The Blues have spent over £250m on new players this summer - but the spending won’t stop there
We’re just three weeks away from the start of the 2026/27 Premier League season, and Chelsea will be heading into the upcoming campaign full of confidence and eager to get things underway, with new manager Xabi Alonso at the helm. It’s a welcome fresh start for the Blues, whose tumultuous previous season saw them finish 10th in the league, with two managers leaving in the process.
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Things simply couldn’t continue as they were, with the club’s insistence on signing almost exclusively wonderkids leading to a completely disjointed, rudderless side who looked incapable of competing at the highest level. To their credit, the ostriches in the Chelsea boardroom finally raised their heads from the sand, acknowledging that there needed to be a change.
Fans had been crying out for some experienced leadership in the squad, and that’s what was promised to Alonso upon his arrival at Stamford Bridge. So far, so good, with proven Premier League duo Morgan Rogers and Maxence Lacroix arriving for big money, alongside a smattering of rawer talent. Veteran duo Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck are also expected to sign in the coming days - perhaps that perfect balance has finally been reached.
With more deals still to come, we’ve taken a crack at working out what Alonso’s best line-up will look like this season, including current players and a couple of potential signings who’ve been heavily linked with big summer moves to Chelsea.
How Chelsea’s bold starting line-up could look this season: goalkeeper and defence
New Chelsea signing Maxence Lacroix is expected to be a key player after joining from Crystal Palaceplaceholder image
New Chelsea signing Maxence Lacroix is expected to be a key player after joining from Crystal Palace | Getty Images
GK - Robert Sanchez: We praised Chelsea for finally cottoning on to the fact that their transfer strategy was hopeless, but they have to be held accountable for their ongoing refusal to admit their goalkeeper isn’t up to scratch. They look set to continue with the calamitous £25m stopper as their number one for the new season, despite his galling errors costing the side precious points on numerous occasions since his arrival in 2023.
RB - Reece James: The club captain is likely to be eased back into action gradually this season, after suffering a hamstring injury during England’s World Cup campaign earlier this summer. New boy Marco Palestra will most likely begin the new season in James’ spot, but the Blues academy product will be straight back in once he’s over his latest ailment.
CB - Maxence Lacroix: £51m was spent to bring the France international to Stamford Bridge, and he looks set to be an immediate starter. He’ll bring some much needed composure to a back line that was simply all over the place last season, as well as the physicality needed to dominate set-pieces both in defence and attack.
CB - Levi Colwill: There has been much discussion over the Blues’ defensive shape under Alonso. He could play with a back three, as he has done with great success before, but that would disregard the wealth of top class wingers on the books. Also, Alonso said in his most recent press conference that he wants no more than five central defenders in his squad, which very much suggests he’s going to set up with a back four. Fresh and ready to go after missing the World Cup, Colwill will be an integral cog in Chelsea’s system this season.
LB - Lewis Hall: The utter chaos at Newcastle United, that has seen them sell multiple stars players and part company with manager Eddie Howe, has presented Chelsea with a golden opportunity: the chance to re-sign the £60m-rated Hall. They’ll face fierce competition from Man United, but if Alonso can convince the Blues academy product to re-join the club, Chelsea’s left side will look a lot stronger following Marc Cucurella’s exit.
How Chelsea’s bold starting line-up could look this season: midfield and attack
New Chelsea signing Morgan Rogers cost the club a staggering £117mplaceholder image
New Chelsea signing Morgan Rogers cost the club a staggering £117m | Getty Images
CM - Moises Caicedo: The £100m Ecuadorian ace signed a new contract with the Blues back in April, extending his stay with the club all the way through until 2033. He’ll be one of the first names on the team sheet for Alonso, bringing relentless energy and an uncanny ability to retain possession to the side. When Caicedo plays well, so do Chelsea, and their hopes of success depend heavily on his form.
CM - Adam Wharton: We’re expecting to see a transfer domino effect in the coming weeks, with Real Madrid’s rumoured swoop for Rodri potentially leading Man City to replace him with the Blues’ wantaway midfielder Enzo Fernandez. While it looks like Bournemouth’s Adam Scott is Chelsea’s top target to replace him, a move for Crystal Palace’s Wharton may be more realistic, with the Cherries adamant they won’t sell this summer. Wharton would likely cost around £85m.
AMR - Estevao: It was a frustrating first season at Stamford Bridge for the Brazilian gem, who struggled with injury problems throughout the campaign. With a full summer off, he’ll be fit and raring to go, and could well move ahead the misfiring Pedro Neto to start on the right wing. Billed as ‘the next Neymar’, the Blues board are expecting big things from their £29m wonderkid.
AMC - Cole Palmer: Another player expected to excel under Alonso, Palmer will be looking to return to the stunning form that saw him take the Premier League by storm after signing for the Blues from Man City for £40m back in 2023. He’s expected to play in the number ten role again, after being shunted out of position repeatedly through an injury-disrupted 2025/26 season.
AML - Morgan Rogers: Chelsea’s new £117m man can play all across the front line, but he’s expected to start on the left for Chelsea in a deadly looking attacking midfield trio. Fantasy Premier League players will be hoping for goals and assists aplenty from the England international, who scored 13 and set up eleven for Aston Villa in all competitions last season.
ST - Joao Pedro: We recently rated the £55m ex-Brighton star as Chelsea’s best striker since Olivier Giroud - which tells you all you need to know about the west Londoners’ struggles to sign a decent one, given that the Frenchman left over five years ago. It’s still unclear who the backup options for Pedro will be, with both Nicolas Jackson and Liam Delap facing uncertain futures at SW6, but the Brazilian is without question the Blues’ first-choice striker going forward.
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