Alonso's rebuild already taking shape
Xabi Alonso does not officially start as Chelsea manager until July 1, but the plans are already in motion (1). The Spaniard is working behind the scenes and has asked the club to bring back a former Chelsea player in a £35m deal (4). Meanwhile, Chelsea have made an opening move for a player described as the 'best natural striker in Europe' (2). Alonso's fingerprints are already on this summer's business.
Townsend: sell Delap to Everton
Former Chelsea midfielder Andy Townsend has urged Xabi Alonso to cash in on Liam Delap, insisting the forward 'looks like a Championship player' (5). Townsend pointed to Everton as a potential destination: 'Everton are desperate for a striker. They've got Beto and Tierno Barry, and neither of them are good enough, so Everton definitely need one' (5).
Free-agent forward on the radar
Chelsea are exploring a deal to sign a former Liverpool forward on a free transfer (3). The club are looking to add firepower without a transfer fee, which fits the BlueCo model of finding value in the market. Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, and Marc Guiu are named in the same report as current attacking options at the club (3).
World-class talent could land at the Bridge
A world-class player is reportedly unhappy at his current club and a move to Chelsea is a real possibility (6). Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo, and Reece James are the kind of names Chelsea already have who can reach that level on their day, but adding another proven elite talent would signal serious intent under Alonso.
Fan reactions
Fans are chewing over Chelsea's slide to 12th in the UEFA club coefficient rankings, a stark reminder of how far the club's European standing has fallen after missing the Champions League in three of the last four seasons. A separate post highlighting Chelsea as 5th in Europe for non-sporting operating expenses has supporters frustrated at the gap between off-pitch spending and on-pitch results. Read the full discussion
