Xabi Alonso appears to have made his feelings crystal clear about four Chelsea players.
16:23, 27 Jul 2026
Chelsea could axe as many as four strikers just to make room for Danny Welbeck. The Brighton striker has suddenly emerged as a target for the Blues as Xabi Alonso looks to further bolster his attacking options.
football.london understands that Chelsea are interested in signing Welbeck, who has recently entered the final year of his contract at the Amex Stadium. The Blues have opened talks with the Seagulls and, while a deal hasn't been agreed yet, negotiations are moving in the right direction.
Higher-ups at Stamford Bridge are also yet to agree on personal terms with the 35-year-old, but they're currently in the process of doing so, and it's not expected to be an issue. If the sporting leadership team can secure Welbeck's signature, he would become the first player over the age of 30 to join Chelsea since the summer of 2022.
The shift in the transfer model follows the appointment of Alonso. When the former Real Madrid boss signed a four-year contract with the Blues back in May, he was given the 'manager' job title; the first to take up such a position since Jose Mourinho in 2013.
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football.london understands that senior officials promised to give Alonso more authority than his predecessors, hence the slight change of direction at Stamford Bridge. The Spaniard has certainly capitalised on the opportunity to weigh in on recruitment decisions, with as many as four strikers set to clear the path for Welbeck.
The Brighton striker looks set to claim the role of understudy to Joao Pedro, who shouldered far too much of the workload in the final third last season. Welbeck, who has a somewhat similar profile to the Brazilian in terms of his frame, ability to link play, and intelligence to fend off centre-backs, whether it be short or in behind, would be a more than suitable backup option.
At the age of 35, too, the England international wouldn't block the pathway of any budding young striker, like Dastan Satpayev, who's gearing up for his first season in the Premier League. Regardless of whether Chelsea sign Welbeck, the interest alone speaks volumes about how Alonso views Nicolas Jackson, Emmanuel Emegha, and Marc Guiu.
Interestingly, last week, each of the three strikers were omitted from the squad that travelled for the pre-season tour of Australia and Asia. Unlike his fellow countryman and Senegal teammate at the World Cup, Mamadou Sarr, who boarded the plane, Jackson was left at home.
The 25-year-old striker, who spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich, featured 34 times across all competitions last term, scoring 11 goals and providing four assists. Jackson averaged no more than 39 minutes per game under Vincent Kompany, with four of his 12 Bundesliga starts coming in the last five matches of the season, after the title had already been wrapped up.
As for Emegha, whom Chelsea signed from Strasbourg and sent back out on loan, struggled to stay fit last season. The 23-year-old striker only played 18 times across all competitions, banking no more than 900 minutes on the pitch.
The lack of action appears to have already caught up with him, having suffered a hamstring injury during a behind-closed-doors pre-season friendly against Bromley before the pre-season tour of Australia and Asia. Emegha was subsequently left at home and now seems to be viewed as unreliable.
Meanwhile, Guiu has rarely been given an opportunity at Chelsea. The 20-year-old striker, whom the Blues signed from Barcelona for just £5m in July 2024, was sent on loan to Sunderland last summer, but he was controversially recalled when Jackson forced a move to Bayern.
He ended up starting just five games for Chelsea last term, playing less than 600 minutes. As it stands, it's unclear whether the Blues will hold onto Guiu for another year, but the Spaniard should leave for his own sake, whether permanently or on a two-year loan.
Liam Delap is the only other senior striker in Alonso's squad down under at the moment. The 23-year-old striker, whom the Blues only signed from Ipswich Town for £30m last year, has had a difficult start to his spell in west London.
Delap arrived as someone who thrived in transition, running into space and shrugging off centre-backs, yet he was expected to hit the ground running when sparingly used in a team that wanted to dominate possession. Whether it was the niggling injuries or the lack of touches, perhaps both, the Englishman couldn't hide his frustration on the pitch.
So, whenever the ball fell to Delap in the final third, he was either wasteful or put himself in danger of a card. The Chelsea ace has previously proven he's a good finisher, so perhaps he would benefit from more game time in a different environment.
In an ideal world, Chelsea cash in on Jackson, loans out Emegha and Guiu, and sell Delap. In doing so, Welbeck can work closely with Pedro and Satpayev without blocking anyone's long-term pathway into the first-team...
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