With the season over, Xabi Alonso is now a little over a month from taking office, and the incoming Chelsea manager will have to make a decision on many of his players, including Aaron Anselmino.
Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat to Sunderland means the Blues have failed to qualify for any of Europe’s three competitions. The Blues finished in tenth place, despite going into the weekend in eighth position.
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It means that Chelsea now have an enormous squad, primed for European competition, but without qualifying for Europe. It leaves Alonso with a huge pool of players that has got to be trimmed down.
Especially if Alonso wants to bring in his own players without the added financial injection that Europe promises. But one player, who has become somewhat forgotten at Chelsea, might be perfect for Alonso.
Aaron Anselmino fits Xabi Alonso’s centre-back profile
Renowned for his 3-4-2-1 system that guided Bayer Leverkusen to the 2023-24 Bundesliga title without defeat, Alonso used a specific type of defender that allowed him to play with a high line and press hard.
With the ball, his defenders were able to pass through the lines and deal with counterattacks because they had pace. Chelsea have been linked with one of Alonso’s main Leverkusen stars, Edmund Tapsoba.
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But Chelsea may already have the perfect fit on their books. Aaron Anselmino has endured a tricky year, with injury preventing the Argentine from really showing what he can do at Dortmund and Strasbourg.
However, the £15m signing is perfect for Alonso. Breaking The Lines say Anselmino is ‘quick enough and reads play well enough to play a high line and cover large areas’, allowing Alonso to play a high line.
Not only that, he is ‘press resistant,’ and this would give Alonso a defender capable of building from the back before neatly slotting a pass into a midfielder. Anselmino has the traits Alonso is looking for.
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The potential of Anselmino is limitless. A centre-back with physicality, able to win aerial duels, calm under pressure when in possession, able to pick a pass and with plenty of pace to cover holes in the back line.
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Injury-prone.
Chelsea really believe they have a top-quality player in Anselmino. But there is an issue, and it is his injuries. Chelsea are aware that Anselmino’s progress is being hindered by his constant injuries.
It limited him to just 10 Dortmund outings in the first half of the season and only three in France while with Strasbourg. If Anselmino can get past this, then he has a real chance of shining under Alonso.
If he does, it not only provides Alonso with the perfect defender, but it saves the club cash at a time when they need to save money after failing to qualify for Europe. A loan this summer, however, is also likely.
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