Garnacho out, £2.5m profit in 12 months
Alejandro Garnacho is gone. Aston Villa have signed the winger on a loan-to-buy deal worth £42.5m, just one year after Chelsea paid Manchester United £40m for him (1) (3). Unai Emery made no secret of how much he wanted this: "We are delighted with Alejandro. He is so talented, young and he showed us his wish to help our project. We are really happy" (1). The deal was confirmed on Thursday.
Bettoni signs from Wigan until 2030
Chelsea confirmed the arrival of 18-year-old attacking midfielder Harrison Bettoni from Wigan Athletic on Thursday (2) (5). The two clubs agreed a "significant fee" in compensation, and the deal runs until 2030 (2). Bettoni is the fifth signing of the Xabi Alonso era, following Morgan Rogers, Marco Palestra, and others.
Stones on the radar as free agent
Chelsea have registered interest in former Manchester City defender John Stones, who is available on a free transfer this summer (2). The approach signals Alonso wants experience at the back alongside the record-breaking investment further forward.
Fan reactions
Supporters are buzzing about the Bettoni signing, with the official announcement drawing plenty of excitement on Reddit (5). But the real noise is around 15-year-old US youth international Benji Flowers, Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign him from FC Dallas, and Fabrizio Romano gave it the "here we go" treatment (1) (2) (3). He will join when he turns 18. Axel Disasi could be heading the other way, with Crystal Palace in talks over a deal that would see Maxence Lacroix move to Stamford Bridge (4). Read the full Flowers thread on r/chelseafc.
