Another factor that makes it entirely understandable why Alonso sees potential at Chelsea is the undoubted quality already present. With Enzo Fernández and Moises Caicedo, the Blues boast two of the world's best central midfielders, and in Cole Palmer, one of the most talented creative players. Up front, highly rated prospects such as Estevao and Jamie Gittens add pace and promise, while Jorrel Hato provides defensive solidity at the back. Centre-back Levi Colwill, sidelined by a cruciate ligament injury, was already on the verge of world-class form.
Alonso can clearly help these talents progress individually and, with his tactical know-how, fashion a team capable of challenging for major honours in England and Europe. A few tweaks are still needed, most pressingly the long-overdue signing of a top-class goalkeeper and more support for Joao Pedro up front so he can become a more reliable goalscorer.
Alonso will have studied Chelsea's situation closely before accepting this mammoth task; had events gone differently, the Liverpool job that went to Arne Slot might have been his. At Anfield, where he is an icon and one of his three dream clubs (Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Liverpool) is based, the Spaniard might have felt the pull of destiny. However, the chaos at Real may have prompted him to reconsider and instead pick a club with no personal history, where failure would carry less emotional risk.
From an objective standpoint, the bold decision to sign for Chelsea represents a significant risk for the former world-class midfielder's coaching career, which began so brightly. Should Alonso falter at his second major European club, his reputation as a coach would suffer its first lasting blow. In that light, he is clearly rolling the dice, especially since the challenges at Stamford Bridge appear immense.