With Xabi Alonso coming in, there is suddenly a ton of excitement around Chelsea. But then, a manager is only as good as his players. And the current squad might not be good enough for the Spaniard to attain his objectives at Stamford Bridge.
Then again, you never know. He did take on a Bayer Leverkusen that was struggling to get out of the relegation zone and transformed them into Bundesliga champions. They were the only team in history to do so without losing a game in the German top flight. Alongside that, they also won the DFB Pokal and reached the final of the Europa League.
So, Alonso can improve players and win with youngsters. That being said, he will need a bit of experience at Chelsea as well, to help some of the talent who seem to be struggling to reach their potential.
Who could those experienced players be? Well, Chelsea have been advised to bring in John Stones, who will be leaving Manchester City this summer when his contract expires. According to TEAMtalk, Glenn Hoddle said on TNT Sports’ The Breakdown:
“They need a couple of really experienced players that want to be there, but they’re good apples, they’re not bad apples.
“John Stones is going to move. He’s a certainty… I’d be going left, right and centre to get him.
“He’s a good character, a good player still.”
Chelsea told to make move for John Stones of Manchester City
Stones is no longer a starter for Manchester City. But that does not mean that he can no longer perform at a high level.
In fact, he captained the team on their way to the FA Cup final but then was left on the bench as an unused substitute against Chelsea at the weekend. In the league, he began the campaign as a starter but lost his place after the first three games, two of which Man City lost. He never regained it after that and was not helped by his injury problems.
Overall, Stones has played just over 1000 minutes of football this season. But he is still 31 years of age. In the right team, he can still contribute, both on and off the pitch.
Would John Stones be a good signing at this point in time?
Signing Stones as a free agent should be a no-brainer for Chelsea if you ask me. Even if he does not end up as a regular starter, he would add so much to this squad in terms of experience and know-how.
Chelsea need those kinds of players. Alonso went ahead and signed Granit Xhaka at Bayer Leverkusen. He was integral to that team. Someone like Stones could have a very similar impact at Stamford Bridge.
Also, let’s not forget that Chelsea have a centre-back problem at the moment. Even at 31, how many centre-backs do the club have right now who you can confidently say are better than Stones on any given day?
Chelsea were heavily linked with Stones when he was a young centre-back breaking through at Everton but could not pull off a transfer. He eventually met all that potential, but at Manchester City. Now, as a veteran, the Blues have the chance to finally bring him to Stamford Bridge. They should not let it slip a second time.