Lacroix is yours, £52m and a seven-year deal
Maxence Lacroix is a Chelsea player. The £52m move from Crystal Palace is done, medical ongoing in London, contract through 2032 (1)(5). Here we go. Your new centre-back arrives as Alonso's top defensive target, and the fee is straightforward: no players going the other way, Axel Disasi not involved (5).
Chalobah to Como, €30m almost guaranteed
Trevoh Chalobah's Chelsea career looks over. Como have submitted an improved bid of €25m fixed plus €5m in what Romano calls easy add-ons, making it €30m practically guaranteed (4). Chalobah wants the move, and talks are ongoing (2). A homegrown departure that helps the books.
Garnacho gone, one season was enough
Alejandro Garnacho has left for Aston Villa on a season-long loan with an obligation to buy (3). The winger arrived with fanfare, but his Stamford Bridge spell ends after a single campaign. Unai Emery gets a player Alonso decided he could move on from, just as Chelsea paid a record £117m for Morgan Rogers going the other way.
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Mac Allister on the radar, however unlikely
A wild one. Chelsea are reportedly monitoring Alexis Mac Allister's situation at Liverpool, with Alex Scott and Adam Wharton also on the midfield shortlist (4). The rumour comes via IndyKaila, so handle with care, but the logic tracks: Alonso wants midfield reinforcements and Mac Allister is a player he knows well. No contact yet, but if Liverpool show any willingness to sell, Chelsea would be at the front of the queue (4).
First offer in for Leverkusen's Alajbegovic
Chelsea have submitted an opening bid for Kerim Alajbegovic, Bayer Leverkusen's highly rated youngster (6). Alonso knows the Bundesliga market inside out, and this one has his fingerprints on it.
Squad lands in Sydney, two names missing
The 27-man pre-season tour squad for the Australia leg has been confirmed (7). Marco Palestra and Cole Palmer are on the plane. Geovany Quenda is not, a source close to the player telling Kieran Gill it is a small injury keeping him out (3). Emmanuel Emegha picked up a hamstring issue in the 3–0 behind-closed-doors win over Bromley and is also absent (1).
The spending machine rolls on
Your club has passed £200m this summer and is not slowing down (5). The model is clear: spend big, sell smart. Lacroix arrives, Chalobah and Garnacho depart. Player trading keeps the financial rules at bay, and there is no sign Alonso is finished yet.
Fan-reaktioner
The mood in the r/chelseafc threads is all business. Lacroix's signing has landed well, fans calling it exactly the defensive upgrade needed. The Chalobah exit is drawing a shrug more than anger, most accepting the €30m as fair value. A quieter undercurrent is the countdown: one month from today, Alonso takes charge of his first Premier League match away to Fulham, and the excitement for that is starting to build.
