Chelsea and Xabi Alonso might have missed out on signing Granit Xhaka but the Blues should definitely still be in the market for a new central midfielder this summer
12:38, 06 Jul 2026
Xabi Alonso
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Xabi Alonso is seeing changes to his squad(Image: Justin Setterfield - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Make no mistake about it: Chelsea will leave themselves short if they sell Andrey Santos this summer, unless the Blues can find an alternative to Granit Xhaka.
Santos is exploring his options, sources say, as the Brazil international seeks for regular first-team football. He believes that could be away from Stamford Bridge and Chelsea will not block an exit for the midfielder as long as their asking price is met.
Sources were coy on what that exact figure is, but a report from elsewhere claims it to be £50million. Sources were more open when it came to informing on two clubs interested in Santos, with Manchester United and Newcastle United both understood to be exploring a move for the versatile Brazilian midfielder.
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It became clear towards the back end of last season that Chelsea were looking to add a new central midfielder to their ranks - even when Liam Rosenior was head coach - and that has not changed at the time of writing. The Blues tried but failed to land Xhaka from Sunderland, who were insistent throughout the process that the 33-year-old Switzerland international was not for sale at any price.
Chelsea, though, have other options on their shortlist when it comes to central midfield. Adam Wharton has been admired for some time now, but it remains to be seen whether the Blues would make a move for the Crystal Palace midfielder this summer with rumours he could cost the best part of £100m following Elliot Anderson's £116m transfer to Manchester City.
The west Londoners will consider their options in the transfer market when it comes to the midfield department - and that is absolutely necessary to give Xabi Alonso the best-possible squad for his debut season at Stamford Bridge. At the time of writing, other than Santos, Chelsea have Enzo Fernandez, whose future remains up in the air, Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo.
Valentin Barco is set to sign from Strasbourg, sources say, though Chelsea are yet to officially confirm the arrival of the Argentina international. Reece James and Josh Acheampong can play in the centre of midfield but it remains to be seen where Alonso views the defensive duo in the long run.
Valentin Barco
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Valentin Barco will become a Chelsea player this summer(Image: Florencia Tan Jun - FIFA)
Lavia has shown throughout his time at Stamford Bridge that he cannot be relied upon to play regular matches. To no fault of the Belgian's, his Chelsea tenure has been overshadowed by consistent muscular problems. Essugo, similarly, had an injury-disrupted debut season in west London and could yet still be loaned depending on how many options Alonso has.
Santos is quality depth. As it stands, Chelsea do not have too much of that. Selling him, especially to a rival, seems like a long-term risk. He didn't set the world alight last season but it was certainly impressive given the context and circumstances around the campaign as a whole.
The 22-year-old midfielder has an extremely high potential and while £50m might seem like quite a lot in the short term, it could prove to be a bargain for Man Utd or Newcastle if they do indeed pursue a move for the Chelsea star.
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