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Three perfect signings for Xabi Alonso at Chelsea

Updated: 24 May 2026 19:00 BST | 5 min read

Xabi Alonso, Chelsea

Cameron Smith

Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

Accredited sports journalist covering football since 2020

Xabi Alonso will begin work as the new Chelsea manager on 1 July and it’s understood that he will have a major influence on their business during the upcoming summer transfer window.

The Blues have already completed the signings of Geovany Quenda, Emmanuel Emegha, Dastan Satpaev and Denner ahead of this summer, while widespread reports have confirmed that a full agreement has been reached to bring Strasbourg midfielder Valentin Barco to the club too" href="https://www.footballtransfers.com/en/transfer-news/uk-premier-league/2026/05/chelsea-transfer-news-blues-agree-deal-to-sign-valentin-barco-fabrizio-romano" target="_blank">while widespread reports have confirmed that a full agreement has been reached to bring Strasbourg midfielder Valentin Barco to the club too.

However, Chelsea are still set to be extremely active in the market following a bitterly disappointing 2025-26 campaign and a number of high-profile stars are expected to be targeted by the club before the start of next season.

Meanwhile, several players will be offloaded on permanent deals in order to fund the Blues’ business, and the club are therefore likely to be locked in transfer negotiations for the entirety of the summer window as BlueCo look to finally build a team capable of challenging for the Premier League title.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through three players Chelsea should look to bring to Stamford Bridge this summer in order to appease Alonso.

Granit Xhaka (Sunderland)

Granit Xhaka may seem like a strange transfer suggestion for Chelsea, but signing him would be an excellent idea.

He was a crucial part of the Bayer Leverkusen side that won the Bundesliga title without losing a game under Alonso, he is proven at the highest level and he is the leader that Chelsea are sorely lacking.

Granit Xhaka, Sunderland

He has been Switzerland captain since 2020, he was appointed as Sunderland’s new club captain upon his arrival last summer and at 33 years old with over 700 senior games under his belt, he would add huge experience to a youthful Chelsea team.

Furthermore, Xhaka has been immense on the pitch during his first season at Sunderland and given Chelsea want to sign a new central midfielder amid Romeo Lavia’s injury woes, he would be a sensible pick-up, especially as he likely wouldn’t cost too much.

Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)

Regardless of whether Alonso opts to use a back-four or a back-five system at Chelsea, signing Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa would be an extremely sensible move.

The England international has played in multiple positions under Unai Emery and he would add huge attacking depth at Stamford Bridge, which is an issue that Chelsea have struggled with throughout this season, partly due to injuries.

Rogers is perfectly-suited to playing as a left-sided No.10 in an Alonso system, while he also has the ability to play as an out-and-out winger if required too.

Crucially, he would bring proven Premier League experience and with 56 goal contributions across the last two seasons for Aston Villa, he is arguably worth the €100m fee that it would likely cost to secure his signature during the upcoming window.

Morgan Rogers, Aston Villa

Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton)

If Chelsea can keep Levi Colwill fit, and Jorrel Hato continues his development, their glaring issues at centre-back will certainly be nullified somewhat, especially as Wesley Fofana is a different player when paired with Colwill compared to anyone else.

However, adding another right-footed option would be wise, with the club widely tipped to sanction the sale of Tosin Adarabioyo this summer. There aren’t too many available options on the market, truth be told, so raiding Brighton & Hove Albion once again may be Chelsea’s best port of call.

Crystal Palace star Maxence Lacroix could also be a smart signing, but Jan Paul van Hecke would be a great addition to the Blues first-team squad, especially considering his physicality, leadership and ball-playing ability.

The Dutchman has enjoyed an excellent season at the AMEX Stadium and bringing him to Stamford Bridge would provide Alonso with another excellent option at centre-back.