Despite not starting his role officially at Chelsea, Xabi Alonso has had a say in every single decision behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge.
Xabi Alonso is officially scheduled to begin his role as Chelsea manager on July 1, having penned a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge. Although his formal start date is just around the corner, the Spaniard has not delayed imposing his authority.
He has been actively operating behind the scenes for weeks, inflicting his massive influence over both the squad and immediate transfer strategy.
Rather than adopting a passive approach prior to pre-season, he has already dictated decisions, such as Marc Cucurella’s exit.
His hands-on involvement ensures that Chelsea’s aggressive summer recruitment campaign is strictly aligned with his specific, asymmetric tactical blueprint before he even takes his place in the dugout.
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Andrey Santos in the shop window at Chelsea
Despite being in and out of the Chelsea side this season, Andrey Santos was one of the most consistent players whenever he was given the chance.
Santos had an 100% pass rate against Tottenham and completed the most tackles of any player on the pitch, as well as really coming into his own under Liam Rosenior.
However, the Athletic are reporting that Santos is one of the players left off the ‘not for sale’ list and has admirers, which could see him leave this summer.
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Sanctioning a permanent exit for Andrey Santos could prove to be another short-sighted transfer mistake for Chelsea.
In stark contrast, Chelsea continues to show immense patience with Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo despite persistent injury setbacks.
Lavia has managed fewer than 30 appearances over three seasons due to recurring muscle problems, while Essugo missed almost the entire campaign with thigh issues.
With Chelsea looking for proven Premier League quality, there’s a player in Santos who has shown he can cut it at the top level, he’s just been very unfortunate with the managerial chances.
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