Photo by Ayush Kumar/Getty Images
Photo by Ayush Kumar/Getty Images
Xabi Alonso held his pre-Juventus press conference out in Hong Kong on Tuesday ahead of the pre-season friendly on Wednesday, and he discussed the futures of Mykhailo Mudryk and Nicolas Jackson.
Both Mudryk and Jackson have travelled to Hong Kong to join Chelsea’s pre-season training this summer, having missed the games against Western Sydney Wanderers and Tottenham for different reasons.
Mudryk last played for Chelsea back in November 2024, but after his doping suspension was lifted, the winger is available to play effective immediately. The question is, will Alonso reintegrate the wide man?
With Jackson, the Senegal star is back at Chelsea after a loan at Bayern Munich. He has returned late to summer training after representing his country at the World Cup as Senegal reached the round of 32.
Xabi Alonso asked about Mudryk’s future at Chelsea
Going into the press conference, Chelsea’s social media plastered their pages with images and clips of Mudryk. But not long after, reports claimed that clubs were becoming interested in the Ukraine star.
Chelsea FC v Newcastle United - Premier League
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Frank Lampard is among them, keen to take Mudryk to Coventry. There have also been reports from France that Chelsea are planning to send Mudryk on loan to Strasbourg, but nothing is confirmed yet.
Alonso wants to take a look at Mudryk, and on Tuesday, he discussed Mudryk’s future: “We are thrilled Misha could be with us. You can see his smile and how good it was to feel part of the team.
“We are happy that he’s back with us in the team,” Alonso said. He then added on his future: “No decision made. We need to assess; he is a special player, but it is a special case, so we need to be sensitive.”
Alonso also discussed Nicolas Jackson’s Chelsea future
Mudryk is not the only player being linked with the exit door. Jackson has been strongly linked with a handful of Serie A clubs, teams in Saudi Arabia and some English clubs like Unai Emery’s Aston Villa.
Emery had Jackson at Villarreal, but Alejandro Garnacho’s loan to Villa means Jackson cannot join the Midlands side on loan. If he was to reunite with Emery, it would have to be a permanent Jackson exit.
Alonso said: “Nico is a great player, a threat against any defence so we want players that can compete. Nico is one of them. We need to go day-by-day checking options, but we are happy Nico is with us.”
With Chelsea having spent £335m on new signings already, the Blues do need to sell and there is every chance that Jackson could be one of those. Mudryk, however, feels more likely to be a temporary exit.