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, while Cole Palmer supplies creative brilliance. Up front, highly rated talents such as Estevao and Jamie Gittens add pace and promise, while Jorrel Hato provides defensive solidity and Levi Colwill, sidelined by a cruciate ligament injury, remains poised for stardom.
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 surrounding Arne Slot unfolded differently, the Liverpool manager's role might have been his for the taking. At Anfield, where he became a club icon during his playing days, one of his three dream destinations (Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Liverpool) would have been on the cards after his time in Leverkusen. However, Real's internal chaos may have prompted him to reconsider and instead pick a club with no personal history, where failure would carry less individual stigma.
From a purely objective perspective, the bold move to Chelsea does carry risk for the former world-class midfielder's coaching career, which began so brightly. A failure at his second major European club would deliver a lasting blow to his reputation. In that light, Alonso is clearly gambling, especially since the challenges at Stamford Bridge appear immense.