgan Rogers has been linked, but not everybody is convinced that he is the right choice. Kenan Yildiz could be another option but Juventus are not believed to be keen on letting him go. But if they miss out on Champions League qualification, perhaps a window of opportunity could open up for the Blues to make their move. But that still feels like a difficult one to pull off.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Sourav<\/div>\n

Sourav Mahanty has covered teams like Chelsea, Celtic, Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG and more over a career that has now lasted a decade.
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\nHis work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Athlon Sports, SB Nation, FanSided, The Sportster and aggregated through Bleacher Report and NewsNow.
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\nOutside of football, he is also interested in basketball, cricket and professional wrestling.<\/p>\n

View all articles \u2192<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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