![\"Xabi](\"https:\/\/scorzo.live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Xabi-Alonso-Dream-Chelsea-XI-696x392.webp\" "\\"Xabi")
<\/div>\nLet\u2019s take a look at the players Xabi Alonso should sign as new Chelsea manager<\/h2>\n
Chelsea confirmed the appointment of Xabi Alonso as their new manager on the morning of 17 May 2026, and the fanbase immediately started asking one question louder than any other: Who does he bring in first? Alonso begins his role on 1 July, having agreed a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge, and the players Xabi Alonso should sign as new Chelsea manager are already the subject of serious debate.<\/p>\n
Gregor Kobel, Morgan Rogers, and a commanding centre-back sit at the top of the list, and each one makes perfect tactical sense for what Alonso actually builds. Before he agreed to anything, Alonso sought assurances over the club\u2019s transfer plans, with the defensive line his primary concern, believing Chelsea must sign two new centre-backs as a priority. That tells you everything you need to know about his vision, and it shows exactly where this summer\u2019s rebuild begins.<\/p>\n
Gregor Kobel fills Chelsea\u2019s longest-standing gap<\/h3>\n
Chelsea\u2019s goalkeeper problem is nothing new, and finding a proper number one sits right at the top of the Blues\u2019 summer shopping list. Robert Sanchez arrived from Brighton and cost a pretty penny, but the Spaniard has never truly looked the part at Stamford Bridge, while backup options Filip J\u00f8rgensen and Mike Penders aren\u2019t ready to anchor a side at the highest level.<\/p>\n
Borussia Dortmund\u2018s Gregor Kobel has caught Chelsea\u2019s eye, with the 28-year-old Swiss international valued at around \u20ac55 million. Handily for Alonso, the keeper has spent his entire senior career in Germany, meaning the incoming Chelsea boss knows him inside out. Having managed Leverkusen in the Bundesliga for years, Alonso saw Kobel\u2019s consistency at close quarters.<\/p>\n
Kobel has been a massive reason why Dortmund conceded just 28 goals this season, the second-best defensive record in the Bundesliga behind Bayern Munich. A commanding presence like Kobel completely alters how a back three functions, giving the centre-backs license to push higher up the pitch and press aggressively, the exact setup Alonso thrives on.<\/p>\n
Morgan Rogers gives Alonso the creative engine his system demands<\/h3>\n
Alonso\u2019s preferred 3-4-2-1 system doesn\u2019t need traditional wingers to hug the touchline; it needs attacking midfielders who can drop into pockets of space, lead the press, and create something out of nothing in tight areas. Chelsea have a long-standing interest in Aston Villa\u2018s Morgan Rogers, and the club could launch an \u00a380m bid to secure his signature.<\/p>\n
Rogers has exploded into one of the Premier League\u2019s most dynamic threats over the 2025-26 season, possessing direct, powerful running with a relentless work rate and lethal output in the final third. Crucially, Villa might be tempted to sell, as a massive fee would help keep them on the right side of financial fair play regulations.<\/p>\n
That financial pressure on Villa\u2019s end gives Chelsea a genuine window of opportunity. Rogers is a perfect option for the specific role Alonso used to terrorise teams at Leverkusen, a ball-carrying, space-exploiting attacker who creates chaos and feeds the striker without playing second fiddle to anyone.<\/p>\n
Arne Slot has a strong message for all Liverpool fans<\/p>\n
A commanding centre-back anchors everything Alonso wants to build<\/h3>\n
Crystal Palace\u2018s Maxence Lacroix is firmly on Chelsea\u2019s radar, and he\u2019s another player who crossed paths with Alonso back during his Wolfsburg days in the Bundesliga. That familiar connection matters more than you might think, as Alonso loves working with players who already understand his tactical language.<\/p>\n
Lacroix has been brilliant for Palace and looks like a plug-and-play option to fix Chelsea\u2019s defensive fragility. He brings a rare combination of left-footed balance, aerial dominance, and the kind of composure on the ball needed to play out from the back just the way Alonso demands. At 26, he\u2019s at the perfect sweet spot, mature enough to lead from day one, but with plenty of room to grow under a world-class manager.<\/p>\n
La Liga goal machine has been told to join Manchester United<\/p>\n
The players Xabi Alonso should sign as new Chelsea manager this summer share one common quality: they all fit the system before they fit the squad list. Kobel commands the goal line, Rogers ignites the attack, and Lacroix anchors the back three. Alonso arrives with the belief that Chelsea contain great talent and huge potential, and three surgical additions could prove him right faster than anyone expects.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Let\u2019s take a look at the players Xabi Alonso should sign as new Chelsea manager…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7716,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9997","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chelsea"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9997","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9997"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9997\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}