Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso during Chelsea's win over Western Sydney Wanderers(Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC)
View 2 Images
Filip Jorgensen has revealed he wanted to leave Chelsea from January onwards in order to play regular first-team football.
Ever since he signed from Villarreal in July 2024, the Danish goalkeeper spent the majority of his time at Stamford Bridge as Robert Sanchez 's understudy. Bar a few times where Sanchez was dropped, a chance to become No.1 keeper at the Blues seemed a long way away for Jorgensen.
Seven months on from January, Jorgensen got his wish. Strasbourg, who have the same owners as Chelsea, agreed a deal to sign the Dane on loan for the 2026/27 season.
FOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE! Latest Blues news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page
football.london reported in May that Jorgensen informed Chelsea of his desire to depart over the summer transfer window - and it has now been revealed it was on his mind for a lot longer.
The 24-year-old shot-stopper said: "Ever since January, I knew I wanted to move. I wanted to play every weekend and show what I can do. It means an absolute lot. I am very happy about it.
"They asked me two months before the end of the season what I wanted for next season, whether I wanted to stay or whether I wanted to leave. And I just want to play. If I could play regularly at Chelsea, I would like to stay, but if not, I would like to leave."
Jorgensen travelled to Sydney with the rest of Xabi Alonso's squad in July for the first leg of Chelsea's pre-season tour but once the option to move to Strasbourg was decided, the goalkeeper travelled home early.
Filip Jorgensen
Filip Jorgensen is at Strasbourg on loan(Image: Richard Martin-Roberts - CameraSport)
View 2 Images
Once his loan deal at the French club has reached its conclusion next summer, Jorgensen will once again find himself at a crossroads. However, the Dane is not thinking about that just yet.
He added: "I'm not thinking about that right now. I just want to have a good year, and then next summer we'll see what happens."
Sanchez ended up being loaned out to Como after a mistake-ridden display in Chelsea's opening weekend victory over Fulham on August 24. After a summer of the club insisting they were happy with their goalkeeper options, with Mike Penders returning from his loan at Strasbourg, Alonso changed his mind at the last minute.
Chelsea ended up signing Emiliano Martinez, deemed surplus to requirements at Aston Villa following the arrival of Zion Suzuki, for £7.5million. Penders is now the Blues' back-up option to Martinez, with his only two appearances this season coming in Carabao Cup wins over Luton Town and Leeds United in August and September respectively.