George gone to Everton for £24m
Tyrique George is no longer a Chelsea player. Everton have made the move permanent, paying £24m for the winger (1). He has already been tormenting his new teammates in training, with Everton players reportedly telling him he is a nightmare to defend against (1). A clean break, and a decent fee.
Gittens: we want to win everything
Jamie Gittens is not shying away from the expectations. The winger has confirmed he will be part of Xabi Alonso's squad this season and called the new manager "world-class" (8). His targets are sky-high too: "We want to win everything, that is our ambition: to win the Premier League, the FA Cup and anything else that we're in" (4). Alonso has already added Morgan Rogers, Marco Palestra and Geovany Quenda to the squad (4). Gittens sounds like a man who knows where he fits.
€40m bid in for Alajbegovic
Chelsea have made their move. A formal package worth €40m has been submitted to Bayer Leverkusen for winger Kerim Alajbegovic (5). Alonso has personally outlined the club's sporting plan to the player, and Chelsea are in pole position. But Juventus, Napoli and Atalanta are still in the race, and no personal terms have been agreed yet (5).
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Xhaka door shut, Scott race heats up
Two midfield targets, two different pictures. Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris has killed any talk of Granit Xhaka leaving: "This topic is closed. He has been really clear about his future. He loves Sunderland, he wants to stay in Sunderland" (2). That one is not happening.
Alex Scott remains in play, but Manchester United are now trying to steal a march after his Bournemouth contract talks collapsed (3). Former United scout Mick Brown called it "difficult to predict" but admitted United would ideally wait another season before moving (3). Chelsea's £64m bid was rejected earlier in the window, and the competition is only getting stiffer.
City circling Fernandez and Gusto
Enzo Maresca wants to raid his old club. Manchester City are preparing a double move for Enzo Fernandez and Malo Gusto, with Maresca keen to reunite with the pair at the Etihad (7). Elliot Anderson is also on City's radar (7). After a summer of heavy spending, your club now faces a fight to keep hold of its own.
Goalkeeper hunt: Trubin and Costa on the list
Ukrainian press reports name Anatoliy Trubin and Diogo Costa as Chelsea's two leading goalkeeper targets (6). Alonso is evaluating options between the sticks and both names are now on the table.
Romero pursuit looks tough
No Champions League football is a problem. Chelsea face an uphill battle to sign Cristian Romero, with the lack of elite European competition making the club less attractive to the Argentine defender (10). Not insurmountable, but the disadvantage is real.
Pre-season starts Tuesday in Australia
Your first look at Alonso's Chelsea comes Tuesday against Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia (11). The new era kicks off then.
Fan reactions
The Morgan Rogers signing has Chelsea fans buzzing, Alonso already calling him a "key player" has only added to the excitement, and clips from his Brighton performance are doing the rounds on the subreddit. The Alajbegovic pursuit is splitting opinion: Alonso's personal pitch has impressed some, but others are wary with three Serie A clubs still lurking and no personal terms agreed. Meanwhile, Pedro Neto's name keeps surfacing amid reported interest from City, Liverpool and Saudi clubs, and the fanbase seems relieved the club is digging in rather than cashing out. See the full discussion here.
