Hull City · 0 yrs
When Enzo Maresca decided to leave after a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth at the end of December. Chelsea did not meet their minimum expectation of qualifying for the Champions League, nor did they win any silverware. Liam Rosenior was appointed as Maresca's successor but lost the dressing room after attempting to move away from his tactical approach and lasted less than four months in the role.
With the arrival of Xabi Alonso, Chelsea appear to be preparing for another busy transfer window, especially as João Pedro continues to be strongly linked with a move to Barcelona. In response, the Blues are reportedly targeting Victor Osimhen as their marquee signing to reinforce the attack. After the dismissals of Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior, Chelsea have decided to make a radical shift in their sporting project, handing Xabi Alonso full control to lead the rebuild. With his arrival, they are reportedly open to changing their transfer strategy by prioritizing more established signings. Amid the growing rumors linking João Pedro with Barcelona, the Blues are now reportedly pursuing Victor Osimhen as a marquee addition for the attack. João Pedro’s impressive first season at Chelsea has reportedly called the attention from the Blaugranas, making him their priority signing. After recently paying €63.7 million to Brighton & Hove Albion FC, the Blues reportedly have no intention of letting the Brazilian striker leave during the summer of 2026. Even so, failure to qualify for the UEFA Champions League could push João to force a move towards Barcelona. In light of this, Osimhen’s arrival emerges as a key asset. According to Graeme Bailey, via TEAMtalk, the representatives of Victor Osimhen are actively seeking an exit from Galatasaray SK, as the Nigerian striker wants to compete once again in Europe’s top leagues. Because of this, Chelsea have reportedly reignited their interest in his signing, considering his arrival completely necessary. In addition, Alonso’s appointment could further attract Osimhen toward Stamford Bridge. Despite Chelsea FC’s strong interest in Victor Osimhen, completing the transfer would be far from simple. As a cornerstone player for Galatasaray SK, they would demand a fee close to €100 million, according to TEAMtalk. For Xabi Alonso to secure the Nigerian striker, the potential departure of João Pedro to Barcelona could become crucial, as the Blues would likely need a comparable financial income to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations. Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray. Xabi Alonso faces difficult task to rebuild Chelsea’s roster Since BlueCo took over Chelsea, they has invested heavily in signing young players. However, neither Enzo Maresca nor Liam Rosenior managed to fully develop several of those talents, with Mamadou Sarr, Dário Essugo, Alejandro Garnacho, and Roméo Lavia among the clearest examples. Because of this, Xabi Alonso now faces the difficult task of rebuilding the squad, while also deciding which players should leave the club during the summer of 2026. With such a defined tactical identity, Xabi Alonso could decide not to rely on several of Chelsea’s expensive signings, with Alejandro Garnacho emerging as one of the most notable cases. In addition, the defensive line remains the most crowded area of the squad, yet it still fails to fully convince. Because of this, Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Benoît Badiashile could all leave the club, as the Spanish head coach reportedly prefers more developed players.
Chelsea's newly-appointed manager Xabi Alonso says he is filled with "immense pride" after signing a four-year contract at Stamford Bridge. The 44-year-old, who has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid by mutual consent in January, will succeed Liam Rosenior and relieve Calum McFarlane of his interim duties when he begins on 1 July. Prior to his La Liga stint, Alonso spent three years in charge of Bayer Leverkusen, leading the club to their first-ever league title and also lifting the German Cup with the Bundesliga side.
The 145th FA Cup final could be Pep Guardiola's last shot at silverware as Manchester City manager. A season that promised so much has turned into a nightmare for the Stamford Bridge outfit. Enzo Maresca's departure as head coach in January triggered a tumultuous spell under Liam Rosenior, marked by significant decline in performance and professionalism among several players in the squad.
Former Real Madrid manager likely to be offered jobReece James fit to face Manchester City in FA Cup finalChelsea’s players believe Xabi Alonso is the ideal candidate to become their next head coach. Talks with the Spaniard’s camp are moving in the right direction and the feeling in the dressing room is that the former Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen head coach is the man to get the team back on track.No agreement is in place and Chelsea are keeping an open mind as they work to appoint a successor to Liam Rosenior, who was sacked last month after 106 days. Alonso is the frontrunner but others on the shortlist include Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Fulham’s Marco Silva, Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner and the former Flamengo manager Filipe Luís. Cesc Fàbregas has indicated that he wants to stay at Como. Continue reading...
Gary O’Neill believes BlueCo, the owners of Chelsea and Strasbourg, “messed up” the Ligue 1 side’s January transfer window and caused a downturn in form. O’Neill took the reins at Strasbourg at the start of 2026 following Liam Rosenior’s switch to Chelsea. Since taking over, O’Neill has won six of his 15 Ligue 1 matches […] The post Chelsea owners BlueCo messed up Strasbourg recruitment, claims O´Neill appeared first on Soccer News.
