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Winners and losers of Xabi Alonso to Chelsea

Updated: 18 May 2026 18:43 BST | 6 min read

Cole Palmer, Liam Delap, Chelsea

Cameron Smith

Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

Accredited sports journalist covering football since 2020

Chelsea have officially announced the appointment of Xabi Alonso as their new manager, with the Spaniard set to start work at Stamford Bridge on 1 July.

His arrival comes following the departures of Enzo Maresca in January and Liam Rosenior in April, with Chelsea now onto their sixth different permanent manager of the BlueCo era.

In Alonso, Chelsea have appointed one of the most highly-rated coaches in the world and they have acted swiftly to finalise a deal for his signature as they look to finally compete for the Premier League title next season.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through the possible winners and losers of Alonso’s imminent arrival at Chelsea.

Winner: Cole Palmer

Cole Palmer clearly hasn’t been fully fit this season and he could seriously benefit from being excluded from England’s World Cup squad in order to rest over the summer.

However, his form has still been a major concern, with the 24-year-old failing to register a goal contribution in his last 13 matches for club and country.

Palmer no longer looks confident in the final third, while he has grown increasingly frustrated with his team-mates as the season has progressed. He needs a reset before the start of next campaign and the prospect of working under Alonso could give him a new lease of life.

Florian Wirtz became one of the most potent attackers in world football under the tutelage of the Spaniard and it’s reasonable to suggest that Palmer could undergo a similar transformation following Alonso’s appointment at Chelsea, especially if a 3-4-3 formation is preferred.

Loser: Alejandro Garnacho

Part of the reason why Alejandro Garnacho left Manchester United to join Chelsea was the fact that Ruben Amorim’s favoured system and style of play didn’t suit him.

While it remains to be seen how Alonso will look to set up at Stamford Bridge, he could opt to use the 3-4-3 formation he deployed to such great success at Bayer Leverkusen, which would spell trouble for Garnacho.

The Argentina star is an out-and-out touchline winger and playing as a wide No.10 or a wing-back doesn't suit him at all.

Throw into the mix the fact that his debut season at Chelsea has been extremely underwhelming, and it’s clear that he is likely to be out of favour under Alonso.

Alejandro Garnacho, Chelsea

Winner: Genesis Antwi

Genesis Antwi made his first-team debut for Chelsea last season and despite failing to play for the senior side this term, he is one of several academy starlets who could benefit from the arrival of Alonso.

The Sweden U21 international joined the Blues from Hammarby at the age of 11 and he has risen through the ranks at Cobham ever since, racking up two goals and six assists in 39 youth-team matches this season.

Antwi came on as a right winger during Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Djurgarden in the Europa Conference League semi-final last season, but he has almost exclusively been deployed at right-back this campaign, with the 19-year-old providing immense attacking verve from a deep starting berth.

The teenager is absolutely rapid, and he also possesses immense technical proficiency. With Malo Gusto enduring a tough 2025-26 campaign and Alonso potentially set to use a 3-4-3 formation at Stamford Bridge, Antwi could enjoy a breakthrough season at right wing-back next year.

Loser: Liam Delap

Liam Delap’s first year at Chelsea has been a disaster. He arrived with a burgeoning reputation following an excellent debut season at Ipswich Town, but he has been unable to replicate that form in any way at Stamford Bridge.

The Englishman has only scored two goals in 39 games this term and his all-round play has been way off the level required at Chelsea.

Liam Delap, Chelsea

Joao Pedro is the clear first-choice number nine, but the drop-off to Delap is alarming and anytime he has been called upon from the bench, he has been unable to influence proceedings in a positive way.

His involvement has been fairly limited despite the fact he had worked under both Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior before joining Chelsea, and with a new manager he doesn’t know set to be in the dugout, Delap may struggle for game time even more in 2026-27.

Winner: BlueCo

The fact BlueCo have convinced Alonso to join the club is fairly astounding and they are certainly huge ‘winners’ from his appointment at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s squad is still in need of several reinforcements despite spending over €1.5 billion on new signings since 2022 and the club’s hierarchy have, to this point, been reluctant to shift away from their naive strategy.

So, to have secured the signature of Alonso - one of the most talented young coaches in world football - is a major coup and signals that Chelsea still have significant pulling power, despite their dramatic downward slide under BlueCo’s ownership.

Fan unrest had reached an all-time high before the appointment of Alonso, but by making a statement managerial appointment, BlueCo may have saved their reputation at the last minute.

Alonso seemed almost nailed-on to become Liverpool manager following the exit of Jurgen Klopp, but he ultimately decided to remain at Bayer Leverkusen for another season, paving the way for Arne Slot to join.

While the Dutchman guided Liverpool to the Premier League title last year, this campaign has been a major disappointment and he has lost the faith of a large percentage of Reds supporters as result.

However, the Liverpool board have opted to stick with Slot, and despite rumours suggesting that he will be sacked this summer, and replaced by Alonso, he is now widely expected to stay at Anfield instead.

But, in the process, Liverpool have missed out on the chance to appoint Alonso for a second time and seeing a club legend manage Chelsea next season will be a hammer blow for all involved with the Reds.