Former Chelsea star Frank Leboeuf has asked the incoming Blues manager, Xabi Alonso, to replace one key player from his starting eleven next season.
After a turbulent season that saw multiple managerial changes, Chelsea finished the season poorly under interim coach Calum McFarlane. They finished 10th in the Premier League table; lost to Paris Saint-Germain with an 8-2 aggregate before bowing out of the UEFA Champions League, and lost the FA Cup final to Manchester City.
The Blues will not feature in any European competitions next season. The club decided to appoint Xabi Alonso as the first-team manager from next season, he signed a 4-year contract with the team. The ex-Real Madrid boss is set to take over at the helm of the London club from July.
Former Chelsea star Frank Leboeuf has asked Alonso to be stern with his principles and not change them for individual players. He said (via Metro):
"I think he should stick to his rules and his own tactics, but he will have to make choices. I don’t think he can work with all the players that Chelsea has. He needs to get it down to 25 players and deal with that, and see how it works with the best of them."
Leboeuf added that keeper Robert Sanchez might be exposed by Alonso's system and asked the club to find a replacement:
"I don’t like to say that anyone should go. He’s a great goalkeeper, but when he’s with his feet, he’s a danger to his own team.
"When Donnarumma signed for Manchester City, he had the same problem, and Pep Guardiola managed to settle into a new system to make sure that Donnarumma doesn’t play with his feet too much. And so it might be possible
"But I’m not sure Alonso will want to change his style for one player, so they might look to replace him."
Frank Leboeuf asks Chelsea to sign a player like David Raya
In the same interview, Leboeuf man spoke about a player type that the Blues should target to replace Sanchez.
He asked the club to target a player like Arsenal's David Raya, who has been one of the Gunners' standout players in the past season.
"I’m very fond of Raya; that guy is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, if not the best right now and he has proven that during the Champions League final as well. I really think that Chelsea should try to get somebody like Raya."