Read our 2026/27 season preview for Chelsea with Xabi Alonso moving to the Stamford Bridge dugout.
The Blues' first half to the season was promising, but the disconnect between Enzo Maresca and the Chelsea board represented a ticking timebomb. Maresca departed in the new year and the move to bring Liam Rosenior to the the club was a gamble that backfired spectacularly.
In Xabi Alonso, the club have one of the world's sharpest managers, bringing plenty of optimism back to west London.
Key question
Can Xabi Alonso hit the ground running?
There have been seven managerial changes in the Premier League over the summer, and Xabi Alonso to Chelsea might be the most interesting of them all.
After taking over at Bayer Leverkusen in the October, Alonso won the Bundesliga in his first full season at the BayArena. There was no lengthy bedding in period for Alonso, who took the side from second bottom to Europa League qualification before their remarkable unbeaten season in 2023/24.
Alonso is going to want to bring a new style of play to Stamford Bridge which will involve shaping the squad to his requirements more than most head coaches.
Alonso’s time at Real Madrid can be ignored; it’s very hard for a tactician to go to the Bernabeu and tell the world’s best players what they need to do, but Chelsea’s should be more malleable, and the ceiling in West London looks very high.
Key transfer
Morgan Rogers
While the purchase of Maxence Lacroix was essential with Chelsea needing to strengthen their central defensive options, it's impossible not to be sucked in by the glitz and glamour of their £117m purchase of Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa.
The England international had excelled under Unai Emery, contributing 18 goals and 16 assists in the Premier League across the two seasons, and Rogers' exceptional ball-carrying ability and final third ingenuity will prove a huge asset to Alonso over the course of the season.
Alonso will no doubt lean on his versatility, with the 24-year-old able to operate as a No 10, on the left or on the right, which should also help to maximise Cole Palmer's skillset, and Rogers' immense workrate will endear him to the Stamford Bridge faithful.
His almighty premium will always bring a sense of trepidation, but Chelsea can take comfort that their lavish investment knows he belongs amongst the Premier League's elite.
Breakout star
Jorrel Hato
It’s easy to get lost in Chelsea’s endless signings, and Jorrel Hato wasn’t exactly one that leapt off the page.
A 19-year-old added to a squad with nine defenders, Hato looked like the classic buy-low-sell-high when signed for £35m rather than an immediate impact player.
While the Dutchman was deployed as a left-back in his final season at Ajax, he often reverted back to the centre of defence owing to Chelsea’s numerous injuries at the back last term.
Hato is unlikely to be used as one of Alonso’s wing-backs, but with his comfort on the ball, he looks ideal to play on the left of a back three.
Hato seems to suit Alonso’s philosophy to the ground, and the former Ajax man could be set for a big campaign at Stamford Bridge.
What is a good season?
Title challenge
Chelsea have seen managers come to the club and win the title in the first season all too often – Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Antonio Conte – for incoming bosses to be given lengthy grace periods and Xabi Alonso needs to hit the ground running.
He couldn’t ask for better circumstances with which to join the club, either. None of Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo, Joao Pedro, Wesley Fofana or Levi Colwell have had particularly strenuous summers compared to many of their rivals, and the lack of European football gives the Spaniard maximum time on the training ground to instil his ideas.
There are question marks around Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United, all of whom enter this campaign under vastly different circumstances to 12 months ago. There’s then Aston Villa and Newcastle’s financial issues while Tottenham are in the midst of a significant rebuild.
As such, finishing in the top five ought to be the bare minimum, and if things go well over the summer, the Blues could find themselves in the thick of things come May.
Bold prediction
To finish in top two
With all the question marks around the rest of the big six – Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham’s new managers, Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League, Arsenal defending a title – Chelsea could be best placed to swoop in and take advantage.
Xabi Alonso proved himself to be a top class tactician at Bayer Leverkusen and his spell at Real Madrid, which was doomed from the start, shouldn’t be held against him.
Chelsea, unlike most of their rivals, are not burdened by European football, meaning Alonso can throw everything at their domestic campaign.
He’ll get extra time on the training ground and seems to have been given free reign to shape the squad how he wants.
Winning the title might be a step too far, but with the talent in their squad and a world class manager at the helm, Chelsea could certainly find themselves in the mix.
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Will they be better than last season?
Yes.
Had Chelsea kept Enzo Maresca for the rest of the season, Chelsea would likely be playing in the UEFA Champions League. Instead, they made the misguided appointment of Liam Rosenior which saw the club plummet to 10th place, securing a top-half finish over rivals Fulham by goal difference alone.
With no European football, an improved manager and what should be a more balance squad, Chelsea should fly up the table.
