Ex-Chelsea captain Marcel Desailly says “there’s a chance” that his former club could win the Premier League title next season.
Despite finishing 10th last season, Desailly believes that new manager Xabi Alonso has a good young squad at his disposal, which could be added to during the summer transfer window:
“Yes, yes, there’s a chance [they can win the title]. You learn from the mistakes you have made. They will look to add three or four first-choice players into his starting XI, and while it’s going to be expensive for sure, they also have players they can dispose of to generate income. Eventually, they have to stop having 70 players out on loan all around the world. The management needs to start thinning it out!”
“So my answer is yes, Chelsea can (challenge for the title). Because when you are young (as Chelsea are), you have a certain lightheartedness and freedom from responsibility that gives you the belief that you can do it. You can erase mistakes or problems much more easily because you are young and the best is still yet to come.”
What are the odds of Chelsea winning the title?
The Blues are currently 5th among the runners and riders. Most bookmakers have Alonso’s team priced between 9/1 and 11/1.
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Current holders Arsenal are the favourites, with the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United also deemed more likely to finish top of the table next season.
Chelsea have a big summer ahead of them
What Desailly doesn’t mention is that certain members of the first-team squad are angling for moves away. Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella may not be at Stamford Bridge by the start of next season.
It means that Alonso doesn’t only need to strengthen key positions during the summer transfer window, he may also have to find replacements for key personnel.
For that reason, expecting a title challenge in Alonso’s first season could prove to be a tall order, but the Spaniard showed at Bayer Leverkusen that he doesn’t need much time to turn things around.
He took over the German club in October 2022, and by May 2024, he had won the Bundesliga title and the German Cup.
Read more about the Chelsea First Team Squad for 2025/26 here