Alonso era locked in
Xabi Alonso will take over as Chelsea head coach on July 1, 2026 on a four-year deal (1). The appointment is a major statement from the club after missing out on Champions League football in three of the last four seasons. John Terry weighed in with a classic parting shot: "I hope Liverpool regret not getting him, because that would mean Chelsea have been successful, so I hope that's the case" (1).
Youth graduate Olise released
Chelsea have released Richard Olise, the younger brother of France star Michael Olise, after a decade in the academy (2). The defender never broke through to the first team, and his departure opens up a squad spot heading into Alonso's first window.
Alonso wants Dani Olmo
Alonso has already asked Chelsea to compete with Arsenal for Barcelona's Dani Olmo this summer (3). The Spanish playmaker would add creativity and La Liga pedigree to a squad that's lacked a consistent spark.
Transfer radar: Rogers, Fernandez, and more
Chelsea are among several clubs tracking in-demand Premier League attacker Morgan Rogers (4). Meanwhile, Real Madrid could reignite their interest in Enzo Fernandez after a recent embarrassment in their midfield, potentially unlocking a £120m payday for Chelsea (5). On the inbound side, Chelsea are reportedly beating Manchester City to an unnamed English midfielder (6), and Fabrizio Romano has confirmed a Manchester United player is available for a reasonable fee this summer (7).
Fan-reaktioner
Chelsea fans are in international-break mode, closely tracking Pedro Neto and Reece James as both started for their countries in final World Cup warm-up matches. Neto found the net for Portugal in a 1–0 win over Nigeria, which has supporters buzzing about his form heading into the tournament. Meanwhile, a light-hearted thread poked fun at a stiff Reece James England promo photo, and John Terry's defense of Roman Abramovich on a talk show stirred up some nostalgic debate. See all the chatter here.
