Chelsea are expected to have a busy summer transfer window with the Blues targeting - at the very least - two starting-level players to help Xabi Alonso next season
07:00, 22 Jun 2026
Bradley Barcola celebrates
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Bradley Barcola has been strongly linked with a move to Arsenal this summer(Image: Image Photo Agency)
Xabi Alonso begins his role as Chelsea manager in little over a week's time with the Spaniard set to meet his squad not long after.
While Alonso has been in consistent dialogue with the club's sporting leadership team and owners since his appointment in May, the real work will start for the Spaniard on July 1 when he reports to the Blues' training centre in Cobham. Chelsea supporters will hope their transfer business begins to heat up when Alonso gets his feet under the desk in his new office.
Following the £52million (there or thereabouts) sale of Marc Cucurella last week, Chelsea have a bit more wiggle room, financially, when it comes to recruiting players now. The Blues are targeting two, at the very least, starting-level players to add to Alonso's squad this summer, numerous sources have told football.london .
While club insiders are keeping the identity of their targets a top secret at the time of writing, we do know of a couple of names on the agenda this summer. With that being said, Bobby Vincent and Jake Stokes discuss below who they think Chelsea should sign first this summer, and there is a slight disagreement in their verdicts...
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Bobby Vincent
There are three areas, for me, where Chelsea are lacking. In the centre of defence is one of them, and I think that is where the Blues' priority should be in the coming weeks.
football.london reported earlier this month that Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix is a name on the radar of Chelsea this summer. At the time of writing, there is nothing to say for sure that the Blues will make a move for the France international but there is a definite interest given the uncertainty surrounding his future at Selhurst Park.
Lacroix has admirers from elsewhere as well, which will make it more difficult if Chelsea decide to pursue his signature, with sources close to Palace insisting the Eagles' desire to keep the defender around beyond this summer. Either way, Chelsea should - in my opinion - test Palace's resolve when it comes to Lacroix.
Maxence Lacroix
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Maxence Lacroix had an oustanding 2025/26 for Crystal Palace(Image: Image Photo Agency)
Yes, he won't be cheap, but it doesn't appear like any player will be anything less than extortionate this summer. The prices are through the roof - and they could rise even more depending on how players do in the World Cup.
Chelsea, sources say, are looking for a long-term centre-back partner for Levi Colwill, the Cobham graduate who remains central in the club's ambitious project, and Lacroix has all the tools to be just that.
Jake Stokes
Bradley Barcola celebrates
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Bradley Barcola celebrates scoring for France against Senegal(Image: Image Photo Agency)
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At Parc des Princes, he could remain a spare part, playing for a manager who doesn't seem to trust him in major finals. But at Stamford Bridge, under Alonso and a recalibrated recruitment team, the Frenchman could be a key component in the frontline of a top Premier League outfit, where he'll be relied upon to deliver big moments in big games from the first whistle.He won't be as comfortable in west London as he would be in Paris. It'll take him out of his comfort zone. Pressure makes diamonds, and Chelsea need to take a risk this summer.